I am a new owner and trying to get a lot of questions out of the way now in different forums. I'd like to know the proper way to set the lens after I put the camera away.The lens is a Scneider 135 (4.7) on a Crown Graphic Special in a Copal shutter I have been setting the lens to T and setting the aperture to 4.7 and depressing the shutter. I think I read this someplace. Please let me know if this is wrong. Thanks.

The diaphragm does not care where you set it, and no harm will be done storing the camera regardless of the diaphragm setting.

The shutter should never be left on the highest speed, typically 1/400th of a second, as there are ususlly supplementary springs that are compressed when that speed is selected. I generally leave my LF shutters at an intermediate speed such as 1/10th ~ 1/30th.

And the shutter should not be stored cocked. Release the shutter before closing the camera.

Exercise the shutter periodically to keep the mechanism working correctly; your Copal is one of the most reliable shutters out there, but all of them like to be used and may stick a bit after lengthly periods of just sitting in storage.

Great info. Thanks a lot. Bob.

Like you, I store my LF lenses on the "T" setting, since the shutter is completely un-tensioned at that setting, and the springs will not take a "set" or be stretched. I also usually store my lenses at the largest f-stop (i.e., wide open), for no particular reason other than consistency.

Like "disemjg" said, don't store lens with shutter cocked!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2006-03-03 11:24 ]</font>