Cable release on Nikon D2X
 

At the time I bought the X I ordered the MC30 remote release thinking stocks must arrive in the UK fairly soon. No such luck so far. Finally being hassled by Stevie for a moon shot I decided to cobble something up to take a cable release.

This is the Mk1 as it uses the short Nikon AR-2 release from the Nikkormat, FM and F2 days. I will need to devise a Mk2 to take a standard cable release. The AR-2 was used for this version as it has a far wider tip than the standard release. I have even glued a piece of felt to the tip face for a softer contact with the camera shutter release button. For a standard release I will need to think up a solution to give the same soft touch on the camera shutter button.

The base is steel covered in rubber to give a non slip surface, with a plain spigot attached to take an old Photax Interfit flash & brollie adaptor ( flash shoe removed ). This is used so the release section can be swivelled to one side or removed to allow access to the camera on / off switch.

The base is drilled and tapped 1/4" British Standard Whitworth for mounting a tripod Q/R plate. I have also incorporated an anti twist pin hole as the camera is not now on the tripod head centre line, and this will prevent any possibility of twist when the camera is at odd angles.

Don

Nice bit of engineering, Don.
I bought one of those £8 MC-30 Chinese clones 18 months ago, use it a lot and never had a problem... but there's just something about a plunger cable-release ;)

Don: Many months ago I placed orders for numerous Nikon items, none of which were in stock. Several months later I got bored waiting and so I rang Grays of Westminster, and they had all three items in stock, and they even gave a price reduction on one item. However, they're not cheap so be prepared to sell a few vital organs. In any case, you paid, cough cough, a few pounds for your D2x, so surely ~£60 for a cable release is not so much.

Psst: When is the Hoey-Release (TM, Patent Pending) going into production?

Leif

Super piece of engineering Don, it certainly looks the part.

I'd have to agree with the others Don, and I have to admire your skills in the design and build field. Surely though this is simply a case of trying to beat the manufacturers at their own game. It has to be said however that it appears to me to be a totally impractical piece of kit, efficient though it may be at actually pressing the shutter. Does it not get in the way of the front control wheel, and as for quickly fitting it on the camera, it wouldn't win any prizes for speed ;) I think I'd sooner stick to my cheapo copy release from China as Andy mentioned. They are freely available on Ebay :)

Thanks for the comments guys. I will stick with my dealer for the MC30 as I got a good deal with the X.

Stephen, this is the Mk1 version and is a tidy up of my cobbled together job used for a moon shot. The front control wheel is not in use as it is for Macro shots with my AIS manual lens.

MK2 is under way and will use a standard cable release to trigger the lower shutter button.

Why am I doing it ...... its a challenge. :D

Don

MK2 Version
 

With guests departed and a Steam rally attended it was time to return to the cable release project. Completed today but I ran out of paint, hence only the milled sections are black.

The Mk2 overcomes a number of deficiencies in the Mk1. Operating the lower shutter button on the vertical grip gives total access to all controls.

The base is made from two pieces of 6 x 50mm steel, silver soldered, with sections milled out to reduce weight. Recessing the camera mounting screw allows the tripod mounting to be closer to the camera centre line. A capsule had to be made to contain a spring loaded shutter actuating plunger that would return to a standing position when not activated. The only really soft spring I could find was from an old ballpen, and the spring length determined the length of the capsule. Apart from the screws and soft tip all the materials are scrap. The plunger soft tip is a kitchen drawer buffer. The end of the capsule is turned to 10mm to fit the retaining block. This allows the Nikon AR-2 release to be used if a timed exposure is required, as that has a built in lock. The vertical retaining block is shaped, as is the baseplate to allow comfortable normal hand holding of the camera with the assembly attatched.

Total weight is 350 grams. I could reduce that futher by milling out more from the base. The D2X with this attached is still 300grams lighter than my F2/MD2.

If I find a shorter soft spring I may remake the capsule to reduce the overhang, but other than that I am quite happy and will probably cancel the MC30.

Don

That's neat. I used to do a lot of machining when I was a student, and found it very relaxing. It looks like you have your own little workshop. I am currently a nice shade of green.

I have the MC30, and I have to admit that it is rather fiddly to attach, even though I have small fingers.

Leif

Don, once again I am impressed with your skills in producing such a lovely and ingenious bit of kit. This MkII version looks much more practical. Using the vertical grip shutter release was definately a good plan.

Stephen,

Your comments on the Mk1 were a great inspiration to going that bit further with the design. It will certainly be a bit neater when I can find a shorter soft spring for the capsule. On the first one I made the spring was a bit too strong for that nice touch even though the capsule was 1/2 as long.

So I owe you a thank you. :) :) :)

Don

Don would a spring out of a cheap cigarette lighter do the trick.

