Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/06

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Shutter durability
From: Stephen <cameras@jetlink.net>
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 23:01:20 -0400

Ken Iisaka wrote:

> Stephen wrote:
> >
> > What's your source?   In  August 1972,  Modern Photography reported
> in
> > its Too Hot to Handle column that a Nikon spokesman that the F
> shutter
> > functioned over 500,000 cycles without a malfunction.
> >
>
> It's like Modern Photography is such a reliable source of information,
>
> anyway.
>
> Nikon may have 150,000 cycles (mean?  95 percentile?) as a design
> goal,
> but a certain number of samples may function for well over 500,000
> cycles without malfunction or adjustment.

Nikon or any other manufacturer may have xyz as a goal, but without
citing the source of the info,  the statement doesn't mean much.   Any
figure can be imagined or debated.

And yes, though they certainly weren't perfect, Modern did a damn good
job when it came to informing people on camera equipment.  Modern was
the first American publication to publish monthly camera and lens
tests.   Modern was also the first American publication to have an
Annual Buying Guide of the leading cameras (presently copied by Popular
with many of the old Modern staff),  although Popular had long published
a annual directory of all photographic products.

Stephen Gandy