Titanium Shutter - how can I tell?

[marcr1230]

Other than serial numbers - how can I tell if I have a titanium shutter on my SP ? does it look any different than cloth ?

 

[Highway 61]

I do think that your SP has a cloth shutter.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It looks very different from cloth. It is thinner, and does not have the weave pattern of a cloth shutter. Some Nikon RF's had titanium shutters installed after being sold, the shutter curtains from the Nikon SLR's can be used.

 

[Neare]

Ok, ripping images of Ebay.

Top one is titanium, bottom in cloth.


Titanium

Cloth

 

[maddoc]

I have an after market modified Nikon SP, amongst other things the shutter was changed from original SP cloth to F titanium. The titanium curtains have less structure compared to cloth, more like a real metal foil (what they are).

 

[rbsinto]

I'd guess that the Flame Test Method would be pretty definitive for distinguishing the Metal foil from the cloth.

 

[jonmanjiro]

I think rbsinto is onto something! Another way to test would be to point your lens (with lens cap off) at the sun for a few minutes and check the result:

If you manage to burn a hole in the shutter curtain - cloth

If you cannot burn a hole in the shutter curtain - titanium

😀





Ok, just kidding! The photos above show the difference clearly 😉

 

[rbsinto]

Or you could take your camera to Mennonite country and ask the women to embroider a design on the shutter curtains. If they can, it's cloth. If not Titanium. This way you won't ruin the shutter with burn holes, and if it is cloth, there will be a beautiful embroidered pattern you can see on it every time you remove the back to change film.

 

[jonmanjiro]

You could also try gently poking the shutter curtain with a pen! If it bends but springs back - cloth. If it bends, but stays creased - titanium 🙄

I can only think of destructive testing methods 😀:angel:

 

[marcr1230]

I'm happy I was able to entertain everyone 🙂
I will check when I finish the roll - but I think I recall the honeycomb pattern
SP is sweet.

 

[pphuang]

Just to put you out of your misery so you don't have to wait until the end of the roll, I still have a photos of the shutter - I don't pretend to be any type of expert, but it sure looks titanium to me... 😀

Hope you're enjoying the camera! 😉

 

[marcr1230]

Thanks Paul - love the camera

 

[jonmanjiro]

Just to put you out of your misery so you don't have to wait until the end of the roll, I still have a photos of the shutter - I don't pretend to be any type of expert, but it sure looks titanium to me... 😀

Hope you're enjoying the camera! 😉

Another solution would have been to pull the lens off and look from the front, but this is pretty conclusive 😉

 

[Stefcuoz]

I have the definitively solution.......

I have the definitively solution.......

Mr rbsinto and dear John (jonmanjiro)
I have the definitively solution...:angel:

for those who do not know yet I am the director of a hospital ... in our hospital we have a nice section of psychiatric ...
I can give you two a room each one, and then throw away the key ...😀😀😀

 

[rbsinto]

Mr rbsinto and dear John (jonmanjiro)
I have the definitively solution...:angel:

for those who do not know yet I am the director of a hospital ... in our hospital we have a nice section of psychiatric ...
I can give you two a room each one, and then throw away the key ...😀😀😀

Do these rooms have curtains on the windows, and if so, are they cloth or titanium?

 

[Stefcuoz]

Do not think you fool me? ... I know exactly the answer

Do not think you fool me? ... I know exactly the answer

I know the answer to this question very well ...
rooms from number 6200000 to number 6214000 have curtains cloth, while the number 6214001 to number 6232150 have the titanium ..😀

My hospytal have a real big psychiatric section!!!🙂

please..please..please.. don't burn my room curtains!:angel:

 

[Highway 61]

I wonder if the cloth shutter wouldn't be made with two pieces of cloth (a kind of fabric possibly made with woven habutae silk threads) while the titanium shutter wouldn't be made with two thin metal (which could be titanium) foils.

Just my 2c, of course. Not too sure about the shutter rollers. Brass, plastic, or maple wood ?

 

[nobbylon]

I believe some of the very early F's had a cloth shutter before they went to titanium foil.

 

[jonmanjiro]

I believe some of the very early F's had a cloth shutter before they went to titanium foil.

That's correct. The first hundred or so F's have cloth shutters. The F below has a cloth shutter. I saw it with my own eyes.

 

[Stefcuoz]

Yes nobbylon

Yes nobbylon

Yes nobbylon....
the first 100 Nikon F... from 6400000 to 6400100...or little more.
The rest are all titanium.
Steve