New shutter or new lens

[r-brian]

I had the SA 90 f8 in the little 00 compur and went through similar thinking to replace the shutter. Eventhough my shutter worked perfectly, I just got tired of having to use a locking cable release to focus. I ended up very carefully bidding on Ebay and won a like-new 90mm f6.8 Caltar II-N MC (aka Rodenstock) and then sold the SA 90. Price difference ended up being $100.

[void]

When SA 90mm f/8 has switched from Compur 00 to Compur 0?

[Don12x20]

I have an older 90mm Super Angulon in a Compur shutter. .... Also, the lens is quite worn, with scrapes and some good dings (not on the glass).

1) possibly throw good money away getting an older Compur fixed only to have it die again?

2) buy a new Copal to fit, approx. $250? (I am also assuming it is a simple screw-in swap)

3) just buy a more recent one in a Copal?

Has anyone been through this? I am open to suggestions.

0-size shutters have known issues with alignment. Stress on the elements, evidenced by the dings, can cause alignment to be off-axis, either through compression of the 0 shutter itself, or through slight twisting of the aluminum element wrapper at the point where the threads begin (the threads that screw the element(lenses) into the shutter body).

My experience with a Grandagon 90mm with copal 0 -- I accidently put a slight ding in the front element tube after the lens/lenseboard dropped off the front of a arca-swiss camera tipped down to make an image of a stream. It fell into a patch of small gravel/sand. Didn't appear damaged, other than a tiny ding, and the shutter worked fine. Since this was a borrowed lens , I returned it to Rodenstock (Germany) for a check as well as to restore it. I was surprised when word came back that the shutter as well as the aluminum (anodized black) shell around the front element would have to be replaced as it had bent slightly at the threads.

So, in my experience, with prices being so low, you might be better off buying a great replacement instead of trying to get a remount. Since you have dings on the lens, simply replacing the shutter may not be enough. and if you decide to replace with copal 0, get a quality shop like SK Grimes to do the remount - sure you could simply screw it into the new copal if threads match but you may need shims, and you should have it tested to ensure its aligned along the axis.

YMMV

[Frank Szabo]

I have an older 90mm Super Angulon in a Compur shutter. For some time, the 1/15 speed has not worked and the local repair shop said they could not get it working. Over the weekend, the shutter stopped working altogether. Also, the lens is quite worn, with scrapes and some good dings (not on the glass). I like 90mm SA's (although f/5.6 would be nice) but here is the dilemma. They are not very expensive on ebay. I saw one very nice and more recent one, in a Copal, go for only $400. Do I:

1) possibly throw good money away getting an older Compur fixed only to have it die again?

2) buy a new Copal to fit, approx. $250? (I am also assuming it is a simple screw-in swap)

3) just buy a more recent one in a Copal?

Has anyone been through this? I am open to suggestions.

Stuff like this ruffled my feathers some years ago. I ended up getting out of the camera/photo/insanity business some years ago and when I was able started replacing the equipment I had sold earlier and thought it through this time rather than just letting it happen and ending up with a hodgepodge of parts.

Lenses in shutter are considerably more expensive that the barrel-mount variety and taking that into account, my view cameras are two Sinars; one, an old, beat up "F" model 4X5 to carry around outside (they are rather light, but the base tilts suck) and an older "P" model in great shape that never goes outside.

The result?
a) All of my lenses are mounted on the same boards. Interchangeability.

b) I have one Sinar Copal shutter that fits both cameras and allows the use of the barrel lenses - they have the aperture, the camera has the shutter.

c) I recently bought a 2D Kodak for another project I won't have time to work on and will make a front-mount box similar to a Packard mount (which I also have) to make this large shutter interchangeable between the three cameras (I can't shoot more than one at a time anyway).

Consider the one-time cost in adapting this big shutter to your gear and never worrying about the individual shutters again.

[Don Wallace]

A followup. I took a chance on it being repairable and sent it to Paul Ebel. He repaired it, including replacing the speed cam, and did a CLA. It has never worked this well. He charged just under $100, including shipping, and the turnaround was very good. He did a major repair job on my 14 inch Commercial Ektar a few years ago and it was equally brilliant. I highly recommend this guy.