Good plot Christine.

Just been out to the workshop and taken one to bits without setting fire to anything :D but it is too strong. As it is only for returning the plunger it needs to be really weak, to not add to the load when you press the cable release. That way you do not loose that touch on the shutter that a cable release has.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

Don

I got the paint today and decided that if I was going to do it anytime, now was the time.

I succeeded in reducing the weight by milling out a further 40grams from the base. Thickness of the milled sections is now 1.5mm.
Total weight now 310 grams + paint. :D

Don

Finding a way of shortening the capsule has been driving me nuts. So this morning was another serious rummage session through drawers in the search for a spring or something I could get one from. I found an old Parker ballpen with a bent clip, so I sawed the top off to retrieve the spring from the clicker. This allowed me to re-make the capsule with 7mm less overhang.

The Mk2 is now complete. Weight is now under 300 grams.

This afternoon I cancelled my order for MC30 and used the cash saving to replace my 25 year old monopod. :D

Don

Well after a few months of amateur weekend use my Nikon MC30 has almost fallen to pieces. The rubber round the cable started splitting and now the cable has split, despite being wrapped in masking tape. I'll complain to Nikon, or Grays, though I do not expect any comeback. For £60 I expect more than 2 months use.

This morning I rceived a Chinese copy made by Jianisi costing £10 + P&P and it certainly looks as well made as the Nikon one. And it is a push fit rather than the incredibly fiddly screw fit of the Nikon.

Why pay all that much money for a Nikon product, or go to the trouble of making one yourself when you can buy a very good alternative one for £9.97 inc P/P & ins. I've got one, they're very good and work a treat!

Here's the web link.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Remote-Cord-to...QQcmdZViewItem

You might have to wait up to 10 days for delivery, but it's worth the wait.

nirofo.

Because the assumption is that the Nikon product is better made than a Chinese one. It isn't. I also bought my Chinese MC30 from ebay but the seller was UK based so it arrived after two days. Oddly enough, the day I received it, I found that he was no longer registered as an ebay seller.

I can understand Don's approach. His uses standard cable releases which can be bought anywhere and don't cost much to replace if he loses/destroys one.

I have just purchased the adidt version for my 30D, very well made. £11 for the 3 metre length. He does them in diferent lengths or sells extensions.
http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQfgtpZ1...sassZwenatrado. this one is germany based only took two days.

Sorry to hear of your problems Leif.

I just cannot understand why Nikon never released a 10 pin version of the MR-3. See attached image. They cannot keep up with demand for MC-30 so not a lot of financial benefit in not releasing a 10 pin version.

Don

I agree. I used to have an MR-3 and as I understand it all that the MC-30 does is make and break a connection between two pins. The MR-3 does the same. I suppose someone with your engineering skills could make an equivalent.

Leif,

I have not taken mine apart to look inside but I think you are right re making a connection between two pins. I would also need to establish which 2 of the 10 pins are the trip ones. Job for a rainy day or two.

Don

Just thought I'd mention that Nikon did honour the warranty without question, and apologised for the delay in replying. Apparently they had problems with the database. Anyway, it took about 18 days for a new MC30 to reach me. So I would say that the service was good.

Leif

The Chinese clone has now stopped working. Back to the Nikon MC-30 for a few months until that ones breaks ... Hohum.

Leif

Leif,

Unfortunately I am following this with some interest.
I am sorry for your experiences Leif, kind of glad I made my own now. I did wonder if, from your pobs with the first one and disintigrating rubber, a materials Quality control issue had been raised that was not truely owned up to. Hence lack of general supply. Having spent many years in manufacturing production I am all too aware of what happens behind the scenes. Stop any more going out and hope we can solve it before too many people return units for warranty replacements.

Unfortunately in manufacturing these things do happen if you do not directly control all processes. In this case I am sure Nikons supplier will have been given a serious roasting as would any of ours. Not a lot of help to the end customer though I know.

Are you aware of where the fault lies in Chinese version?

Don

Hello Don

I opened up the Chinese hand set using some jewellers screwdrivers I have, and there are three wires that are poorly soldered to three plates, which come into contact when the trigger is fully depressed. However, the contacts seem okay, so I am not sure where the problem lies. Maybe at the other end.

Leif

Leif,

You may not feel it worth bothering, but if you do perhaps a multimeter circuit check. Also run the cable through your fingers. If you feel a bump then the odds are one of the wires has broken inside. Cannot remember when or what it related to, but sometime in my past I have come across this. In that case the wire was not suited to constant flexing.If so, you may be able to make a shortened lead version.

As there are 3 leads inside, it sounds like I will not be able to do anything about a mod of my MR-3 as that only has 2 pins.

Don