Are shutter speeds in between the clicks okay?

[Richie]

I got a very over-exposed image and I am trying to understand why. I used a shutter speed of 1/50 which is in between the clicks of 1/60 and 1/30. I am shooting 4x5 with a Fujinon W 5.6/150. Are shutter speeds in between the clicks okay?

[Jac@stafford.net]

What shutter? Understand that most LF shutters are not precise, so when in doubt about the behavior of in-between speeds choose a marked one. I choose the next lower speed.

...and of course, it helps to calibrate your shutter to know the actual speeds. Some photographers do it every couple years because they change.

[Kevin Crisp]

For some shutters there are no in between settings. For some there are. It depends on what your lens is mounted in. It won't work on a Copal. If you want to make a half stop adjustment, use aperture for it. It your shutter has been in service for 10 to 15 years it may not be accurate and need a cla.

[Michael Graves]

Any way you look at it, the difference between either 1/30 and 1/50 or 1/60 and 1/50 would be minimal. You would not get "very over-exposed" from that if the shutter speeds were even close to accurately calibrated. Either your meter reading was off or the shutter is in need of attention.

[Doremus Scudder]

Ritchie,

Nope, there are no intermediate shutter speeds on clockwork shutters. Usually setting your shutter between settings will simply default to the slower marked speed. Why you got an overexposed shot I'm not sure, unless for some reason the intermediate setting held the shutter open longer than usual. You could test fire your shutter at intermediate settings and see what happens.

For less-than-whole-stop increments, use your aperture adjustment.

Best,

Doremus

[Jim Galli]

Antique shutters like Alphax and Betax and their ilk had a continuous curve that engaged the escapement mechanism, thus actually did have "in-between" speeds in theory, but their consistency was such that every speed was "in-between" most of the time. Get a shutter speed tester, and then depending on what you consistently get, either cheat on the "ASA" number used, or open-close the aperture.

Copal shutters had sharp drops on the escapement engagement rings, so no intermittent speed were happening.

[Richie]

thanks everybody!