What shutter do you use for your barrel lens?

[Songyun]

I am just curious, what do you use?
a) Sinar shutter
b) packard shutter
c) lens cap
d) 57 dark slide shutter (copyrighted by Jim Galli)

[Kirk Fry]

Speed graphic or lens cap.

[Jim Galli]

All of the above except the Sinar.

[Lachlan 717]

All of the above except the Sinar.

Any reason, Jim? (Aside from not having a Sinar/Horseman, that is!!)

I'm considering using one of Sinar's Auto-Aperture shutters in conjunction with a Brass/Petzval et al to give best control of shutter speeds. In a pragmatic sense, this is way more functional and accurate that a [single speed] Packard.

Thanks in advance,

Lachlan.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Luc shutter with strobe sync added.

[IanG]

Speed Graphic shutter, Packard or soon when I've restored it a Thornton Pickard Instantaneous shutter (roller blind).

Ian

[jb7]

Packard...

[Dan Fromm]

Songyun, I don't know if this will work for you -- vignetting may be a problem -- but I have, even use, lenses in barrel with focal lengths ranging from 4.75" to 480 mm that I use front-mounted on a Copal #1. But I shoot all of them on 2x3, not 4x5.

I use my shorter barrel lenses (44 mm, ~100 mm, and sometimes 12"/4 tele) on a 2x3 Speed Graphic. These lenses have too short back focus to be front-mounted and still make infinity (44 mm) or cover 2x3 (the others). The 44's good only for 6x6.

Most of my mount adapters (lens-to-#1) were made by SKGrimes. Not as much of an economic disaster as you'd think, there just the one shutter and most of the adapters accept more than one of my lenses.

[Archphoto]

I would use a Sinar mechanical shutter, still looking for a cheap one...
I'm not in a hurry though.

Peter

[Frank Petronio]

I've never compared side by side but I've had the Packard and the Sinar shutters and I think the Sinar vibrates the most of any shutter yet. I doubt it matters most of the time but for long lenses there might be one or two speeds that match some weird frequency of vibration (I don't know, I am thinking in tuning fork terms...)

If you practice I think you can make a lenscap work at 1/2 or one second and longer....

[Arthur Nichols]

I had the shutter chopped out of speed graphic and made an adapter to use it on my Deardorff. First I used it on the back and then made the adapter that you see to use it on the front. When it is on the front I can use any format on the back. Very handy if not the lightest thing in the world.
Here is a link to the thread:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=36782&page=31
I am also using it on my 7x17 Korona. The shutter speeds go from 1/10 to 1/1000 and it has a T setting.

[Martin Miksch]

Sinar

[Merg Ross]

Sinar, Luc and Packard.

[Jim Galli]

Any reason, Jim? (Aside from not having a Sinar/Horseman, that is!!)

I'm considering using one of Sinar's Auto-Aperture shutters in conjunction with a Brass/Petzval et al to give best control of shutter speeds. In a pragmatic sense, this is way more functional and accurate that a [single speed] Packard.

Thanks in advance,

Lachlan.


I've never compared side by side but I've had the Packard and the Sinar shutters and I think the Sinar vibrates the most of any shutter yet. I doubt it matters most of the time but for long lenses there might be one or two speeds that match some weird frequency of vibration (I don't know, I am thinking in tuning fork terms...)

If you practice I think you can make a lenscap work at 1/2 or one second and longer....

I have one at work. I never got a decent shot with that camera until I figured out it was the jumpin shutter. I put the Nikkor 210 into a polaroid shutter and instantly solved the problem. My bad for not tieing the camera to a concrete block or something more substantial than what I was using.

[Songyun]

I've never compared side by side but I've had the Packard and the Sinar shutters and I think the Sinar vibrates the most of any shutter yet. I doubt it matters most of the time but for long lenses there might be one or two speeds that match some weird frequency of vibration (I don't know, I am thinking in tuning fork terms...)

If you practice I think you can make a lenscap work at 1/2 or one second and longer....


I have one at work. I never got a decent shot with that camera until I figured out it was the jumpin shutter. I put the Nikkor 210 into a polaroid shutter and instantly solved the problem. My bad for not tieing the camera to a concrete block or something more substantial than what I was using.

If Sinar shutter is used on sinar camera, will that help to reduced the vibration?

[Jim Galli]

If Sinar shutter is used on sinar camera, will that help to reduced the vibration?

The one at work is on a Sinar. I think you probably just need a really heavy studio type tripod for these. Solid solid solid. The cable release for these has a 2 inch throw and the spring you overcome is fantastic.

[Songyun]

I had the shutter chopped out of speed graphic and made an adapter to use it on my Deardorff. First I used it on the back and then made the adapter that you see to use it on the front. When it is on the front I can use any format on the back. Very handy if not the lightest thing in the world.
Here is a link to the thread:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=36782&page=31
I am also using it on my 7x17 Korona. The shutter speeds go from 1/10 to 1/1000 and it has a T setting.

