The KX (and KM and K1000) have shtter speeds determined by a cam. The detents
serve to lock the mechanism at a particulat position on the cam but the surface
of the cam itself is continuous, not stepped so if you set the shutter dial
between shutter speeds you will get an operational shutter speed that is between
those speeds. The shutter speeds *are* continuous, but not *exactly* repeatable.
Mark Roberts
"Provencher, Paul M." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>The ES and ESII have electronic, continuously variable shutter control in
>AUTO; and B, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, and 1/1000 mechanical speeds (with
>no meter function, batteries optional). The K2 is similar.
>
>Your test is interesting but inconclusive - take the camera to a tech and
>ask them to put it on a shutter speed test bench - that that will show you
>whether or not the shutter speeds are stepless (and repeatable)...
>
>Paul M. Provencher
>(ppro)
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Todd Stanley [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 3:13 PM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: RE: K bodies, stepless shutter
>
>The KX does have a stepless shutter, atleast. It's easy to hear at slow
>speeds, like between 1 sec and 1/2 sec. And with firing the flash at a
>wall without a lens on and the back open, I can see that you do not got the
>same amount of light between 1/60 and 1/125 as you do at either 1/60 (whole
>frame), and 1/125 (little less than half), leading me to believe that the
>shutter is firing somewhere between 1/60 and 1/125.
>
>I did notice what you are saying about shutter variances too, that if I set
>the camera to a speed (like 1/500), that the area that I get light is not
>always exactly the same, but it reasonably close to the same, and
>significantly different from 1/250 and 1/1000.
>
>As for the K2 and ES cameras, I thought they had electronically controlled
>shutters in manual mode too, and only a few speeds work without batteries,
>like X, B, and 1/1000? Hence the big hoopla over the new Nikon FM3A with
>stepless electronic shutter in automatic, plus all mechanical manual speeds.
>
>Anyway, like you say, this is probably moot. I don't think I will be using
>the KX out of the clicks on the shutter dial, a 1/2 stop change in exposure
>is much easier to change with the aperture ring. Plus what you say about
>variances in the shutter, meter, and camera operator is also true, and can
>add to more than 1/2 stop error easily.
>
>Todd
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