What is the difference between various shutters, like a Copal 0 and a Compur 2?
The name of the shutter reflects the manufacturer. Compur and Prontor are German. Copal is Japanese. Ilex is (was—they’re defunct) American. I don’t know about other brands. I don’t believe there is a difference in quality between the major brands. The numeral after it refers to the size of the shutter—specificially the size of the hole you have to bore in the lensboard to fit it. The lower the numeral, the smaller the shutter. A size 00 is the smallest. A size 3 is the largest modern shutter, though older shutters can be found in size 4 and 5.