That is cool, I have once thought about that. I guess the nice thing about it is that the opening is much bigger, and you don't need to practice.

[Songyun]

Songyun, I don't know if this will work for you -- vignetting may be a problem -- but I have, even use, lenses in barrel with focal lengths ranging from 4.75" to 480 mm that I use front-mounted on a Copal #1. But I shoot all of them on 2x3, not 4x5.

I use my shorter barrel lenses (44 mm, ~100 mm, and sometimes 12"/4 tele) on a 2x3 Speed Graphic. These lenses have too short back focus to be front-mounted and still make infinity (44 mm) or cover 2x3 (the others). The 44's good only for 6x6.

Most of my mount adapters (lens-to-#1) were made by SKGrimes. Not as much of an economic disaster as you'd think, there just the one shutter and most of the adapters accept more than one of my lenses.
I don't think this works with my application. I shoot 8X10 with some barrel lens.

[JohnGC]

Packard bulb works great for me.

[Ken Lee]

...vibration...

I have used my Sinar Shutter at exposures up to 8 seconds, and have never noticed any vibration, either indoors or out.

Compared to standard shutters, it is a bit noisy - but vibration is not an issue. The topic has been discussed here before, and as I recall, owners were unanimous in their judgment.

I don't own either a heavy tripod, or a heavy tripod head.

Note that the fastest shutter speed is only 1/60 second. The Sinar Shutter was designed for in-studio work, where close focus and long exposures would be commonplace. That's why it gives accurate incremental times down to 8 seconds. If it vibrated, what use would it be ?

I would be very much surprised, if the Sinar engineers somehow managed to overlook the issue, or failed in their efforts.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I should also mention, in addition to the Luc shutter that I use mainly with big portrait lenses, I have a front mount adapter on an Ilex 5 that normally holds the cells for a 10" WF Ektar that allows me to use a few barrel lenses that all have the same flange size--B&L 5x8" Tessar, 12" Gold Dot Dagor, 19" Apo-Artar.

[Henry Suryo]

If Sinar shutter is used on sinar camera, will that help to reduced the vibration?

There are several versions of the Sinar shutter, not sure if some have improved, smoother performance than others, and I have read mixed reviews about them, but having never used one myself, I can't really say for sure if it will or if there's a sweet spot range of speeds to use on these. But at a given frequency and all things equal, wood has better vibration-dampening capability than metal. I have always had a non-scientific belief that wooden lensboards (and cameras) are better at dampening shutter vibrations and likewise wooden tripods at dampening ground vibrations.

I like the lens cap method, and it works particularly well on longer barrel lenses where the long extension makes the camera more vulnerable to ground/wind and shutter vibrations and with the relatively shallow depth of field, the lens is usually used stopped way down giving speeds in the seconds range thus easier to do more accurately. FWIW, a good friend in his infinite quest for the ultimate sharpness actually prefers to shoot highly-corrected, shutterless process lenses using a lens cap. If you think about it, and if you're that concerned about vibrations, no shutter at all is inherently superior than any shutter regardless of how seemingly perfect and smooth it may be.

[Merg Ross]

...vibration...

I have used my Sinar Shutter at exposures up to 8 seconds, and have never noticed any vibration, either indoors or out.

Compared to standard shutters, it is a bit noisy - but vibration is not an issue. The topic has been discussed here before, and as I recall, owners were unanimous in their judgment.

I don't own either a heavy tripod, or a heavy tripod head.

Note that the fastest shutter speed is only 1/60 second. The Sinar Shutter was designed for in-studio work, where close focus and long exposures would be commonplace. That's why it gives accurate incremental times down to 8 seconds. If it vibrated, what use would it be ?

I would be very much surprised, if the Sinar engineers somehow managed to overlook the issue, or failed in their efforts.

I have never experienced a vibration issue with my Sinar shutter. Perhaps there are other versions, or shutters in need of repair, that have vibration problems. For sure, the Sinar is noisy, which may foster vibration concerns. The proof is in the printing!

[Songyun]

...vibration...

I have used my Sinar Shutter at exposures up to 8 seconds, and have never noticed any vibration, either indoors or out.

Compared to standard shutters, it is a bit noisy - but vibration is not an issue. The topic has been discussed here before, and as I recall, owners were unanimous in their judgment.

I don't own either a heavy tripod, or a heavy tripod head.

Note that the fastest shutter speed is only 1/60 second. The Sinar Shutter was designed for in-studio work, where close focus and long exposures would be commonplace. That's why it gives accurate incremental times down to 8 seconds. If it vibrated, what use would it be ?

I would be very much surprised, if the Sinar engineers somehow managed to overlook the issue, or failed in their efforts.

I don't think anything beyond 2 seconds is necessary, just use B.
1/60 is nice, 1/125 is better, but sinar shutter has bigger opening than copal 3. So I would guess that the top speed is limited by the size of opening.

