Nikon MD-11 User manual

IrikonMotor
Drive
INSTRUCTION
MANUAL

NOMENCt
TURE
Lidlock
ing Pilotlam
p
Batterychambe
rtid Power
switch
Rew
indslid e
S-C
sele
ctor
lock
S-C
selector
Camera
electrical
contacts
Trigger
button
Shu
tterrelease
pin
Drive
shaft cou
pling
Attachment
thumb
wheels Rewindbuttonextension
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Attach
ment
screw
Remote
control
socket
Tripod
socket

CONTENTS
Foreword. .....4
Loadingthebatter;.;:::::::::: 5
Attaching
the
motordrive 6
Operation .....8
Single:frameshooting 8
Continuous
shooting 9
Filmrewinding. .....10
Manualfilmadvance.. ....10
Double/multipleexposures ......11
Simultaneousoperation
. ...12
Timelapse. ....13
Accessories.... .....14
Mc-4remotecord. .....14
Pistol
gripmodel2... ...14
MT-1
intervalometer .....15
ML-l modulite
remote
controlset. . . . . . .15
MW-l
radiocontrol
set.. .....16
Troubleshooting
Batteryperformance.. ....18
Specifications. . .
18
4
FOREWORD
Although
suppliedasan
accessoryfor theNikonFM
and FE compactcameras,theMD-11
was,in fact,
amajor
feature
in
their
designconcept.Consequently,
the on
ly significantdifferencebetween
operating
thesecameras
with themotor drive
attached,
asoppo-
sedto without it, is that their operationis made
considerablyeasier.
So, ratherthan regarding
your
MD-l1 Motor DriveUnit asa specialaccessory
for
use
onlyon rareoccasions,
youshould
consider
itas
the normal complement
to your Nikon compact
camera.
For, in fact, the two togetherrepresent
a
major
advance
incamera-handling
technique.
To obtainthe best resultsfrom your MD-11 Motor
Drive,read
the instructions in thismanual
carefully
before
use.Keep
this booklethandy
for quick
re-
ference
until you havefully masteredoperation.A
few minutes
preparation
will help
you avoid
costly
m
istakes.
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LOADING
THEBATTERIES
The MD-l
1 is powered
by eight1.5Vpenlight(AA
size)batterieswhich arehoused
in the unit'sbattery
chamber.
To loador replacebatteries,
turn thecoin-
slotted
lockingscrew
on the batterychamber
lid
counterclockwise.
Thelidwill come
loose
andthebat-
tery
clip,which
forms
asingle
unitwiththelid,canbe
removed.Load
thebatteries, takingcare
that theyare
inserted
correctly.
Referring
to the diagramson the
sidesof the clip
thatshow
the
correct
wayto insert
the
batteries,
ensurethat the positive
(+)andnegative (-)
terminals
of thebatteries
are
properly
positioned.
lf
thebatteriesare
loadedincorrectly,
notonly will
they
be depleted-the
motordrive
couldalsobe
damaged.
When
thebatteriesare
correctly
positioned,
replacethe
batteryclip.
Push
the
chamber
lid
down
gently
until
it
seats
correctly;
then,tighten
thelocking screwon the
lid with a coinor similar
object
until
thebattery
clip
fits
securely
into
thebattery
chamber.

ATTACHING
THE
MOTOR
DRIVE
Mounting
the MD-l1 on your camera
is
simple;
the
unit has
been
designed
suchthat it canbeattached
or removed
at any time regardless
of whether
or not
the camera
is loaded
with film. Before
attaching
the
MD-l1,
make
sure
that
its
power
switch
isturned
off.
Then,
position
the
motor
drive
onthecamera's
bottom
plate;
its handgrip
should
be at the same
endof the
camera
as
the
filmadvance
lever.Ensure
that
the
raised
ring
around
the
drive
shaft
iscorrectly
seated
inside
the
locating
collar,
coaxial
withthe
camera's
film advance
coupling.
Then,
fasten
the motor
drive's
attachment
screw,turning
it clockwise
by means
of thethu
mb
wheels
on either
side.Simultaneous
use
of both
fore-
finger
andthumb
willspeed
up
attachment.
Make
sure
there
isno
gap
between
the
motor
driveand
the
camera
body;
then
tighten
the
attachment
screw
firmly.
when
the
MD-l
1 ismounted
on theFM,
the
camera's
mode
selector
switch
around
the
shutter
release
button
shou
ld be setto "M
" (motor)-the
red
line
on the
se-
lector
being
aligned
withtheline
on the
camera
body.
This
isnotnecessary
with
theFE
as
itselectronic
shut-
ter allows
switchoverfrom manualf
ilm advance
to
motor drive
operation
to be madeelectronically
and
auto
matically
when
the motor d
riveis
switched
on.
Then,
turn the motor
drive's
power
switch
to "oN."
lf the film has
been
advanced
priorto attach
ingthe
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motordrive,
the
motor
drive
willnotoperateuntil
you
makean
exposureusing
thetriggerbuttononthehand-
grip.
lf the film hasnot been
advanced
priorto its
attachment,the motor drive will operatewhen its
power
is
turned
oo,andadvance
thefilm and
cockthe
shutterready
for thenext
exposure.
Themotor
drive
will
stop
andthe
pilot
lamp
go
outafteradvancing
the
film one frame
only, regardlessof thesetting of the
S-C
selector
on
the
handgrip.
Nikon
FM

