Reveni Labs Camera Tester: New perspectives for professional and private camera repairers

[MattKing]

@Reveni-matt
Thanks for joining up Matt!
(always happy to welcome another Canadian Matt )
If you wander through Photrio a bit, you may find a fair few references to you and your products.
Feel free to chime in.

 

[Reveni-matt]

@Reveni-matt
Thanks for joining up Matt!
(always happy to welcome another Canadian Matt )
If you wander through Photrio a bit, you may find a fair few references to you and your products.
Feel free to chime in.

Hi Matt,

Can't drop a Hasselblad in Canada without hitting a Matt it seems.

I've been a lurker forever, maybe I had an account at some point on APUG, I'm not sure.

I'll see what people have been saying about me here... hopefully I find good things.

 

[ic-racer]

Hi Matt,

Can't drop a Hasselblad in Canada without hitting a Matt it seems.

I've been a lurker forever, maybe I had an account at some point on APUG, I'm not sure.

Welcome to Phototrio. I'm not sure if there are other "Repair-oriented" web sites out there but I post all my repairs here on Phototrio, hope that Phototrio becomes the place for people to discuss film camera repairs.

Likewise, I think there is interest here for testers like the one you made.

I'll see what people have been saying about me here... hopefully I find good things.

I have your first-generation meter and use it on all my meter-less cameras, including my Bolex. Which actually does have an f1 lens.

 

[MattKing]

Phototrio

Phototrio

In case you are confused, there is no central "to" in Photrio .
Although some of us Canadian Matts do like to include a "u" in colour

 

[Reveni-matt]

I'm not sure if there are other "Repair-oriented" web sites out there.

...

I have your first-generation meter and use it on all my meter-less cameras, including my Bolex. Which actually does have an f1 lens.

I see a lot of activity on the "Learn Camera Repair" group on Facebook. Lots of manuals and stuff in their files collection too.

Glad you like your meter, despite it's shortcomings. Mk.2 is a big improvement with the rechargeable battery.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

I would like to express my appreciation to Matt and other developers who are doing such a great job of expanding our options as users/repairers.

There are many talents and skills that come together here - creativity, expertise, persistence, engineering knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit, etc.

It also takes courage, because a project like this is also a financial risk.

I have the utmost respect for such achievements. Even more so when you see Matt's other products.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Welcome to Phototrio. I'm not sure if there are other "Repair-oriented" web sites out there but I post all my repairs here on Phototrio, hope that Phototrio becomes the place for people to discuss film camera repairs.

I think Photrio is one of the most active international communities when it comes to repairing photo equipment. At least I don't know of anything comparable.

In any case, it's a very pleasant and sophisticated place to exchange ideas.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

In case you are confused, there is no central "to" in Photrio .
Although some of us Canadian Matts do like to include a "u" in colour

Analog - analogue?

 

[MattKing]

Analog - analogue?

Mais oui!

 

[Gregory_Nolan]

@Reveni-matt

Great to have you on the forum and in this thread. I have a question regarding the sensors: What is the exact distance between the left and right sensor on the 35mm sensor head?

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Calibration mode

A feature that not only saves additional measuring devices, but also offers something for the eye is the Calibration mode:

Calibration mode is used to calibrate the light panel using the 35mm sensor head. The Camera Tester is completely self calibrating, except for the light panel’s MAX EV, which is tested at the factory.

The factory brightness is measured and written on the label on the bottom of the Camera Tester. The maximum brightness is not expected to vary over time.

Reveni Labs Camera Tester User Manual — Reveni Labs

www.reveni-labs.com

For calibration the sensor is placed directly on the light panel, with as little ambient light as possible. The light shield helps here.

Name plate with factory panel brightness indication on the bottom of the Camera Tester.


When calibration is activated, the process runs fully automatically, with the light brightness changing gradually and the device displaying data on the screen.

Ideal for drinking a cup of coffee and relaxing

Calibration is recommended after every firmware update.

I consider the reference to the light source, whose maximum brightness should not vary over time, to be a key feature. This means that no lamps need to be kept in stock and replaced.

It is also important to note that repairs should be able to be carried out by the users themselves using original spare parts and that the device does not have to be sent to Reveni Labs.

 

[Reveni-matt]

I would like to express my appreciation to Matt and other developers who are doing such a great job of expanding our options as users/repairers.

