68degrees
Well-known
When using a Nikon FM, if you turn the shutter speed wheel to get the led in the middle and the wheel is in between speeds , lets say its between 125 and 250, what will the actual speed be?
Question for Nikon Experts
- Thread starter 68degrees
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 8
- Views 720
Chriscrawfordphoto
Real Men Shoot Film.
You'll get one or the other, not an intermediate speed. The shutter in that camera is not designed to be set between the full stops. Use the aperture for find exposure adjustments
68degrees
Well-known
thats what I thought because its not an eletronic shutter. Thanks for confirming.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
Any. That is, the FM has a focal plane leaf shutter, and these generally do not have a continuous short range like many rollerblind FP shutters (e.g. the Nikon F/F2 and Canon F-1 shutters). I don't know whether the FM used a regular Copal shutter or a Nikon-specific variation. If it is the former, it will most likely end up at either one or the other of the speeds its in between but there is a slight risk that it runs uncontrolled (which will result in one of its three ungoverned speeds - B, f-sync or 1/1000), while the shutter on the FM-2n had safeguards that made it always run at one or the other speed. Earlier Copal and some other makers shutters can self-destruct when set between times, so it is a habit you should better get rid of when coming from F/F2/F-1. But in this particular case it should only mildly affect exposure...
Tejasican
Well-known
The Leicaflex SL does intermediate speeds and it is definitely not an electronic shutter, so that shouldn't have a bearing on it.
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
The SL is the same generation as the other mechanical pro SLRs, and follows the standard set by the Nikon F (i.e. continuous knob for all fast speeds, but not the mid to slow ones controlled by the slow speed governor).
Indeed it is quite unusual for (pre digital) electronic shutters to have intermediate manually selectable speeds on their knobs - increments smaller than a full step did not become common on 35mm SLRs until knob/thumbwheel controls and LCD screens took over. And stepless knob control strictly was a mechanical shutter thing, generally limited to the (fast) times governed by slit width on roller blind shutters.
Last edited:
68degrees
Well-known
I know the FE when given an aperture in A mode will choose a shutter speed that is not one or the other. It will be the exact speed for correct exposure whatever it may be. This is according to ken rockwell.
nobbylon
Veteran
I seem to remember my dad's yashica tl electro -x its had intermediate slow speeds. It had an electronic shutter. Maybe the FR was the same? Contax RTS owners?
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
We were talking about manual shutters or shutter modes. Automatic is different, in analogue electronics stepless is the most trivial way to control a shutter from a meter.