OPERAilION
The camera/MD-11
combination
operates
in virtually
thesamemannerasthecameraonits
own.
Please
refer
to your camera's
instruction
manual
for details.
When
the MD-1
1 is attached,leave
the film advancelever
flush
with the
camerabody.
Themotor
drive's
power
switchwill also serveto switch on thecamera's
meter.
Withthemotor
driveattached
allexposures
shouldbe
madevia the trigger
button on the motor drive
grip.
Concentricwith this triggering
button is the motor
driveS-Cselector,
giving
youa choiceof either
single
frame
(S)
orcontinuous
(C)
shooting.To set themotor
drive
to either
S or C, depress
the lock
and
turnthe
selector
to therequired
setting.
Single-frame
shooting:
In this mode,depressingthe
triggerbutton
on
themotor
drive
grip
firesthe
shutter;
when
the finger
is liftedfrom the button, themotor
drive advances the film one frame and cocksthe
shutter.You can lift your finger from the trigger
button
even
before
theexposure
iscompletedsincethe
electronic
interlock
prevents
thefilm from advancing
until the shutterhascompletedits travel.
Theusable
shutter
speed
range
when
the MD-l1 is setat "S" is
from
1
second
to 111000second
withthe
FM.
Withthe
FE,
inaddition
to theautomatic
setting
(AUTO),
you
can
setany
of the markedspeeds
including
M90.
The
"B" settingcannot beused.
ro
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Continuous
shooting:
In thismode,
themotordrive
will automatically
trigger
the shutter
and wind the
film for as long as the trigger
button is depressed.
Framing
rate
willdepend
on theshutter
speed
setting,
as the motor drive's
electronic
interlock
with the
camera's
shutter
automatically
advances
the film as
soon
asthe
exposure
iscompleted.
Maximum
framing
rate is approximately
3.5 frames
per second
(fps)
at
shutter
speeds
fasterthan
1
1125
sec.
Remember
that continuous
shooting
at the
maximum
rate
of 3.5
fps will result
in a standard
36 exposure
cassette
being
completely
exposed
in a little lessthan
11 seconds.
Consequently,
you should
exercise
re-
straint
when
operating
with themotorset
for continu-
ousshooting.
Many
photographers,however,
prefer
to
leave
the camera
set
for continuous
shooting,
lifting
their
fingeroff the triggerbutton the instant
theex-
posure
is made.This
technique
results
in single-frame
operation,
but readies
the photographer
for taking
sequence
photographs
should the situation
or need
arise.
The
usableshutter
speed
range
when
theMD-l1
isset
at "C" is
from 112second
to 111000
secondwith
the FM. With the FE, in addition
to theautomatic
setting
(AUTO),
you can
setanyof the
markedspeeds
including
M90.
The"B" setting
cannotbe
used.
The
FE's
automatic
exposurecapability
allows
youto
follow sub.iects asthey pass
through
areasof differing
brightness,
y€t still obtaincorrectly
exposedresults.
Although
widely
varying
brightness
changes
of EV 4
or more may sometimes
result
in over-
or under-
exposure
for thefirstframe
following
thetransition,
thissituation
is rare
in practice
andthus
likely
to be
of little consequence
to the average
photographer.
lmportant! After shooting,
makesure
that you turn the motor
drive off. Otherwise,
the camera's
metering circuit will put a
steady drain on the batteries, ultimately rendering them
u
se
I
ess.
Note: The camera/MD-l1 combination is designed
to work
smoothly under
a wide range
of climatic
conditions.
Sub-zero
(centigrade)
temperatures,
however,havea very severe
effect
on any mechanism. For faultless performance under these
conditions,
we recommend
that, for continuous
shootinS,
You
do not use shutter speeds
of less
than 1
/30 sec.
The useof
slower shutter speeds
may result in erratic operation. lf it is
imperative
to use shutterspeeds
of lessthan 1/30 sec.,
switch
to single
frameshooting.

