Nikon FE2 Motor Drive for $20

[dave lackey]

There is no logical reason why I have a desire for motor drives on film cameras. Wish I had an M6 with one!😀

But, I don't.

The Leica R4 has a motor drive with grip and completely transformed the small SLR into a beast! Rarely is the R4 with motor drive used but it sure is fun to carry around (for awhile) and use this huge, heavy rig. Then, when I get tired I just take it off and get back to the compact SLR again.

The Nikon FE2...well, I say it again, it is like an old friend from the 70s. Not the most sophisticated and not in the same league as the R4 but I really love these compact Nikon bodies. My mentor in college had an FM with motor drive and I always wanted to get a motor drive for mine because they look so darned cool.

Well, yesterday, I ventured into Wing's. Sure enough, I met fellow RFF member and dear friend Paulbe and we had a chat about his own new purchase, a beautiful black F3! Way to go Paul!😀

Turned around and spied a really nice MD-12 and checked it out...I was interested. Looked at the price tag and it was on sale for $20!!! Took it home and it is EX++ with a minor blemish which I can eliminate over time.

Needless to say, it is attached to the black FE2 now, works perfectly, and I am so happy I had a $20 bill in my wallet. So what if I don't eat out the rest of the week. I need to lose weight anyway. But not only do I have my own FE2 rugged wear bag with the essential E series lenses but now a motor drive after all these years....:angel:

My therapy is working.

 

[azzurri]

Sweet deal! Mine cost around $10 but the condition is really rough. Sounds like a tank but gets the job done! Enjoy your MD-12! It's a great companion to your FE2

 

[dave lackey]

Sweet deal! Mine cost around $10 but the condition is really rough. Sounds like a tank but gets the job done! Enjoy your MD-12! It's a great companion to your FE2

Yes, thanks....these days I find it easy to put together a nice Nikon film kit for very little money, just pocket change here and there.🙂

Next up is a couple of K3 focus screens.

 

[ZeissFan]

When I was shooting a lot of college basketball, I always wished that I had a motor drive for my FE. I couldn't afford one back then. A few years ago, I picked up the MD-12.

With its eight AA batteries, it adds a lot of bulk and weight to the outfit. It can rip through a 36-exposure roll of film in about 10 seconds.

While I find it to be an excellent accessory, I've found that I no longer have a need for it. Plus, it really negates the advantage of the FE -- turning a lightweight, compact SLR into a somewhat heavy, bulky machine.

I think lithium AA batteries will make the entire thing a bit lighter.

 

[Ronald_H]

Nice 🙂 There is one more reason why someone would want a motor drive on an FM/FE/FM2 etc. depite the bulk. Left eyed shooting!

Had not so great luck with MD-11's (they never worked). Had them fixed by my repair guy, but not for $20 ;-)

 

[David_Manning]

I need to go shoot my FE2...

 

[one90guy]

I bought a MD-E for $14 from KEH, looked brand new and works great. It and my FG are a great combination.

David

 

[farlymac]

Have fun with the MD-12, Dave. I always try to get the drive if a camera is capable of using one. The FA, FM, and FG all have theirs, but I'm still holding off on the one for the EM. Finally got one for my Minolta X-700, and it runs sweet.

Then yesterday, I was in my favorite camera shop (well, it's the only one within a 50 mile radius), and there was a Canon MA drive sitting on the shelf. Had a price tag for $35 on it, so I took it straight to the counter. The owner was getting ready to quote me a price on it until I swung it around to where he could see the sticker. I think he bought it somewhere else, and forgot to clean the old sticker off. He winced and said that he's getting over $100 for them on the big auction site.

As much money as I've spent in there over the last two years, I don't mind getting a surprise bargain every now and then. Besides, I also took a ratty looking Kodak 35 (the original black knob and finder version) off his hands, only to find out it has a bashed in lens mounting after I got it home. But the shutter works fine, so I still have some hope for it. Time to break out the hammer.

PF

 

[nikon_sam]

When I bought my first MD-12 it was As-is not working...don't remember what I paid but it wasn't too much...I got it back home and was able to get it working again...
I figured that even if it didn't work I liked the grip part...it makes holding the camera so much easier...
I'm pretty sure you're gonna love yours...

 

[rbsinto]

The last two MD-12s I've purchased in the last year or two have cost, as I recall $20.00 and $35.00 each, and the latter came in a box unused with all the papers.
Except for the local person here in Toronto who has been trying (without success) to sell an FM2n/ MD-12 set for $700.00 complete or $300.00 for the drive alone, most sellers seem to have come into the Real World and aren't asking a lot for them.
And as for the MD-11?
I owned one years ago and found it to be faster than the MD-12. I got rid of it only because it didn't have a kill-switch to automatically turn off after so many seconds as the MD-12 does, so if it was kept on for any length of time, its batteries would quickly run down. Otherwise an excellent drive.

 

[css9450]

I always loved how the FM/FE series bodies handled with the MD12. Just the right size and weight for me to hold comfortably.

