Motor drive lovers - past and present

The F-3s all have MD4 motors on them. In addition to the power advance and speed, they also power the camera. I would like to find someone who can rebuild the nicad packs that I have - they now only hold enough of a charge to run one roll of 36 exp. Tri-X. Any ideas?
 
I still use motor drives and winders most of the time with my 35mm SLRs (Nikon F6, FM3a, FE2, Olympus OM-1n, OM-2n, OM-4Ti) for the ability to take multiple shots without taking my eye from the viewfinder and for the better grip/balance with heavier lenses.

The motor drive is built into the Nikon F6, so I have to use it. But it is fast (5.5 - 8 fps depending on power source), almost silent and shock free.

The MD-12 for the FM3a and FE2 is necessary for me because I am left eyed and can touch the motor drive release button to turn on the meter as opposed to having to pull out the film wind lever and have it poke me in the right eye. A bit slow (3.5 fps) and a bit fiddly (once and a while it jams or stops working for no apparent reason until one removes it, manually spin the gear, and reattach). But it is solidly built and fairly cheap used (about $25).

The Motor Drive 1 and 2 for the Olympus OM cameras are compact, fast (5 fps) and smooth. Not as good as the F6 motor drive, but way ahead of their time and noticeably better than the Nikon MD-12. However, the cheaper Olympus Winder 2 for the Olympus OM really shrieks when in use. I don't like it too much, but use it near the ocean, on boats, wading in rivers, in the rain, etc., because it is dirt cheap ($10-$20), so I don't mind possibly trashing it.
 
I discovered this thread seeking insight on how I might use my manual focus film cameras which I happened to have bought with a motor drive.

I have four manual focus film cameras with a motordrive:

Nikon F2S

I have a bunch of F2's without a motor drive. I bought an MD-1 and an MB-1 for this F2S simply because it looks so good.


Nikon F3/T

I have a black F3/T without a motor drive and wanted to add a champagne F3/T. When I found one, it came with an MD-4. It's OK, but my style of photography doesn't need it.


Canon F-1N

With the Canon F-1N, having the motor drive enables shutter-priority; having the AE prism enables aperture priority. Those features are part of the F-1N's system modularity.


Hasselblad 553 ELX

The Hasselblad 553 ELX would be excellent in a studio, tripod mounted, being used to photograph rapidly changing model poses against a lit backdrop. I don't do that, so I'm seeking other uses for my 553 ELX - I've since added a prism finder to it. Being an engineer, I like the different motorized modes the ELX has, but the only use I can think of is aircraft or motorsports photography.

The only time I have actually needed rapid image making has been with motorsports; in that case I use a Nikon D700 digital camera at about 3 frames per second (any rate faster becomes distracting).
 

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I still have the Pentax Winder MX. It makes a too small camera a bit better.

I have a Nikon MD-12 for use with my FE bodies.
I recently bought an AW-1 for use with my EL2; fingers crossed.

I also own a Topcon Super DM with auto winder.

None are "real" 5 fps+ motor drives, but they're fast enough for me.

Chris
 
It's alive! (this thread, back from 2015)

I used to shoot with an F3 with MD-4 when I was in the Navy, as well as an F4 and F5. I haven't used film regularly for news since 2004-ish though, since people are so impatient and want everything now, or yesterday, or a week before the event even happened.

These days I like carrying a camera with a motor drive for some wildlife shooting, or quick grab shots in the street. I'm left eyed, so they are very nice in that respect.

I have an MD-4 which I love pairing with a heavy lens like my 180mm f/2.8 ED or an 80-200 f/2.8. Same goes for the MD-15 that I really like keeping on my FA. I like using that drive more than the MD-4, the camera is lighter, the drive turns the camera into a manual focus F4 with less of the bells and whistles (although I think the F4s is pretty much the perfect implementation of an auto and manual focus film camera, in spite of the advances of the F5.) The FA with MD-15 and a wide like the 20mm f/3.5 or 28mm f/2.8 is a fantastic combo. It's actually great with any Nikon lens, if you ask me.

