[LargeFormat] deGroff Air-Way Shutter Releases

[Clive Warren]

At 3:01 pm -0800 21/1/01, Les Newcomer wrote:
>
>Clive Warren wrote:
>>
>>  A few very useful items popped through the post box a couple of days ago and
>>  gave me a good excuse to try out a new (to me) digital camera - an Olymus
>>  C2000Z.
>>
>>  I have been battling with old shutter release cables for some time 
>>when using
>>  Betax shutters and Ilex Commercial Ektar shutters. Some of you may know that
>>  they have a now unusual threaded attachment point for cable releases.
>>
>>  The useful items are deGroff air-way shutter releases. These are
>>  cylindrical devices which screw on to the shutter cable attachment
>>  point and are operated by an air bulb. By pure chance they are
>>  exactly what I had been looking for and will make life a lot easier
>>  when using the unsynched shutters with studio flash.
>>
>>  I have posted some images on the f32 Discussion Forum at the following URL:
>>
>  > http://www.f32.net/cgi-local/discus/show.cgi?59/60
>>
big snip
>Clive,
>
>  DeGroeff is still in business, but on the ones I've seen recently (from
>Calumet) the air cylnder actuates  a normal (cheap) cable release thus
>negating any benefit for long throw acme shutters :-(

Les and Lee,

Thank you for the feedback. Thanks for reminding me that the Ilex 
Acmes need a longer throw release movement, which of course the 
deGroffs have in abundance....

Will check out the Calument stocks here in the UK - the local branch 
here in Bristol doesn't carry all of the items available in the US 
but at least they will now order any catalogue item for you.  I have 
been waiting over a month for one item now so they are fairly relaxed 
about supplying to demand ;-)

The box of goodies also contained a Turner-Reich 8x10 convertible 
Fairport manufactured lens in a Betax shutter in great condition 
which was also a nice surprise. I have been using a similar lens in 
an Ilex shutter for soft focus on an 8x10 B&J - there is a chunk 
glass missing on the rear element of the old lens :-)

Will be keeping my eyes open for another old deGroff Air-Way though......
-- 
All the best,

             Clive Warren   http://www.f32.net
                            Large Format travel and stock photography