FILM
REWINDINC MANUAL FIIM ADVANCE
When
the roll of film in the camerahas
been
fully
exposed,
the MD-l
l's motorwill automatically
stop,
releasingfilm tension,
with the pilot lampremaining
lit. Turn the power
switchoff to prevent
unnecessary
battery
drain.
Then, push the rewindslide
on the
motor
driveup. Rewind
thefilm normally.
See
your
camera's
instructionmanualfordetails.
lf at anytime
you wish
to manuallyadvance
the
film
without
removing
theMD-l 1
from the
camera,turn
off
the motor drive's
powerswitchafter it has
finished
advancing
thefilm from the
previous
exposure.
Then,
in the caseof the FM,turn the mode
selector
switch
so
that
the
blackline
(white,
on blackcamera
bodies)
is
adjacentto thelineon thecamera
body.As
forthe
FE, it switchesautomaticallyfrom motor drive
to
manual
filmadvanceoperation
when
the
motor
drive
is
switched
off.
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DOUBLE
/ MUTilPLE
EXPOSURES
Your camera
has
a special
double/mu
ltiple
exposure
provision
built-in
in the form of the multi-exposure
buttonor lever.Merelydepressing
thisbutton
or lever
allows
you to superimpose
anynumber
of pictures on
the
same
frame.
This
provision
notonlycontinues
to
function
withthe motor
drive
attached,butopensup
creative
possibilities
thatare
just
not
possible
when
the
camera
isoperated
manually.
Whenthe motor drive S-C
selector
isset to "S," the
double/multipleexposure
situation
is
exactly
the
same
as
for thecameraalone,
exceptthat
thetrigger
button
on the motor drive is u
sed
to triggerthe exposu
re.
Remember
to depressand hold the mu
lti-exposure
button or lever,with your left hand,before
you
remove
yourfingerfromthetriggerbutton.
Otherwise,
the
film will be advanced.
t
On the
('C
" setting, triggering
therelease
button,while
holding
the multi-exposurebutton
or lever
depressed,
will produce
multiple
images
on
thesame
frame.
Either
the motion
of thesu
bjector your movementof the
camera
will resu lt in the imagesbeing
separated,
pro-
ducingan original
and interesting
effect.
Hold the
multi-exposure
buttonor lever
depressed
with your
left
hand,while
holdingthe
cameranormally
withthe
right.Remember
to release
the
multi-exposurebutton
or lever
just beforethe last exposure,
so that the
camera
isleftready
for the
next
sequence
withanun-
exposedframe
in the
film gate.
lf not,cap the lens
and
makeone"blan
k" exposure.Thecamera is
then
ready
for thenext
shot.
Nikon
FE NikonFM

