Keep the shutter cocked?

I

Iron Flatline

Guest
Hello.

I just bought a camera that has a shutter that needs to be cocked manually. It's digital, but requires that I set it before taking the next shot - it's got a film winder.

Epson R-D1

When I was shooting film I used to wind right away. It moved the exposed film out of the way, thus "securing" my shot and avoiding double exposure. But what if I'm not going to use it for a while? Keep it uncocked? Is that better for the spring mechanism?

Any thoughts?
 
The first Digital Rangefinder. It will be a collectors item for sure.

Any spring loaded device is best left 'uncocked' or not under tension for extended periods of time. Just what is 'extended'? In this case, I would venture that in day rather than hours.. All springs lose tension eventualy. Common sense should prevail here.
 
I would think that a spring under tension would "wear-out" sooner than a spring not under tension. The spring/lever may be engineered to be under tension so that what wear does occur is insignificant ... but the tension will cause greater wear than no tension.

Gary
 
you should be fine, and if you're worried about it, than just don't cock it and get in the habit of cocking the shutter before shooting.
 
Thanks all, it's kind of what I thought.

I am pleased to say that it is working perfectly. I got the camera (original box, manuals, batteries, chargers - the works) as well as THREE Voigtlaender lenses (28mm Skopar f/3.5, 35mm Ultron f/1.7, and 50mm Nokton f/1.5) AND a beautiful Rallye-Brown leather half-case with strap for a total of $2,200.

I will post a pic of it soon next to it's rich cousin (the Leica M8) but here's what it looks like on Luigi's website:

EconHalfR-D1fourColoursFrontWarn.jpg
 
Rangefinders are so cool.
 
Honest I remember people having a debate over cocked or not, and springs and such, over 40 years ago. :mrgreen: I always leave the camera set and wound, and I've never had a spring break in any camera, ever.

Some said, leave it wound, it doesn't make any difference. Others used the "common sense" (which means, if it was so common, why don't more people have it?) approach, that with tension on it, a spring would wear out sooner.

Here's my answer. It doesn't make a bit of difference! The winding itself is what stresses the spring, not the held in one position or another. Change is the enemy.

Just think about it. The spring sits relaxed for a long time, nice and comfortable, and then you bend it all tight. Ouch that's got to hurt. Or maybe someone else thinks it's stressed to be all wound up for a long time? You aren't even winding anything.

With that I ask anyone who had a spring on a winder snap, please step in here. You get one vote. Then all the people who have never had a spring break, you get one vote. Guess which will win? ;)

I'd worry more about the storage environment, temperature and humidity.

Cool camera, especially for someone with a shelf full of old lenses to fit it.
 
I recently got back into MF and have collected a few Hasselblads. What I have always thought odd or a design flaw in a Blad is the body always being cocked. The EL motor drive models wind after each shot, moving down the reflex mirror against spring tension and closing the 2 rear doors over the film magazine, also under spring tension. They must be wound to remove or install a lens. This seems to not hurt them any, as one of my EL's is from the late 60's and a CM is from the mid 60's. Both seem to preform as they should.
Also, the shutter in the lenses cocks each time, must be cocked as mentioned to remove from or install on the camera and one lens is an early 70's model that has good accurate shutter speeds. The original owner claimed it to never have been serviced.
All stored bare bodies and lenses are cocked. Many of these cameras are near 50 years old and still serviceable. Maybe the debate should be how many decades a spring must be under tension before it is damaged, not days, weeks or years.
 
As an after thought, I am sure the design of the spring and mechanism has a lot to do with the life span of the device it's installed in.
 
Good point RacePhoto - none of my gear ever broke.

Good point John, the Hassies are ever-ready.

Right, cocked it is.
 
I honestly never thought about the spring and wear issues. The thing I always worried about more was if someone or me was going to bump the button and waste a shot. But in all honesty I can probably count on one hand the times I actually did waste a shot. And if it is digital where is the potential for waste then?

I think you made the right decision to always be ready rather then let worry rule!
 

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