Recommendation on a shutter tester?

[l2oBiN]

Interested in purchasing a shutter tester. Can you recommend a model/s?

[Alan Gales]

New shutter speed testers are of the commercial type and cost a fortune. If you watch ebay closely used Calumet shutter speed testers come up occasionally. They are consumer grade but are very accurate and alway sell for over $100.00 and usually up to $150.00. They originally sold for $150.00 brand new. Remember ebay is an auction and items go for what ever people bid at the time. I own and use a Calumet tester.

[B.S.Kumar]

Wally is making some: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=60421

Kumar

[kev curry]

I made the one described here for about £10.

http://www.davidrichert.com/sound_card_shutter_tester.htm

[Wally]

Wally is making some: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=60421

Kumar

Discussion of my shutter tester starts with comment #44, just so you know.:o

[domaz]

I made one with an Arduino (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9950) and a 30 cent Cds Photocell (http://www.bgmicro.com/RES1431.aspx). It doesn't measure fast shutter speeds well but the lower ones (1/60 or below) were perfect. If anyone wants my Arduino code I can dig it up. The circuit involved just hooking the photocell to maybe a resistor and the Arduino and that was it. Simpler than the infamous sound card tester.

[John MacManus]

I had a shutter timer arrive in the mail this week which was built by the Wally above. Very nicely made, simple to use, and gives fractional readout as well as s. I look forward to putting all my shutters through this machine in the next few weeks.

... J [in no way associated with Wally Owen]

[l2oBiN]

Wally, do you sell these as well?

[Ron McElroy]

I received my Wally manufactured tester this week as well. It looks great and is simple to operate. I've already made reference sheets for all my shutters.

[l2oBiN]

I don't have any tools or acess to tools where I am, so I am looking for a premade one..

[ac12]

I bought the one that Wally makes and sells, and I'm happy with it.
What I really like is that the display is in 1/x fractions so I don't have to convert a 0.xxx number to the shutter speed on the lens. That makes it a lot more user friendly to use. And I don't have to connect up to a computer to use it.

Wally said it is designed for leaf shutters, but since I have the tester I'm going to check out my 35mm cameras.

[johnielvis]

I have an idea to use a light meter as a shutter tester--i have a with flash metering, so you just put a brite light in front of the shutter, flash meter behind it...trip the shutter as if the shutter were the flash, this gives you a fstop for the flash reading...then you meter the light normally to see what that reading is....then you match the fstops to be equal---this gives your effective shutter speed...

clever, huh? i'm gonna see if it actually works now.....

[Wally]

Wally, do you sell these as well?Sorry I didn't respond sooner.

Yes, I'm still making them, but the process is considerably slower - I am commuting 75 miles to work and that puts a dent in my shutter tester building efforts.

I have 6 or 7 interested in my second batch, and hope to get them out over the next couple of months.

I'm also realizing I can't make a business of this, so I think I'll probaly open-source the design/artwork when I've used up my current supply of cases and parts.


// Wally

[pierre506]

You can download a normal sound(music) record software.
Recorded the shutter's operationg sound.(every speed)
Then, check the time and write down on your note.
It's a simple & economic way.

[l2oBiN]

You can download a normal sound(music) record software.
Recorded the shutter's operationg sound.(every speed)
Then, check the time and write down on your note.
It's a simple & economic way.

Piere, any reference for this?

[Wally]

Piere, any reference for this?

Here's a thread discussing this:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=62916

A page describing how to make one:
http://www.davidrichert.com/sound_card_shutter_tester.htm

These are a reasonable solution, within their limitations.


// Wally