SIMU
LTANEOUS
OPERATION
Twoor morecameras
maybe
fired
simultaneously,
set
for eithersingle-frame or continuous
operation.
You
will needan MC-4cord
to connect
each
camerato the
trigger
circuit.Usea trigger
circuit
similarto theone
shown
on
theright.
RemoteCord MC-4
't2
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TIME
LAPSE
Time
lapse
photography,thetaking
of
aseries
of photo-
graphs
over
a period
of time
from afixed
position,
is
easily
accomplished
with
your
MD-11
equipped
camera
and
a suitable
timing
device.
Timing
devices
for time
lapse
photography-theNikon
MT-1intervalometer,
for
example-usually
havetwo variablecontrols:
one
for
pulse
duration
andthe other
for interval
time.
Pulse
duration
refers
to the
lengthof time
that
thetriggering
pulse
lasts.
lnterval
time isthe timeinterval
between
pulses
andgoverns
thefrequency
of thephotographs.
Additionally,
theS-C
selector
ontheMD-11
provides
you with theoption of taking
single
photographs
or
shooting
in
bursts.
With
theS-C
selector
setto "S," one
exposurewill
be
made
for eachtriggering
pulse,
the
motor
winding
on
automatically
atthe
endof the
triggering
pulse
or the
exposure,whichever
is
longer.The
interval
time
can
be
S set
atany
duration,
butavoidsetting
thetrigger
pulse
longer
than
theinterval
time.Otherwise
continuous
or
erraticoperation
willoccur
With the S-Cselector
set to "C," if the triggering
pulse's
duration
islonger
than
theshutter
speed
set
(or
0.25 sec.in the caseof the higher
shutter
speeds),
bursts
will be
fired
at
each
interval.
For
example,
if the
shutter
speedisset
at1/1000
sec.,
andthe
trigger
pulse
duration
is
2 sec.,
thenapproximately
7exposures
will
bemadeat
each
interval.
Generally
speaking
you will find that operation
with
the S-C
selector
set
to "S" andthe
trigger
pulse
dura-
tion set
between
0.1and
0.25sec. is
advisable
for the
majority
of time lapse
situations.
The
variable
trigger
pulse
duration
foundon some
intervalometers
is
afea-
ture
necessitated
by thedesign
of the
older
generation
of motor drives,
and is largely
redundant
with the
MD-l1.Time
lapse
photography
is
not possible
with
theshutter
speed
dial
setto "B." Should
you
attempt
this,
the camera's
mirror
maylockup,with theshut-
ter remaining
open,
making
operation
impossible.
To
restore
normal
operation
in the
eventof this
happen-
ing,
merely
turntheshutter
speed
dial
away
from the
"B" setting.

ACCESSORTES
MC-4
Remote
Cord
Provides
you with aneasy
and
convenient
means
of
connecting
remote-control
triggering
circu
its to the
MD-11.
one end
of the
cord
isfitted
with
the
standard
plugfor the remote-con
troI socket
of N
ikon motor
drives;
the
other
with two "banana"
plugs
forconnec-
tion
to triggering
circuits
of your
own
design.
The
cable
can
beextended
to any length,
provided
that circuit
resistance
doesnot exceed
1kSl. For long-distance
operation,
however,
you will find that Modulite
or
Radio
Control
systems
are
more
convenient.
Pistol
Grip
Model
2
The
Pistol
GripModel
2 screws
intothe
tripod
socket
of thelensor motor
drive
to serve
both
as
a
means
of
support
and
as
ameans
of motor
triggering
when
work-
ingwith long
te
lephoto
lenses.
For electrical
connec-
tion between
the pistol
gripandthe remote
control
socket
on themotor
drive,
you will
also
need
anMC-3
connecting
cord.
14
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MT-
1 |
ntervalometer
The
NikonMT-1
isa precision digitaltimingunitfor
slow
sequenceshootingof experiments
or workstudy
programs.
Fu
lly solid
state,
theunit
requires
only
four
AA size
penlight
batteries
for operation;
this
makes
it
convenient
for use
onlocation, aswell
asinthe
labora-
tory.Use
of theMT-1 inconjunction
with
your
MD-11
equ
ipped camera is merely a matterof connecting
the two unitswith the MC-5cordsuppliedwith the
intervalometer.
Exposure
intervals
of up to eight
min-
utes
can
be
setonthe
MT-1
control
panel.
ML-l Modulite
Remote
Control
Set
Withthe
ML-1
set,
youcantrigger
your
MD-l1
equip-
ped cameraby remote
controlat distances
of up to
60 meters.UsingNikon's
modulated
lightsystem,
the
ML-l set assures
you of trouble-freeremote
control
operationover moderate
distances.
The set's light-
weight
andcompact
size,
plus
its
use
of a
9V laminated
dry battery,make it ideal
for usein both field and
studio
applications.
Connection
to the motor drive's
remote
control
socket
isby the MC-8
connecting
cord
su
pp
Iied
with theset.
15