Years later, I bought a like-new FA, just because the price was right and I thought it was a really cool looking camera (as well as its fancy metering and exposure modes which at the time of its production, were pushing the envelope). A couple years ago, I saw B&H still had new MD15s for the FA, so I ordered one, just to make the set complete (yes I realized the FA can use the MD12 also). It was new-old-stock, still with warranty cards and everything. I like it.

 

[rbsinto]

The FA can use the MD-12, but apparently runs slower with it than with its dedicated drive the MD-15.
Also, like the F3/MD-4, when the MD-15 is mounted on the FA, all camera body functions are powered by the drive batteries, so the 1.5 volt buttons are not required in the body.
This is not the case with the other cameras that use the MD-11 or MD-12 drives. They all require the body to contain its own battery supply for its functions. The drive batteries only supply the drives with power.

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

I tried one, briefly, on my FE2. I think i bought it from KEH, and certainly paid more than $20. I returned it, though, as it was just so loud. I liked the handling, but the reason i like the FE2 and use it instead of my F100 and EOS3 is that it's so small. I may revisit the drive, though, if i can find one for a reasonable price. $20 would be that.

 

[Rob-F]

Some years ago, I dropped my MD-12, cracking the case. I taped it up with some nice black tape, and it's been working fine ever since. Two months ago, I got around to buying a second one, on eBay, for $24.50 plus shipping. It's in really nice cosmetic and working condition. I like handling the FE2, FA, and FM3a with motor attached.

The MD-15 for the FA, in addition to running faster, and providing power to the camera, is also less fiddly than the MD-12. When I first put the MD-12 on the camera, I have to go through a routine of fiddling with it before it will work. I install it, tighten the thumbscrew, and it won't fire. Loosen-jiggle-tighten-loosen-wiggle-tighten-loosen-fiddle-tighten; finally, it works, and stays working until I take it off. The MD-15, I put it on and it works. Anyone else notice this?

 

[biomed]

FE2 and MD12 is a sweet combo!

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Yes, thanks....these days I find it easy to put together a nice Nikon film kit for very little money, just pocket change here and there.🙂

And, even less money for other brands whose lenses won't mount on current camera bodies.

p.s. I like the MD-12 on FM/FE bodies, and I take it off when I want a lighter rig.

 

[rbsinto]

Some years ago, I dropped my MD-12, cracking the case. I taped it up with some nice black tape, and it's been working fine ever since. Two months ago, I got around to buying a second one, on eBay, for $24.50 plus shipping. It's in really nice cosmetic and working condition. I like handling the FE2, FA, and FM3a with motor attached.

The MD-15 for the FA, in addition to running faster, and providing power to the camera, is also less fiddly than the MD-12. When I first put the MD-12 on the camera, I have to go through a routine of fiddling with it before it will work. I install it, tighten the thumbscrew, and it won't fire. Loosen-jiggle-tighten-loosen-wiggle-tighten-loosen-fiddle-tighten; finally, it works, and stays working until I take it off. The MD-15, I put it on and it works. Anyone else notice this?

I've used the MD-11, and currently use both the MD-12 and MD-15 drives.
The only difference I find is that the MD12 has an on-off switch, while the MD-15 doesn't.
Other than that they both work pretty much the same.
With respect to your problem, it sounds like you've got a corrosion or loose wire that is causing intermittent shorting. First thing to try after cleaning the battery terminals inside the battery compartment is to tighten up all the screws on the casing, and then rub the contacts on the top of the drive and the bottom of the camera body as well to remove any corrosion.

 

[rfaspen]

My FE2 with MD12 was my primary "working camera" for a long time back when I got paid to take pictures. I can tell you now that back in the mid 1980s, the MD12 was a tad more expensive than $20. I bought my first FE2 used for $600, can't remember exactly what the MD12 cost me, but you get the idea.

Seeing excellent condition FE2's sell for $100 (even less!) and MD12's for $20 these days is disheartening. I have an F2A, FE, FM, and 2 FE2's. Motor drives on all but the FM and quite a few lenses. The depreciation I've absorbed on this gear is probably as much as a nice used car! I haven't used any of it much lately either. I find myself using the rangefinders and my Olympus EP2 these days. And I don't get paid for taking pictures anymore either. I got wise and pursued a paying career🙂

 

[css9450]

When I first put the MD-12 on the camera, I have to go through a routine of fiddling with it before it will work. I install it, tighten the thumbscrew, and it won't fire.

Occasionally, yes. I sometimes had to clean the contacts with a pencil eraser and that cleared up the issue.

Another weird thing, is when the mechanism gets "out of sync" (or something) with the camera. I'll usually wind up taking a penny and shorting the contacts briefly until it rotates a half-turn or whatever to get back where its supposed to be. Obviously this won't ordinarily happen if its already attached to the camera.

 

[dave lackey]

Weird...the owner of the camera shop told me that on the motor drives, one has to "strike" it...shorting out the contacts with coin (quarter)...never heard of it but mine works fine without that!:angel: