World's Least Expensive Shutter Tester? $2.99

[ColSebastianMoran]

I have the gadget and the app.

With the app alone you can measure slow speeds by sound.

With the app and the plug, you can check higher speeds. Works very nicely.

 

[Ezzie]

I love it. It means you can rely on your equipment and get consistent results, not wasting film and/or time on bracketing for the sake of it. Quickly saves you money

 

[echolot]

Thanks for the positive feedback ! It's great to hear that developing the App and Plug was worth the effort.

The android-version of the App is almost finished now, only some minor bug-fixing has to be done. If everything goes well, I can release the app to the PlayStore sometime this week. I also will have to make some adjustments to the PhotoPlug, because android devices have a slightly different audio-input-electronic.

Best,
Lukas

 

[echolot]

Android version for Shutter-Speed now available !

Android version for Shutter-Speed now available !

I'm happy to announce that Shutter-Speed is now available for Download on the Google PlayStore: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.plug.photo.shutter_speed

The App offers the same possibilities as the iOS-version and the PhotoPlug is working as well. There is no special "android-PhotoPlug", the plug works with both iOS and android.

However, compared to the iOS-version, there is one big difference: There are thousands of different android devices out there. This can be a problem, because I can't test the app on all of them, especially when it comes to the quality of the audio recording. As every device is different, the quality of the recorded sound may be different as well.
Of course this only applies when you use the App alone, without the PhotoPlug. With the plug, the quality is the same on all devices.

Unfortunately, there are some android-devices, especially older ones, which don't have a microphone-input built in the headphone jack (so called TRRS port). Therefore, if your smartphone isn't the very latest and you want to use the PhotoPlug: Look at the instruction manual of your phone and check, if it can be used with an external headset. If so, you can be sure that your phone has the TRRS-port and can be used with the plug 🙂

I would be glad if some of you download the app and give it a try. If there are any errors or bugs, please feel free to contact me so I can find a solution.

 

[VisualDarkness]

I got one too, if only it would work with my main phone a Lumia 920. I got an iPhone 4s for it though.

I'm really struggling with some faster leaf-shutter shutter speeds waveforms (1/200 and up) as it's hard to see what is what.

 

[eli griggs]

I built a similar device that used a photo sensor and free Audacity software, available at sourceforge.net. Audacity is an audible program but the photo sensor plug the sponsor is selling, which is much nicer than the one I made, should work very well, even if you used a plug extension cable with a lap or desk top.

Audacity is very easy to use and you can dial-in the readings/settings as fine as you need them to be.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Back when I had a CRT for my computer, I would display an image of stripes and set the refresh rate at 60Hz. It was an oscilloscope after all.
I calibrated a Speed Graphic focal plane shutter this way and got it accurate to 1/6 stop.
With this app for phones, couldn't one just use the built-in camera to capture the light intensity and duration?
Regardless, this is a pretty cool application of the ever more ubiquitous cell phone.

Phil Forrest

 

[sonygoup]

Downloaded it but now fully understanding it. Tested it on both of my cameras and uts saying both shutters are off.

 

[redhawk]

I have an iPhone X. Is the PhotoPlug still supported with the headphone-to-Lightning adapters?

 

[carbo73]

I print out the correct speeds and laminate them, and bring them along when using lens/camera. Leaf shutters can be amazingly erratic. If speeds are off, the tolerances needn't be linear over the whole scale. Two neighbouring stops can differ considerably, one maybe -1/3, the other -1/1 or more. So yes, for me this is a very useful app (preferably with plug)

Great idea. I have just the app, but I'm getting the plug, as it will help, I presume, with SLR & higher speeds, where interpreting the sounds is a mess.

 

[carbo73]

Downloaded it but now fully understanding it. Tested it on both of my cameras and uts saying both shutters are off.

ALL my thirty or so cameras have shutters off their marks. But the most modern is a Zenit EM from 1978, and most of them are from the 1910's - 1950's 😀

 

[titrisol]

Very nice, just placed and order
The app works fine for 1/8 and above in leaf shutters

 

[jsrockit]

I want to test a large format lens with a leaf shutter. If the shutter speed is off, does the app tell you the speed it currently is?

 

[titrisol]

I want to test a large format lens with a leaf shutter. If the shutter speed is off, does the app tell you the speed it currently is?

Yes, it tells you the real speed and the % deviation from the "nominal"

 

[jsrockit]

Thank you for that.

 

[Agiknee]

Does the plug work with the dongle converter for newer iPhones ?

 

[largedrink]

I'm thinking of buying the Photoplug for testing some shutters and I see the associated app is available on Android now. I had downloaded it but thought it operated on audio only. The addition of an optical light measurement seems perfect for my needs. Has anyone used this setup lately?

https://www.filmomat.eu/photoplug

Edit: costs 34.90 Euro and the app is free