ACCES
SORIES-cont
in
ued
MW-l RadioControl
Set
The
MW-lprovides
you
witha
wireless,
remote
control
triggeringcapabilityfor your MD-1
1 equipped Nikon
F
M or FE. The set canoperateu
p to threecameras,
either
simultaneouslyor individually,
at rangesupto
0.7km. Battery
powered,
the MW-l is compact
and
lightweight,
makingit ideal
forfield
use.
lt connects
to
theremote
control
socket
on theMD-l
1 viatheMC-5
cordsuppliedwith
the
set.
16
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TROUBLESHOOTING
Your MD-l1 hasbeen
designed
to make
motor
drive
photographyas simple
and trouble-free
aspossible.
However,
should
you operate the camera
incorrectly
or without
clearly
understanding
what
youare
doing,
minor
"hitches"
mayoccur.lfthis
occurs,
please
follow
the
instructions
below.
lf the
motor
drive"jams"
during
operation,
this
usually
means
that the controlshaveeither beenoperated
incorrectly
or in thewrong
sequence,
and
thecoupling
mechanism
hasdisengaged.
Should
this occur,
turn
the
MD-11's
power
switch
off and
make
one
exposure
withthe
camera'sshutter
releasebutton,
remembering,
in the case
of the FM,to switch
overto manual
film
advance.
You may
find that the motordrivedid not
finish advancing
the film. lf so,complete
the film
advance
using
the camera's
film advance
lever,
then
press
the shutter
release
button. Do not advance
the
film. Switch
themotor
driveback
on and,
in thecase
of theFM,
revert
to themotor
drive
mode.The
motor
drive
should
advance
thefilm ready
for the next
ex-
posure.
lf thisdoes
not clear
themalfunction
or you
are
unable
to move
thefilm advance
leverat all,
do
not try to force the controls.
Turn the motordrive
off once more
and simply
remove
the motor drive
fromthecamera.
This
will
clear
the
tensionin
the
film
advance
mechanism,
allowing
youto advance
or
finish
advancing
thefilm andmake
one
exposure,
againdo
not advance
thefilm. Reattach
the motordrive
and,
in the caseof the FM, switch
to motordriveoper-
ation.
When
you switch
the
motordrive
back
on,the
film should
then advance
one frameready
for the
next
exposure.
Shouldyou trigger
the motor drive
with the shutter
speed
dial
setto "B" the
absence
ofan "exposure
com-
plete
signal"
mayresult
in the
camera's
mirror
locking
upand
the
shutter
remaining
open.
To restorenormal
operation
in the
eventof this
happening,
merely
move
theshutter
speed
dial
away
from
"8."
At all timesduring
motor drive
operation,
thefilm
advance
lever
should
remain
flushwith the back
of
the
camera.
lf you
move
itoutto itsstand-off
position,
the motor drive
will stop.
Returning
the lever
to its
flush
position
will automatically
start
themotor
drive
once
more

BATTERY
PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS
Battery
performance
varies
greatly,
depending
on its
type and
age,
aswellason operating
conditions,
in-
cluding
temperature.
Consequently,
the number
of
rolls
that can
be
exposed
withoneset
of batteries
can-
notbe
accurately
predicted.
Asaguide,
however,
you
can
expect
to be
ableto expose
more
than
a hundred
36-exposure
rolls
of film per
setof alkaline-manganese
batteries.
Sincebatterieshave
poorlow-temperature
characteris-
tics,
battery
performance
diminishes
considerably
as
thetemperature
decreases.This
results
inslower
shoot-
ingspeed
andreducedfilm transport
capacity.
Alkaline-
manganese
batteries,in particular,
sufferseverely
at
temperatures
beloW0"C.
Camerafitting:
Shooting
speed:
Shooting
mode:
Usable
shutter
speeds:
Pilot
lamp:
Power
switch:
Remote
control:
Power
source:
Weight:
Dimensions:
NikonFM,
NikonFE
3.5 fps approx.
maximum
(.t
shutter
speedsfaster
than11125
sec.
)
Single
frame
(S)
Continuous
(C)
At "S" setting
FM1-1/1000sec.
FE
8
- 1/1000sec.,
Auto,
M90
At "C" setting
FM
112
- 1
11000
sec.
FE
8
- 1/1000
sec.,Auto,
M90
LEDlightsup
when
in
operation
Onloff
switch
provided(also
acts
as
meter
on/off
switch)
Possible;
uses
standard
Nikon
3-
pin
connector.
Eight 1.5V penlight
batteries
(AA size, in integral battery
chamber)
410gapprox.
(without
batteries)
Approx.
144
x 36
x 42mm;
approx.
144x 68.5x 109.5mm
(including
the
grip)
www.orphancameras.com