Test your shutter !

[MiniMoke]

I had some doubts about my Canon A-1's shutter speeds (well, as it comes from eBay it's only normal to doubt), and wanted to test them.

I found the 'Shutter Speed' app for iPhone and bought it (not expensive). It tests the shutter based on the shutter sound and I must say it is wildly inaccurate, as it is VERY difficult to correctly set the sliders to the right points to the sound-curve on the screen. This was no good.

BUT !!!! The app has another mode for which you have to acquire a small light receptor, the Photoplug on eBay, from the maker of the app, at the cost of 14 € (http://www.ebay.de/itm/251415266118?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649).

With this add on, simply plugged into the mic socket of the iPhone, the test was VERY good. You can create a database of all your cameras and test the speeds from 1/500 to 1 sec. The app gives you the shutter speeds and if needed the correction to apply for a correct setting.

At 1/500 it's a bit hard to find the right points, but all the other times are perfectly easy to measure. Now taking into account a bit of inaccuracy to place the markers, the app gives you a pretty good idea of your shutter speeds. At least you can be certain they are not wildly off.

I am happy to report that my A-1 is nearly spot on! 😀

I can recommend this app to any who are interested (I am not affiliated in any way with he seller!!!!)

 

[nobbylon]

Looks very interesting. Is there anything in the app to enable testing of curtain speed?
I built a tester myself but it needs to be hooked up to the computer to use it.

 

[MiniMoke]

No, just mesuring the duration of light through the shutter!

Good thing with this one is you can take it to your fave camera shop or car boot sale and test on site

 

[68degrees]

I would be skeptical of an app that can do that, except for the fact that your results were spot on. Cant argue with results. Thats pretty amazing.

 

[nobbylon]

I just bought one plus the app. I'll compare it with my results from my home made tester.
I just tested a Nikon F2 that I bought. Somebody had been fiddling and managed to release the first curtain tension. The curtain didn't clear the gate and there was no light coming through at 1/2000. I used an old tv to get the tension correct and my test film was spot on. Just checked with my own tester and speeds from 1/500 down are all well within acceptable tolerances. 1/1000 and 1/2000 are on according CRT test and film test. Curtain speeds are are on at 9.8 ms so I'm a happy camper!

 

[valdas]

Well, downloaded the app. Even based on sound alone it is quite ok for slow speeds, you can actually "zoom" the sound curve and that way adjusting sliders is much easier. I am waiting fot the photoplug now, I have a lot of cameras to test 🙂

 

[MiniMoke]

Don't forget to report your results!

 

[kaiwasoyokaze]

interesting stuff, thanks for sharing, will also post some results when i have some time. wonder how it will work for the titanium rotary shutter on the olympus pen f...

 

[nobbylon]

I've been messing with this today and found it to be pretty accurate even if it is a bit confusing. I still prefer the one I made with two sensors that I can measure curtain speed as well as shutter times. For a quick check this is a good option but seems limited at very fast speeds.