[Joshua Dunn]

I use the Sinar Shutter for some brass lenses as well as 480mm and 600mm Apo Ronars. If your exposures are extremely long (10 + seconds) then you don't need it. But I find that with exposures of 4 seconds or shorter the Sinar Shutter makes my exposures much more consistant from one negative to another.

I have never had an issue with vibration but I also use it on a Sinar camera.

[Ole Tjugen]

Lens cap, or Thornton-Picard "Time and Inst" rollerblind. Or a Packard, but rarely.

[erie patsellis]

The trick with the sinar shutter, as mentioned in the users manual, is to take up the pressure of teh stop down mechanism, then slowly push to fire the shutter. I've never had a vibration problem with mine, either in the field on a 4x5 or 8x10 P, sitting on a Gitzo 5 series with a studioball head, or in the studio on a Cambo UST stand.

[Gordon Moat]

I got a nice Wollensak Betax #4 to slip over the front of my Holmes, Booth & Haydens. It only needed a little bit of Teflon tape over the barrel to get a snug fit, since I didn't want it to fall off the lens or move around. It could work the other way, with the lens going into the shutter, but I would need a threaded adapter to get that to work.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

[8x10 user]

I use a Sinar shutter for my “Sinaron” and some of my barrel lenses, it works great; the only limitation that I see is that it may vignette certain lenses. Someday I hope to get a 5" or 6" Packard mounted onto my Sinar camera for a couple of my super giants. To control exposure when using the Packard I have flash lighting and some 6.6"x6.6" glass ND filters (for the outdoor shots).

Shake never seemed to be an issue for me. But I do use one of their high-end model cameras with a nice tripod and the “baseplate 2” accessory. I try to slowly squeeze the cable release as the first part of the movement basically cocks the shutter while the last little bit fires it. The other important thing to know is that you should not try to fire it more then once every 5 seconds or so. When using the shutter as part of the Sinar system, there is a frame, which is held by a standard, that is located between the lens board and shutter.

BTW, Sinar also made a behind the lens shutter that did not include the auto aperture feature. This might be a good solution for you if can find one at a cheaper price.

[kirkmacatangay]

Packard, and Universal No.5 shutter

[John Jarosz]

I use an 8x10 darkslide shutter with my 300mm Metrogon on 8x20.

[Scott Davis]

Packard or lenscap (especially if working with wet-plate).

[DrTang]

I've had several lenses fitted into adapters that then work on a #4 compound shutter (with sync)... since I shoot at portrait distances - vignetting is not a problem

bigger lenses I use a sinar shutter - since I shoot with strobes almost always - the shaking has no effect

[Dan Dozer]

Only one of mly lenses for the 8 x 10 has a shutter. For the rest, I use a Packard front mounted to my big portrait lenses along with the Galli shutter and occasionally just a lens cap.

[IanG]

Having tried various shutters my preference is Thornton Pickard, far more control than a Packard with a variety of shutter speeds. I'm looking for a 10x8 focal plane version, I already have 2 whole plate FP shutters. Meanwhile I have quite a few TP roller blind shutters for larger lenses that either fit on the front or between the lens and lens board.

Ian

[uphereinmytree]

I use medium size LUC shutter on a 6" petzval and a 9" verito. they come in a few sizes with the largest being almost as large as a dinner plate. I've only ever seen one of the largest. instant speed is 1/10 or 1/20 depending on condition.

[billie williams]

I got a nice Wollensak Betax #4 to slip over the front of my Holmes, Booth & Haydens. It only needed a little bit of Teflon tape over the barrel to get a snug fit, since I didn't want it to fall off the lens or move around. It could work the other way, with the lens going into the shutter, but I would need a threaded adapter to get that to work.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

This post just changed my life. Seriously. I walked right over to my cabinet, pulled out my Darlot petzval and another no-name, and slipped the Betax 4 right over the front. And yes, a spot of teflon tape will make sure that nothing gets scratched and insure a snug fit. Thank you Gordon!

Billie

[Drew Wiley]

I was utterly shocked when I tried a clip-on lenscap with around a six second exposure. The damn neg was perfectly sharp. This was a 360 barrel process lens on my 8x10 flatbed. Don't know that I'd risk something like this on a 4x5 monorail. But slowing things down is the problem. Might have to invest in a deep ND filter or buy
some slower sheet film just for this kind of thing.

[Robert Opheim]

I have a LUC type shutter I use with a Dagor barrel lens - it us much smaller that a Packard shutter and is designed to fit on the outside of the lens rather than next to the camera.

[Kevin Crisp]

None of the above.

For my 355 and 420 repro clarons, I had a bushing made and front mount them on the Copal 2 I use for a 240 Schneider and a 305 repro claron. the 240 and 305 screw right in like a normal lens.
For B&L protars, I had bushings made for an Acme 4 (nice big opening) and screw them into that.