Leaf shutters and intermediate speeds?

[sam_m]

I was wondering, when I set the shutter speed on my Yashica Mat-124G, the wheel doesn't have click stops, so what happens if I set the speed in between, for example, 1/250th and 1/125th? Does it set an intermediate speed, just like I can set any aperture I want, or it it stepped, say, in 1/6th stops, or something else?

[nikon_sam]

sam_m

That's a great question...I have often thought about that while shooting with my 124G...
Normally, I'll set the shutter speeds on the whole number and at times place the aperture in between settings...

[payasam]

My Rolleicord's shutter speed setting had no click stops. Speeds were infinitely variable between 1 sec. and 1/500 sec. The B/W film I used in the camera did not need such fine tuning, of course.

[sam_m]

that's interesting to know mukul. i guess the way to test it would be to shoot a roll of velvia, or kodachrome, vary the shutter speed dial little by little and check for density changes on the slides.

i wonder if anyone knows about the mechanics of it? the reason i asked, or more specifically, what got me thinking, was that I know that with a leica, the different shutter speeds are set by different gears and such (ok, so i don't really know, but i think it's something like that), but with the leaf shutter, the dial just rotates freely, so it doesn't feel as though it's changing gears. i know the two mechanisms are completely different, so obviously the leaf shutter uses a different technique for actuating different speeds, maybe its some kind of tension mechanism, like a spring?

anyone care to chime in?

[bsdunek]

Yes! Compur shutters have a continous cam through 1/250th. For 1/500th there is a jump as another spring is brought into play. That's why, when you turn the dial to 1/500th you feel more resistance.
I don't remember if Prontor shutters are the same, but I think they are. :cool:

[cmedin]

This is really interesting; I was just wondering the same when I was dinking around with the old Kodak six-20 I found. No 'stops' for the shutter speeds, just markings.

[sam_m]

Yes! Compur shutters have a continous cam through 1/250th. For 1/500th there is a jump as another spring is brought into play. That's why, when you turn the dial to 1/500th you feel more resistance.
I don't remember if Prontor shutters are the same, but I think they are. :cool:

thanks for posting this!

[andrealed]

The user manual of my yashica tells me not to set speed in between, (and I am not so brave to try the other way). But, because the aperture blades are continuos, I would rather set aperture in between different settings, than speeds.
ciao

[oftheherd]

How intrigueing. I never thought that might be true. Thanks all for the question and answers.