How I have to store my lens when I’m not using it for long period of time. What are “safe” settings (aperture, time and shutter) for the lens? I have Copal 0 shutter.
How I have to store my lens when I’m not using it for long period of time. What are “safe” settings (aperture, time and shutter) for the lens? I have Copal 0 shutter.
Michal Makowski
Uncocked, i.e., fire the shutter so the springs are relaxed. Other than that, "where" the settings are set doesn't make any difference.
Adding to Alan's reply... on her website, Carol Miller (arguably one of the most respected LF shutter techs in the U.S.) posts the following:
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Q. What's the best way to store a shutter?
A. Keep it in a dry area (off the floor if it's cement, like in a garage). Best to set the speed dial on "T" or "B" and uncocked so there is no tension on the springs.
To keep the shutter in shape, you should take it out and exercise it at least once a month, running through once at each speed, and at least 10 times at the lower speeds, to get that slow gear governor moving. Even if you're too busy or have too many shutters... get them out once in a while throughout the year and exercise them or they'll become sluggish over time.
Thank you. I’m going out, I have to take my lens for a walk
Michal Makowski
I think I heard somewhere that it would be better to have the aperture fully open when storing it for a long time. Could be that the blades protect each other this way?
Maybe someone could confirm this?
The blades will be in maximum contact when wide open, which *might* protect them (slightly) from corrosion if you violate rule #1 (or might ensure that they corrode into a solid mass -- depends how bad things get), but if corrosive conditions aren't a problem, it shouldn't matter -- there are no springs in the aperture to weaken at any setting, and *shouldn't* be anything on the blades to either promote or hinder corrosion.
If a contact print at arm's length is too small to see, you need a bigger camera. :D
I've actually heard that the lens should be stored with the aperture fully closed, but I'm not sure what the rationale behind that was.Originally Posted by Patrik Roseen
Brian Vuillemenot
I've always been told to store cinema lenses wide open, because the iris blades are thin and fragile enough that some fairly small amount of shock could bend one or more of them if they weren't protected by the housing, which they are at the wide-open setting. I'm inclined to believe this since after a fairly recent shoot we discovered a lens with a bent blade and it was stored set at f/16 (which is quite closed down on those lenses)
So how to store self-cocking shutter? What do you think?
Jan
Self-cocking shutters tension the springs and release with each press of the release lever, so they'll always store uncocked.
If a contact print at arm's length is too small to see, you need a bigger camera. :D
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