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Three years fixing cameras and I just now found out my shutter tester was lying to me
I picked up a used shutter tester off eBay three years ago and trusted it for every CLA since, but a customer brought back a Rolleiflex last month saying his 1/500 shots were blurry and my readings said it was perfect. Borrowed a buddy's tester at the shop in Dallas and mine was off by almost a full stop the whole time. Anyone else get burned by cheap test gear, or am I the only one who got lazy and never checked it against a known good camera?
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jade_lane20d ago
I trusted a $40 eBay tester for three years and apparently it was just guessing at numbers the whole time, like a magic 8 ball with wires. At least you caught yours on a customer's camera and not after a full roll of wedding shots.
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brookebailey20d ago
That sucks, and it's such an easy trap to fall into. My bench meter sat unchecked for probably two years before a friend's Pentax came through reading a half stop off from what I was seeing, and sure enough mine had drifted. Old gear just goes out of spec over time, especially the cheap stuff with no way to calibrate it. Lesson learned the hard way for both of us, I guess.
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