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Thread: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

  1. #1

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    Question Ernemann Spiegelreflex focal plane shutters

    I recently got an Ernemann Spiegelreflex reflex camera which has a focal plane shutter. And I am not really sure how to set and determine the shutter speeds (since my assumption is that after all this time the speeds would probably not be accurate, even if I did know what they are supposed to be, which I don't).

    As far as I can tell the process is:
    - You set the shutter lever (right side of the camera, middle of the DRP control panel) into ready mode. This flips the mirror up.
    - You can then flip a lever (which is underneath the first one) into either M or Z (Time mode). For normal use I set it to M.
    - You then cock the shutter by turning one of the knobs at the top (you can use either) clockwise until the curtains are in their ready position (i.e. the knob won't turn any more)
    - the shutter is now ready to fire, but you can configure the speed by using the knob at the bottom to tighten the spring. There are 17 possible turns, and the more you wind the faster the shutter curtains will travel when the shutter is released.
    - Finally you use the shutter release lever on the left of the camera to fire it.

    This works, but there are two main issues:

    1. Even at the maximum spring tightening I am getting something like 1/180th of a second, and I am sure that this shutter should go at least to 1/1000. But it could just need cleaning and lubricating.

    2. There is that number indicator on the left of the camera which doesn't change while performing the operations above. I am honestly not sure if it is coupled or just a static indicator, though (as I couldn't find any instructions on how to use it). My guess, though, is that it is meant to work somehow, and that I am missing a step.

    As far as I can tell the opening between the first and second courtain stays always the same while following the steps above. And I would expect that it would change to allow for slower speeds. But I haven't figured out how to change it.

    Rotating the knob on the top left of the DRP panel counter-clockwise allows the two curtains to open up, but this seems to be only for bypassing the focal plane shutter, because when arming the shutter the Gap is then always reset.


    Does anyone have any experience with this or similar shutters?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_20200804_185325.jpg   IMG_20200804_185311.jpg  
    Last edited by someone_else; 5-Aug-2020 at 23:55.

  2. #2

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    Re: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

    This is what the camera looks like, BTW. It's a beauty.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_20200804_185153.jpg  

  3. #3

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    Re: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

    Um, DRP isn't a type or make of shutter. It means patented in Germany.

  4. #4

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    Re: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

    Good to know.

  5. #5

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    Re: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    Um, DRP isn't a type or make of shutter. It means patented in Germany.
    DRP stands for Deutsche Reichs Patent.

    After WWII it became DBP (Deutsches Bundespatent), because the allies voided all german patents in 1945.

  6. #6
    Ron (Netherlands)'s Avatar
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    Re: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

    Most of the times these camera's need new shutter curtains and a full service to get them fully back on specs. The shutter is operating slow because the shuttercurtains most probably have been stiffened or have become brittle (I'm just changing the shuttercurtains on my 4 Deckrullo's which all had stiffened or torn shuttercloth in them; after installing the new curtains, the shutters perform at much higher speeds).

    If camera's as these are first tried, never set the shutterspring at higher or maximum strength since this may tear the old shutter cloth apart.
    It seems that your camera has a lot of different spring tensions, but instead no mechanism to change the slit widths. The camera's with only a few or no settings for spring tensions have mostly a mechanism to change the slit width like the Deckrullo, which has 3 different tensions, and many different positions to set the slit width. My Ica Palmos has 9 tensions, but fewer sllt widths.

    I still have to restore an Ernemann Heag VI with focal plane shutter, but haven't figured out how the curtains must be made, since the original curtains were already gone when I bought the camera....

    some info:

    http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/shuttern.html
    https://pentax-manuals.com/manuals/s...20shutters.pdf
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  7. #7

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    Re: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

    Thanks for the info. I'm sure that some CLA is required on the shutter to get it back within spec, but at the same time I keep thinking that there should still be some further adjustment method (likely for the curtain aperture). For one thing that indicator on the left side must serve some sort of purpose. Also with the steps I mentioned even the slowest speed (governed through spring tension alone) is very fast, so it seems unlikely that it wouldn't have slower ones.

  8. #8
    Ron (Netherlands)'s Avatar
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    Re: Ernemann DRP focal plane shutters

    Indeed, it seems that camera's as these were for the professional and must have some system to change the slit width. But since there is no info available on the Ernemann shutters, perhaps you can open the camera to see how the mechanism works.....it might be a camera that works with friction, like the Deckrullo and the Contax. In that case the slit width can only be changed by friction of the shutter ribbons if these are still in good condition.
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