From: jacobson@cello.hpl.hp.com (David Jacobson) Subject: Re: Locking Release Cable for N8008 Date: 22 May 1995 09:23:24 -0700 Jin W. Kim wrote: >Could anyone tell me what locking cable releases are available for my >Nikon N8008? I went to a local camera shop and they told me that there >was only one (I can't remember what the name was) and that it would cost >over $80!!! Another place I called told me that there was no locking >cable releases avaiable for the N8008 which doesn't sound right either. >Anyways, any help in this matter will be much appreciated. >Jin >jinkim@psych.ucla.edu There are three solutions. 1. Buy the MC-12A. It used to be around $40 mail order, probably higher now. (That is probably what your camera store is asking $80 for.) 2. Buy the little screw-in alternate button that also has a mechanical cable release socket, and buy a locking mechanical cable release. (This won't get you the 'half-way' position that triggers AF and metering.) 3. Use my old circuit, which I've appended. -- David Jacobson ================================= Newsgroups: rec.photo Path: cello!jacobson From: jacobson@cello.hpl.hp.com (David Jacobson) Subject: Nikon electrical release Message-ID: <1993May9.144055.28529@cello.hpl.hp.com> Date: Sun, 9 May 1993 14:40:55 GMT Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories Well, about a year or so ago I said I was making my own electrical release for my Nikon 8008, since the MC-12A was so expensive. Well, last night I finally finished it. The 8008 has just two pins for the remote release, but it still allows you to initiate focusing and metering without releasing the shutter by using a 3-level system. Open is equivalent to not pushing the button (obviously). About 1.1 volts is equivalant to pushing the shutter release half way, which initiates AF and metering, and a short circuit fires the shutter. The hard part is getting a connector. I came across a connector with pins .1 inches apart in a piece of surplus equipment. Mine doesn't screw into the threads that are the like the one on the MC-12A does, but it still works. I've heard the model aircraft people use compatible connectors to connect to batteries. The connector I had was already fitted with about 8 inches of moderately heavy twisted pair. I cut that off at about 3 inches and spliced it into a piece of light shielded cable. I had previously discovered that the 8008 is fairly sensitive to AC pickup. For example, touching one probe of my Fluke 77 multimeter to the "hot" pin on the camera will usually fire the shutter. The 8008 has two pins; the upper one is "ground" (it is has continuity to the hot shoe, the lens mount, one of the battery contacts, and even the tripod mount), so it should be connected to the shield. At the other end of the cable I put one of those little blue boxes 1 inch wide, 3/4 inch thick and 2 inches long that is made by Pomona Electronics. It has a plate on one face (lets call it the "front") that fastens with 4 tiny screws. For reference one of the 3/4 x 1 surfaces will be called "bottom" and the other "top". I drilled a hole in the center of the bottom and put a rubber grommet in and fed the end of the cable through the grommet and tied a knot so it couldn't come back out. I drilled a hole in the top and mounted a momentary contact push button switch, which will be the one for firing the shutter. I drilled a hole in the front and mounted a single pole 3 position ON-OFF-ON toggle switch. (It is made by Alco.) Here is the circuit. hot ---------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | V 1N4004 o | - / (momentary) | | / fire shutter | V 1N4004 o | - | | | | o o | | | time exposure | focus/meter | | | o | | | | ground --------------------------------------------------------- I used 1N4004 diodes since I had some handy, but almost any old garden variety silicon diode would work. The approximately .55 or .6 volt drop across these two diodes comes out right to make the camera focus/AF, but not fire the shutter. -- David Jacobson