Topic: lens/shutter CLA - Cornwall

[Chalky]

Hello everyone.

I have a possibly stupid question...

I have just bought a polaroid 110b to convert to packfilm (or try at least). However the seller said the shutter is slow at speeds under 1/60th. How do you test that kind of thing? Could I do it or does it need to be done professionally?

And secondly, if anyone knows of a decent camera repair/service person in Cornwall, UK, please could you let me know?

Thank you,
Matt

[Francois]

You can test it by shooting some film and aiming the camera at an old tube type TV (won't work with the HDTV screens).
You then count the number of lines that are incomplete and calculate the speed from that. I think British TV's run at 25 images a second interlaced.

Other way is to go to the electronics store and get a single audio jack (mono 1/8"), a battery carrier for a single AA battery and a phototransistor. Solder it all to make a loop and plug it in the sound card. Press the record button, put the transistor in the camera and trigger the shutter. It should record a peak which can then be measured.