Can you use shutter speeds / f-stops between markings on a fully mechanical camera?

Some of my cameras, an Ansco Viking, Yashica A, and Crown Graphic, use a continuous ring/dial for adjusting shutter speed and aperture (meaning no rigid stops).

If I place the dial between two shutter speeds, 1/100 and 1/200 for example, will it give me a shutter speed of approximately 1/150 or is it not meant to be used at any points between the markings?

The shutter will still fire at these points between (although I'm not certain how accurately) but I just want to make sure that using these between points will not damage the shutter mechanism in any way before I actually use the camera in such a way.

Some of my cameras, an Ansco Viking, Yashica A, and Crown Graphic, use a continuous ring/dial for adjusting shutter speed and aperture (meaning no rigid stops).

If I place the dial between two shutter speeds, 1/100 and 1/200 for example, will it give me a shutter speed of approximately 1/150 or is it not meant to be used at any points between the markings?

The shutter will still fire at these points between (although I'm not certain how accurately) but I just want to make sure that using these between points will not damage the shutter mechanism in any way before I actually use the camera in such a way. Hi Alex,

Good question and quite a camera collection you have there! I hope they are all getting good use! The Viking is a great budget camera that can put out quite a quality photo when in good, clean, working order.

Aperture controls used to be continuous on all lenses and did not contain click stops as you mention. Click-stops are typically installed at half stop intervals with markings at each full stop. But the actual aperture diaphragm itself is the same for both styles. It's just a set of blades that opens and closes a circular hole like the iris of your eye. This diaphragm action is continuous. So even on click-stop aperture controls, you can set the aperture between markings and even click stops to dial things in tightly.

Shutter speeds are a different story. The types of shutters you are describing are all mechanically timed leaf shutters. The amount of time they are held open for is controlled by cams of varying lengths that change how far a spring is pulled back when the shutter opens. The cam pushes the spring out further and thus the return of the spring takes longer, resulting in a longer shutter speed. This is just for the high speeds. Low speeds require an actual clockwork timer. Since there are a finite number of cams at finite lengths and finite intervals measured on the clockwork, you can't achieve speeds other than what there are cams for.

You can certainly place the shutter dial between marked shutter speeds but it's kind of a dice roll as to what the actual shutter time will end up being, it will not necessarily be between the marked speeds and it's probably not great for the mechanism in terms of wear.

In more modern, particularly professional SLR's of the 70's we begin to see mechanical focal plane shutters that allow for more nuanced shutter speed, usually only above 1/60 or 1/125th, you can select in between marked speeds. I know that my fully mechanical F2 allows for speeds between those which are marked but only after 125 I think. However, electronically timed focal plane shutters are almost always fully or partly (also above particular speeds) are stepless and the precise exposure needed is what is delivered, however, this is only auto exposure mode, because, otherwise, how would you accurately adjust the shutter speed dial? So a Nikon F3 is stepless.

I think that about covers it! Happy shooting and please be kind enough to choose a best answer Yes, it can be used in between markings.

Yes, it can be used in between markings.