For a quick and dirty measurement of shutter lag time try here:
http://www.shooting-digital.com/columns/schwartz/shutter_release_test/default.asp
Its a clever bit of software best suited for testing auto-focus wonderbrick
type of cameras not film, manual focus slrs or rangefinders. Firstly most
older cameras would fall in the 15ms to 150ms range. And secondly it relies
on coordinating your finger with the instant the arrow reaches the zero
mark. That being said it is pretty reproducible. I tried it with the Nikon
Coolpix 4500 we use here to take gross photos and I get consistent results
of .35 seconds when pre-focused and 1.3 seconds using auto-focus (what a
sluggard).
Googling a bit I found these figures from a 1983 issue of Popular
Photography:
Pentax LX = 46
Olympus OM-1 = 60
Pentax Super Program(SuperA) = 65
Nikon FM2 = 70
Contax 137 = 76
Canon AE-1 = 86
Contax 139 = 90
Nikon FG/Leica R4 = 100
Minolta X700 = 176
Canon AE-1 Program = 185
Fujica AX-5 = 190
I seem to remember reading somewhere the lag time for Leica M's is
around 16ms.
I've never used one but I suspect it is similar to my Rollei 35. I've never seen
figures for the Olympus XA but I'd bet money it's the fastest of all.
That electro-
magnetic release usually took the photo about 50ms before I was ready
to take it.
Must have been the patented Olympus wormhole technology in the
viewfinder (invented
at the Secret Wyoming Factory) that allowed the photographer to see
into the future.
Charlie
On Fri, Mar 26, 2010 at 9:51 AM, Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > Yes... I'd like to build myself a device for measuring the shutter lag of
> > cameras -- I have no doubt about the light sensor on the back of the
> > shutter, and the timing device, but I don't know how to start counting,
> or
> > detect the finger on the button...
> >
>
> It probably wouldn't be all that difficult if you use sound for
> measurement.
> Using a digital recording software like Audacity, use a decent quality
> microphone placed next to the camera. You will need some plunging device on
> the shutter-release that makes a sound as it strikes the button. Hmm. Just
> a common solenoid should do. The sound of the solenoid will be the start of
> the measurement. I would use a long shutter time, like a half-second or
> longer so you can differentiate the sounds of opening and closing. Then
> with
> the editor, it's a very easy task to top-and-tail the audio (remove the
> silence at both ends) and measure the milliseconds right on the time-line.
>
> Easy as pie.
>
>
>
> > >The OM is bad in that regard even by SLR standards.
> > >Its shutter lag is enormous Compared to many other SLRs, like my Nikon
> F4.
> >
>
> The OM-2S is really laggy, but I don't agree about the others. The OM
> system
> is not quite as swift as a couple of cameras--I think the Canon F was quite
> good, but not horrid. The F4 is a really nice camera, but it's metering
> system is as inconsistent from camera to camera as has probably ever been
> made.
>
>
> >But I think the OM-4 series, with the extra mirror inside, are somewhat
> slower than the classic OM-1/1n/2/2n.
>
> I don't think it has anything to do with the sub-mirror. The way things are
> hinged, the sub-mirror should actually beat the main mirror to the up
> position. If I recall, the sub-mirror is up against the main-mirror by the
> time the main-mirror is 2/3 of the way up. Any delay in initial
> acceleration
> should be offset a little bit by the additional push of the sub-mirror in
> the final bit of travel. And John may correct me, but I believe that the
> mirror spring is stronger in the 2S, 3 and 4 series cameras.
>
>
> >However, that sluggish action means less shock/vibration also.
>
> I've always thought that myself. The OM-2S seemed to give me many more
> sharp
> pictures with longer focal-lengths than the OM-1 and OM-2. I've not
> compared
> to the 3Ti and 4T as they seem to be different amongst themselves.
>
> AG
> --
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