There are many talents and skills that come together here - creativity, expertise, persistence, engineering knowledge, entrepreneurial spirit, etc.

It also takes courage, because a project like this is also a financial risk.

I have the utmost respect for such achievements. Even more so when you see Matt's other products.

Thanks Andreas, I appreciate your support

 

[Reveni-matt]

@Reveni-matt

Great to have you on the forum and in this thread. I have a question regarding the sensors: What is the exact distance between the left and right sensor on the 35mm sensor head?

Hi Greg, horizontal is 32.4mm and vertical is 20.75mm. The number shown on the screen for C1 and C2 is corrected to full width/height though.

 

[Andreas Thaler]

A practical example

I think it might be interesting to see the Reveni Labs Camera Tester in practical use.

I have started a new thread here that will show my efforts to set the shutter on a Minolta XG-M.

I have to learn this myself first, but there is already competent help, e.g. from @ic-racer

I had been playing around with the locking gears for the tension of the two shutter rollers here for a while. This means that the running times of the rollers are certainly no longer as they should be. This gives us an ideal candidate for initial trials:

Minolta XG-M: Adjusting the shutter

At the end of last year I tried to solve a shutter problem on my Minolta XG-M. It got stuck when winding and the shutter blocked: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/minolta-xg-m-shutter-problem-resolved-but-be-careful.203843/ I was able to solve the problem, but I also worked on the two...

www.photrio.com

---

A not so complicated topic

With all the sophisticated functions that the tester offers, the basic theme is quite simple:

• Two shutter rollers (horizontal) or two shutter curtains (vertical) should run at as equal a speed as possible.
• This is the job of the shutter mechanism (rubber bands, springs). The time is measured in milliseconds for each roller/curtain.
• Once this is set on the shutter, it is a matter of setting the timing. In cameras like the XG-M, the electronics are responsible for this (trim-pot).
• With a focal plane shutter, the two rollers/curtains run at different times. Roller blind/curtain 1 starts and, for example, 1/60 s later roller blind/curtain 2 starts. This creates a slit that moves across the film and exposes it.
• The tester displays the currently set speeds and timing and the repairer tries to optimize them.

What might sound simple will require some practice. And every camera will have its own peculiarities, for example where to find the settings.

But that's why we're here

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Thank you, Matt. I will get used once I start using it.

I can reveal that Matt has adjusted the display in a firmware test version.

• C1: velocity opening curtain
• C2: velocity closing curtain

 

[Andreas Thaler]

An excellent illustration of the horizontal focal plane shutter and its adjustment can be found here:

https://www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/service/focal%20plane%20shutters.pdf

 

[GLS]

I just got one of these myself. Flashed the firmware, re-calibrated the sensor, and tested all the leaf shutters on my large format lenses today. Simple to use. These results will provide some added peace of mind when shooting 4x5 slides

Now to test all my Hasselblad lenses!

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Now to test all my Hasselblad lenses!

You give me ideas!

 

[GLS]

Finished testing the Hassy lenses. Overall those Prontor shutters seemed to have markedly higher accuracy and less variance than the Copals on my LF lenses, especially at the extremes. The results from my Planar 100mm in particular were quite remarkable:

 

[Andreas Thaler]

Finished testing the Hassy lenses. Overall those Prontor shutters seemed to have markedly higher accuracy and less variance than the Copals on my LF lenses, especially at the extremes. The results from my Planar 100mm in particular were quite remarkable:

How did you create the table?

 

[GLS]

How did you create the table?

It's just a Google Sheet with some simple formulae.

 

[Reveni-matt]

It's just a Google Sheet with some simple formulae.

If you connect the Tester to your computer and press the up button after a curtain or leaf test, it will emulate a keyboard and type data into a spreadsheet. Select cell A1 and press up to send the first set with headers, and press again to send subsquent lines.

 

[GLS]

If you connect the Tester to your computer and press the up button after a curtain or leaf test, it will emulate a keyboard and type data into a spreadsheet. Select cell A1 and press up to send the first set with headers, and press again to send subsquent lines.

Thanks, good to know

 

[monopix]

It's just a Google Sheet with some simple formulae.

I've done much the same but I record the max and min times rather than just the average as it tells you something about the shutter. I also include the specified limits if known.

 

[GLS]

I've done much the same but I record the max and min times rather than just the average as it tells you something about the shutter

I recorded the max variance. Not as detailed I'll grant you, but it indicates if something is off by a conspicuous degree.