The idea of using Arduino for measuring camera shutter timings is not new. What I've tried to do here, is to make a modular system with a set of features normally offered in professional testers, at the same time to keep its design simple and available to reproduce using off-the-shelf components.
Usually, time counting and/or light accumulating methods are used to test cameras. For the time counting method, you need a light sensor, a time counter, and a simple light source. With such setup you can measure exposure time(s) provided by a shutter, curtains travel speed of a focal plane shutter, flash sync contact delays, etc. For the second method, you'll need a photosensor able to measure the amount of light and a calibrated light source. With such setup, you'll be able to measure actual exposure produced by a system "camera+lens", light meter accuracy, operation of auto-exposure cameras, etc.
This camera tester kit allows you to perform various time-based tests and calibrations of film cameras. I continue to work on the production design of an additional sensors for light measuring modes and enclosure options.
- Measures exposure time at the center of a frame of simple (leaf) and focal plane shutters of 35mm and Medium Format (6x6 or 6x45 using adapter) cameras.
- Measures timings of focal plane shutters with curtains traveling vertically or horizontally.
- Results can be represented in a few different ways to help you detect different flaws in a shutter operation, such as curtains capping or tapering, uneven travel speed, etc.
- Measures delays between flash contact and shutter opening.
- Automatically identifies X, M, or FP modes.
- Takes a series of measurements, and calculates average stats.
- Number of tests in series can be selected in the Settings menu between 3, 5, 10, or 20.
- Automatically detects the type of connected Sensors, and notifies you if wrong sensor is connected for a specific Mode.
- Automatically detects target speed used to calculate the error.
- Target speed can be set to "Auto" or pre-set from a list of standard speeds.
- You also can select between two sets of standard speeds (Old style like 1/50 or New style like 1/60), depending on the type of shutter you are testing.
- Automatically re-calculates curtains travel time according to selected frame width or height.
- Range of measured speeds from 1s to 1/8000
- Accuracy 10µs (measured in the pre-set environment, using a signal generator and specialized light source)
- Accuracy may vary during real-life measurements with different light sources and cameras.
- Allows to check accuracy and calibrate light meters and light meters built into a cameras.
- Light Source brightness is adjustable within 4-16EV range
- Light Source can be switched between K12.5 and K14.03
More information on Wiki.
- Measuring modes based on a light accumulating method to measure exposure values and test automatic cameras
- Socket B has I2C bus pins connected to currently not used pins. Those pins are going to be used by a light measuring sensor.
- Estimate effective speed of a leaf shutter using mapping to statistical data.
The easiest way to get the hardware is to purchase a Kit (assembled or not assembled) from my Tindie store.
Similar projects that helped me to start my own
- https://github.com/cameradactyl/Shutter-Timer
- https://github.com/ianonahillroad/CameraShutterTimer
- https://github.com/c-s-1/shutter-tester
- https://github.com/sokol07/LaserShutterTester
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
