A Clockwork Oly

[Jumillar]

This is probably obvious and doesn't bear asking, but is the shutter mechanism on the Olympus 35RC (and undoubtedly other rangefinders) clockwork?
I had to stop down to 1/15th sec today for a tricky shot in some undergrowth (don't ask) and it sounded like a spring winding down as the shutter opened.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Yes, it is a mechanical shutter with an escapement. But at 1/15 my 35 RC doesn't make much of a clockwork noise.


Any chance you set the self-timer a bit by accident while crawling around?

 

[Jumillar]

Yes, it is a mechanical shutter with an escapement. But at 1/15 my 35 RC doesn't make much of a clockwork noise.


Any chance you set the self-timer a bit by accident while crawling around?

Thanks for the reply Dan, pretty sure it wasn't the self timer and the noise was quite faint but definitively spring-like. "escapement"? guess i'll need to google that

 

[retinax]

You speak German if I recall correctly? Escapement is "Hemmung", like used in clocks indeed.

 

[Jumillar]

Thanks for the info guys, I've checked out "escapement" On Google and Youtube... Interesting stuff