I have read the D50 manual and I cannot find any reference to ' mirror up ' as opposed to ' mirror lock '. With digital camera's it is as well to split this function under two seperate headings to save confusion. In 35mm film days this was referred to as mirror lock but then with no sensor to clean it only served one function.

Mirror Lock - Used for the cleaning of the low pass filter. When activated the mirror will lock up and the shutter lock open with no delay between the two actions.

Mirror Up - Triggering the action to put the mirror up and then triggering the shutter once any vibrations caused by the mirror have died down. Both very well pictorially shown in Duncans and Gidders posts. Leif's post and link are also very helpful in understanding the effect.

Well I will say one thing about WPF. It gets you to try things you never have before. In this case for me it is self timer, a facility I have never used, having relyed on mirror lock ( lately anti shock ) and cable release.

I have tried self timer for the first time today. If you do not have a remote release the use of the self timer really does make a difference. As the mirror and shutter trip after the timing sequence there is no benefit to using it if you have a remote release. The absolute best scenario is Mirror Up and remote release. I am lucky as the D100 takes an old fashioned cable release but for my next purchase a simple ( no bells and whistles ) remote release will be the first accessory I will buy.

I notice reading the D2X manual that the mirror up mode on it operates on two presses of the shutter. The first puts the mirror up, and the second trips the shutter.

Don

The D200 is the same and it is presumably designed for use with the cable release.

Leif

The plain 10 pin version is the MC-30 Remote release, the MC-36 seems way over the top. I have the 2 pin version of the MC-30 for the F3, also fits MD12, as that is when Nikon decided there was money to be made from remotes and discontinued the standard cable release feature, which for some reason made a momentary comeback on the D100.

Don

PS F3 version is MC12-A

Leif,

You have got me going now.

When I dug out bits for the ' nostalgia ' thread I found a neat little bit of kit that converts a 3 pin camera contact to standard cable release. Nikon MR-3. I will now do a search to see if they did a ten pin version of this.

Don

It appears there is no 10 pin version of the MR-3 so I will be limited to the MC-30 on a camera upgrade.

Or a homemade job to take the standard release. :D

Don

Hello Don.

It is possible to make an electronic one as I recall seeing plans somewhere. I think all that is required is to short two pins. But which pins ... There are Chinese copies on ebay but I have heard that they are poorly made.

I used to have an MR-3 and wondered if a 10 pin version existed.

Anyway, thanks to a suggestion from Stephen, I now have an MC-30. Isn't photography a great way to help the world's economy ....

Leif

Glad you have that sorted Leif. :)

To my mind next to a decent tripod/head a remote release is an absolute essential if low shutter speeds are to be used.

Don

Or use the self timer function - but that doesn't help the world economy :D