cyberjunkie
4-Jul-2010, 19:43
I see quite often on sale on Ebay the Prontor SVS shutters used on a few Polaroid cameras. Sometimes there is the shutter only, sometimes it comes with a Rodenstock Ysarex, or Tominon/Yashinon lenses.
I have a few lens cells that would fit on standard No. 0 shutters, and i am guessing if those Polaroid Prontors could work.
I have asked around and searched the forum for infos about Polaroid Press No. 1 shutters (Copal and Prontors), but direct experience made me learn much more about them! I purchased four of them, all came quite cheap, but only two proved to be useful so far.
Tha's what i have learnt:
- most of the shutters used for 75mm close-up lenses are not worth buying, they have a very small iris hole (enough for f4.5 for a 75mm lens), because the diaphragm is very a simple one, composed by very few blades. The aperture is round only when fully opened (by means of a "reducer", that decreases the available aperture of a No. 1 shutter by a great margin, and that allows for a coarser diaphragm construction), the "hole" gets fairly round again when stopped down to an almost complete closure.
- not all the shutters are made the same way, there are some, used for the same focal length, that have a decent diaphragm construction, allowing for the used of longer focals, keeping the maximum aperture of the lens.
- to be fully sincere, not one of the four i have is like another one. Everyone is made in a different way! Even shutters with the SAME optic cells and of the same brand, and looking the same from a distance, are somewhat different. After purchasing two shutters that were almost worthless, i started to ask for the exact measures, expecially the diameter of the max aperture. If no answers are given, best to get shutters that are fitted with (or were used for) longer focal lengths, as 105mm or 127mm. The shutters fitted with a Tominon 180mm are rare, and command a higher price, cause the 180mm is less diffused and more sought after.
- i have found a reference to the non-standard spacing of Polaroid shutters, and a hint that the cells have a spacing 2mm bigger than standard. Given the great variance between different models, albeit very similar, i expected to find also different spacing values. So it was, the shutter that is already fitted with lens cells (G-Claron 240mm) has a spacing that is only 0.46mm greater than the standard. That is what i found comparing the lens length on the original Schneider barrel, rim to rim, to the length of the lens mounted in shutter. I took the measures with a good, zeroed caliper, with digital reading.
The other usable shutter was quite dirty, and unfortunately one diaphragm blade came out after operating a lot the shutter, during the cleaning operation made with lighter fluid. The shutter now works perfectly, but one iris blade is misplaced, so it needs to be fixed. I gave the shutter to a friend, who's very good at this kind of jobs, but i still haven't got the shutter back, cause i gave him plenty of stuff. So far only a Linhof Compur No. 00 has been done. It came with a Super Angulon 65mm sold for very cheap on Ebay because of the stuck shutter: it was a pro vendor, maybe he got too lazy, or has got too much stuff on sale, because with a fixed shutter the price would have doubled! :)
When i get the shutter back i will take all the measures, and if somebody is interested, i am more than willing to share my findings.
All in all, for the money i spent on all four shutters, i would have got just one stardard shutter. Maybe not...
From the feeling i got from cleaning and operating all the four shutters, my preference goes towards the Copals. The Prontors need a lot more force and don't work as smoothly, at least for my (limited) experience. They tend to be dirtier also, because they come from old MP-3 cameras, while the Copals are stripped mostly from scientific cameras, that are no so old, and often used in cleaner environments.
If somebody has got he same kind of infos about No. 0 Prontor SVS shutters, i'd be very happy to learn something without having to shell out some money for wrong purchases...:rolleyes:
have fun
CJ
- i have read that
done something similar
I have a few lens cells that would fit on standard No. 0 shutters, and i am guessing if those Polaroid Prontors could work.
I have asked around and searched the forum for infos about Polaroid Press No. 1 shutters (Copal and Prontors), but direct experience made me learn much more about them! I purchased four of them, all came quite cheap, but only two proved to be useful so far.
Tha's what i have learnt:
- most of the shutters used for 75mm close-up lenses are not worth buying, they have a very small iris hole (enough for f4.5 for a 75mm lens), because the diaphragm is very a simple one, composed by very few blades. The aperture is round only when fully opened (by means of a "reducer", that decreases the available aperture of a No. 1 shutter by a great margin, and that allows for a coarser diaphragm construction), the "hole" gets fairly round again when stopped down to an almost complete closure.
- not all the shutters are made the same way, there are some, used for the same focal length, that have a decent diaphragm construction, allowing for the used of longer focals, keeping the maximum aperture of the lens.
- to be fully sincere, not one of the four i have is like another one. Everyone is made in a different way! Even shutters with the SAME optic cells and of the same brand, and looking the same from a distance, are somewhat different. After purchasing two shutters that were almost worthless, i started to ask for the exact measures, expecially the diameter of the max aperture. If no answers are given, best to get shutters that are fitted with (or were used for) longer focal lengths, as 105mm or 127mm. The shutters fitted with a Tominon 180mm are rare, and command a higher price, cause the 180mm is less diffused and more sought after.
- i have found a reference to the non-standard spacing of Polaroid shutters, and a hint that the cells have a spacing 2mm bigger than standard. Given the great variance between different models, albeit very similar, i expected to find also different spacing values. So it was, the shutter that is already fitted with lens cells (G-Claron 240mm) has a spacing that is only 0.46mm greater than the standard. That is what i found comparing the lens length on the original Schneider barrel, rim to rim, to the length of the lens mounted in shutter. I took the measures with a good, zeroed caliper, with digital reading.
The other usable shutter was quite dirty, and unfortunately one diaphragm blade came out after operating a lot the shutter, during the cleaning operation made with lighter fluid. The shutter now works perfectly, but one iris blade is misplaced, so it needs to be fixed. I gave the shutter to a friend, who's very good at this kind of jobs, but i still haven't got the shutter back, cause i gave him plenty of stuff. So far only a Linhof Compur No. 00 has been done. It came with a Super Angulon 65mm sold for very cheap on Ebay because of the stuck shutter: it was a pro vendor, maybe he got too lazy, or has got too much stuff on sale, because with a fixed shutter the price would have doubled! :)
When i get the shutter back i will take all the measures, and if somebody is interested, i am more than willing to share my findings.
All in all, for the money i spent on all four shutters, i would have got just one stardard shutter. Maybe not...
From the feeling i got from cleaning and operating all the four shutters, my preference goes towards the Copals. The Prontors need a lot more force and don't work as smoothly, at least for my (limited) experience. They tend to be dirtier also, because they come from old MP-3 cameras, while the Copals are stripped mostly from scientific cameras, that are no so old, and often used in cleaner environments.
If somebody has got he same kind of infos about No. 0 Prontor SVS shutters, i'd be very happy to learn something without having to shell out some money for wrong purchases...:rolleyes:
have fun
CJ
- i have read that
done something similar