# Shutter release cable with long "throw"



## cyberjunkie (Oct 17, 2010)

I am looking for a shutter release cable, with standard Compur thread, that has a longer-than-average plunger.
I  already have a few cables with a a reach that's slightly better than  average, enough for a big Ilex or some other big size leaf shutter, but i  have a few applications for which i'd definitely need a cable with a  loonng plunger!;-)  
From fully retracted to fully extended it should have minimum 25mm of reach, better if something more.
Such  a long plunger is a need with most of the shutters that have both  pneumatic (rubber bulb) and standard actuation. In my case the "beast"  is a big (at least 75mm of hole) Silens shutter, that has both B and  "instant" settings, plus the chance to open the leafs for focusing. It  even comes with a synchro for both X and flashbulbs. For those who  didn't have the chance to see a Silens shutter, well... it's (IMHO) like  a Packard on steroids: mechanically better (like conventional  multi-leaf shutters, instead of two leafs only, with scissors-like  operation), available even in very small size, and with a nice  synchro-flash. It's even simpler to adapt, the small size i own has  three radial screws that allow to fit it on top of a barrel lens, while  the big one has two more holes, that allow to fit the shutter behind a  lensboard, or even sandwiched between two boards, one in the front that  holds the lens, and one in the back, that is fitted to the camera.
The  only "minus" is that the diameter of big size Silens is not small, so  if the camera doesn't have a very big lensboard, the only option is to  fit the shutter in front of the lenses.

Sorry for all this bla,  bla, it's my first post on this forum and i wanted to be of some help,  describing a little known device for those who didn't know about it, and  not just placing my question and asking for help.

Back to the  cable release, my Silens, albeit perfectly working if you find a way to  operate it, can't be released with my bulb + hose combo: from the noise i  get that the piston is not air-tight anymore, so the viable option  would be a suitable shutter release. The shutter can be fired with a  small screwdriver, pushing it into the hole for 25mm minimum.
To say  the truth, i have another shutter that would benefit from a cable with a  longer throw: i installed a Super Angulon 65mm on Compur No. 00 into a  recessed Linhof/Wista lensboard, but the "S" shaped thingie that's used  to operate the shutter was totally off, so i needed to have it adapted  in some way. A friend did a fantastic job, even machining at the lathe  an adapter to fit a No. 00 shutter on a No. 1 lensboard, but for some  reason the flex cable release with the longest throw is barely enough,  sometimes it trips the shutter, most of the times not. 

I  am looking for a cheap solution, like those chinese cables that are  advertised on Ebay for large format use. I don't know if they are all  the same model, but i know all too well that own one of those cables,  and that it didn't solve the problem!
I found a reference in a forum  about Prontor cable (supposedly with long-reach plunger): i bought a  second-hand one on Ebay, and it didn't do either.
Don't mention Linhof cables, please :-x 
The  one that came with my Technika III broke down, and the only thing left  is the "push-button" thingie with the two fixing pins; i looked for a  screw-in replacement cable to be fixed on it, but i didn't find a used  one on Ebay. New ones are so outrageously expensive, like most Linhof  stuff, that the expense would not be a worthy one, for home-made  projects like those for which it would be used.

I am looking forward for your help. Any info/advice would be appreciated.
Any  dirt-trick would do as well... i am even contemplating the purchase of a  thin foil of some metal (brass would be better, i suppose), cut a very  thin strip, roll it in a cylinder shape, slightly larger than the  cable's tip, and have it glued in place with some bi-component stuff,  like "liquid metal".

Another much-needed advice would be about  improving the performance of pneumatically operated shutters: i even  thought about spraying some lubricant inside the hole for the shutter  release, to try enhance the air-tightness of the piston, but i am a  little afraid about it. A small veil of the right quality of oil could  help, but there are good chances to end up with a sticky piston and a  non working shutter! 

a big CIAO from Italy to all forum members

  CJ


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## compur (Oct 17, 2010)

The cable release that comes with the Omega Rapid 100/200 cameras has a
longer-than-usual throw due to the camera's long shutter release cycle (first
it releases a cocked indicator on the back and then it releases the shutter).

As I recall it extends about an inch which would be about 25mm but I'm going 
from memory there.

It's about 8 inches long overall and has "Konica" written around the plunger 
bezel. Accessories like that often becomes separated from the camera so 
there's probably some of them floating around.


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