Furthermore, if they are serious about serial production of the lens - in that case they needed to buy all standing stock of used Copal 3 shutters in the world! How otherwise could they arm their lenses and sell them? Something doesn't add up in it.
Furthermore, if they are serious about serial production of the lens - in that case they needed to buy all standing stock of used Copal 3 shutters in the world! How otherwise could they arm their lenses and sell them? Something doesn't add up in it.
Are the Size 3 shutter threads protected ? if not the rest is state of the art.
I think it can be done without a control box, the electronics can be embedded inside, it can be regular shutter mechanism but substituting all clockwork by a tinny electronic microcontroller and an small actuator for triggering the closing movement. It would also be needed a little sensor that tells that the shutter is open, that sensor can be optical detecting the end of travel condition for the blades. This is how I imagined that way when playing with a disassembled shutter...
I guess that if clockwork mechanics can be avoided then such a project could be straighter.
Either the whole shutter design is still protected (patents can be prolonged!) or not, has nothing to do with its threads.
An electronic shutter also needs the speeds input part and its actuator is not a miniature part either. In fact, electronic shutters make little sense for LF cameras not used in a studio. It just adds another part (the controlling box, batteries) to carry in the field and the accuracy of the shutter speeds is more than enough with a well functioning mechanical shutter.
The speed input can be anyway in a lever on the shutter, battery would very small
And accuracy guanteed...
Also it's the way cost can be low for a low run production, my bet is that if they end offering their own shutters those would be of an electronic design
I know - the proverbial piece of cake. Until you try to make it, that is. Don't forget - when electronic shutters started to be produced for LF lenses, the industry was also capable of miniaturization. Yet, somehow, the control box did not find its way to the shutter lever...
Funny, Compur did it.
See, e.g., https://web.archive.org/web/20181203...D=222563769934 for #1 and https://web.archive.org/web/20181203...mpur-3-shutter for #3.
You may have been thinking of Ilex/Melles Griot, Rollei or Schneider electronic shutters.
Speed control could easily be on the shutter via small push buttons and alpha-numeric display. There's no need for a lever. Ease-of-use could be enhanced by a wired or wireless remote. The aperture could be controlled similarly. No matter what they do, if they do produce shutters, I'd plead with them to make nice ROUND apertures with many curved blades.
While you're right I was thinking of Rollei etc. el. shutters still the battery compartment doesn't seem to be - very small. That piece of cake has yet to be baked, I'm afraid. But as I said, much more intriguing is to make lenses without shutters when they need one. Do they really think people will buy another lens with a Copal 3 to scavenge it in order to buy a lens they want to have? That way of doing business is most intriguing to me!
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