I'd like to find a winder for my MX since my hands are pretty big. I can just about completely cover that camera with a 50mm lens with both of my hands as if I'm holding a Barnack, since they are pretty much the same size. A little more to grip would be nice, but the MX is fantastic just for its small size.

Philip Forrest
 
I must've missed this thread the first time around....


Way back around 2006 or 2007, I noticed B&H still had brand-new MD-15 motordrives for the Nikon FA in stock. So of course I had to get one for my own FA. Unlike the MD-12 (which also works on the FA), the MD-15 also powers the camera when it is attached. Gotta post this here because the MD-15 is conspicuous by its absence in this thread!


z9Xjic.jpg
 
I’m one of those weird people who loves EL’s, EL/M’s etc, and gosh-darn it, around my neck, handheld and out in the field. Who needs a stinkin’ tripod for these babies 🙂

Unfortunately I sold this one a few years back when the prices of them were down - the 20 Years in Space edition. I just got a 555 ELD recently and am loving it.


ELM1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
In post #33 in this thread, I said I used add-on motor drives with Nikon F2 and EM bodies and built-in motor drives with Nikon F4 and N70 cameras. Since then, a colleague gave me a Nikon N2000 that has a built-in motor drive.


Nikon N2000 by Narsuitus, on Flickr
 
I used two of these for work back in the 80s. Still have one of them and drag it out every once and a while just for a little nostalgia. Cheers, jc

 
You just reminded me of a camera I had for a long time....


m1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr

Leica M2 (ELCAN), circa 1966, from the last batch of Canadian-made M2’s. Pictured with a Leica M motor (the M6 version). I had the great ‘Doctor Dave’ Eve of Toronto do the modification for me back in the 1990’s. A really super camera and the motor worked great. Nice thing about the M6 version of this motor is that it didn’t kick you in the face like the version before it.
 
I've several cameras with the drives, and have used all of them with it when necessary, such as at street events where the scene is constantly changing.


The strangest one I ever had was a 110 camera branded as a Sedic. Wish I had a photo of that rig, but here are some others.



Nikon FG Full Dress by P F McFarland, on Flickr



Canon A-1 by P F McFarland, on Flickr



Nikon F2S with MD-3 Drive and MB-2 Battery Pack by P F McFarland, on Flickr




Nikon F3 Motorized by P F McFarland, on Flickr



This one really just a battery pack, but it adds another set of control buttons when holding the camera in portrait mode.


Nikon N80 by P F McFarland, on Flickr



Leica R7 by P F McFarland, on Flickr


Trigger Drive by Tom A

Decked Out Leica M4-P by P F McFarland, on Flickr


Built-in

Front by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Battery Compartment by P F McFarland, on Flickr



Olympus Siblings by P F McFarland, on Flickr


And this $50 junk store find Frankenstein F with the wrong finder, and a chrome drive on a black body. Worn out too, as the camera aperture drive will not fully open the blades, and the motor drive wouldn't work. I put the lens on another body, and parted out the drive. Had to rebuild the battery pack, and that went to Tom A to get his F back in operation.



917_2 by P F McFarland, on Flickr


There may be a couple more around here, I just don't have photos of them all.


PF
 
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I no longer have the strength to carry this lot around, 10 x AA batteries or external power pack. Sounds like a British motor bike from the '50s and yet...it all works.

Since this picture was taken I have found a virtually new, in box Leicaflex motor. Both camera and motor had very low production numbers, some say less than 1000, at the time they were very expensive, not now.

SL MOT by dralowid, on Flickr
 
When I was 8, had an Instamatic 150 with spring-wound motor.

Years ago, working at a Camera Shop- one of the salesman that also work as a photographer explained that the real advantage of the motor drive was not having to move your eye off the viewfinder when advancing the film. Good enough for me- at Air Shows, brought the F2 with MD2. Big and heavy, but also steadied the camera for hand-held shots. These days- shooting digital, except for the Epson R-D1, cameras essentially have motor drive. And I do not have to take my eye from the finder to charge the shutter.
 
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