Who in the heck uses a motor winder/drive on a film camera these days?

[faberryman]

I bought a winder a long time ago. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but I never really used it despite all the compelling benefits outlined in this thread.. I still have it just in case the need arises.

 

[Sharktooth]

For historical reference, I found this old Nikon brochure.

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

I've one Winder 2 on one of my Olympus OM4. Don't use it for speed but mostly for ergonomics. No practical reason besides that.

 

[MattKing]

A winder is really handy if you are doing copy work or something similar.
And yes, I know, most of that is done with digital now.
Speaking generally, I think the best thing about threads like this is that they tend to elicit a certain type of response when reading them - a "hey, I never thought of that!" response. We all come to these questions with different context, and sometimes you can stumble on an idea that really expands that.

 

[Ian Grant]

I think it is fair to say that if you don't have a camera and you have a need to take many photos quickly, it would make more sense to choose a digital camera for the task.
But if you already have a film camera that you like using, it can be fun to use a motor winder or drive with it.
For me, I've only added a winder when I wanted to have the ergonomic advantages that one can get from some of them, or if the winder allowed me to replace harder to find batteries with AA or AAA batteries - usually a camera that already had a slow built in power winder.

There is another aspect, I do still have cameras with power winders, and lenses I really like, but the specialist push process E6 films I used were the first to disappear. At the same time the client(s) began wanting digital files, and digitising a lot of 35mm slides and B&W negatives was just too time-consuming and expensive.

I'm predominantly a film user, that makes up all my personal exhibition work, but realism is sometimes digital is now better. My first Canon DSLR paid for itself with 2 days work at a rock festival, that was with a couple of extra Tamron SP lenses as well.

But who remembers the first 35mm SLR system with a Motor Drive, it's not Nikon

Ian

 

[Helge]

Power winding was a big deal for good reason back in the day.
Robot cameras was named for the feature. The wind-up motor halfframes, like the Canon and Fujis was a big hit for the same reason.
Konica had a huge hit with their FS-1 and FT-1 cameras where the main selling feature was the build in winder.
One of the Canon T series main selling features was the winder.

If it was as totally silly and superfluous as some here seem to think it would have been weeded out long ago.
You can still have very good B&W film at approximately 1985 equivalent prices if you want.

 

[Marcelo Paniagua]

...

But who remembers the first 35mm SLR system with a Motor Drive, it's not Nikon

Ian

I think it was for one of the Praktina series? I remember seeing one when I was a kid. One of my father's friend had one. It looked silly to me at the time

 

[gordrob]

But who remembers the first 35mm SLR system with a Motor Drive, it's not Nikon

Ian

I would think that it was the Robot 1 from 1934 that was powered by a sping drive motor. It was capable of 4 frames a second.

 

[Paul Howell]

I got a motordrive bundled with my EOS 1N. Still haven't figure out how to remove it.

It not a motor drive it,s a battery grip, allows PFS increase from 2.5 to 6, the wheel on the back releases and attaches the grip. The advantage of the grip is that you can use AA batteries.

 

[Paul Howell]

Ian Grant said:
But who remembers the first 35mm SLR system with a Motor Drive, it's not Nikon

Ian

As noted Praktina, Robot, and Bell and Howell Futon, then Nikon SP, and Nikon F factory modified, then out of the box motor ready the Topcon SuperDM. Kodak made a couple of spring driven consumer grade cameras as well.

 

[lxdude]

Ian Grant said:
But who remembers the first 35mm SLR system with a Motor Drive, it's not Nikon

Ian

As noted Praktina, Robot, and Bell and Howell Futon, then Nikon SP, and Nikon F factory modified, then out of the box motor ready the Topcon SuperDM. Kodak made a couple of spring driven consumer grade cameras as well.

And as I recall, in the 70s Topcon came out with the first 35mm SLR autowinder, called the "Auto Winder". Smaller and slower than a motor drive.

 

[MattKing]

Don't forget, SLR is part of the criteria

 

[gordrob]

Don't forget, SLR is part of the criteria

Well then the Pentax Spotmatic - early 70s

 

[pbromaghin]

The MDs really improve the balance and ergonomics of Minolta X- cameras. I have always set mine to single exposure, but my last vacation while shooting surfing I switched to fast and just blasted away. Not all the rolls have been developed, but so far I'm really liking the extra exposures. Switch to digital to shoot rapid fire? I shoot film because I like it. My wife handles the digital side with her phone and sends me her good ones. After plane tickets, hotel, car, and meals, film is nothing.

 

[film_man]

It not a motor drive it,s a battery grip, allows PFS increase from 2.5 to 6, the wheel on the back releases and attaches the grip. The advantage of the grip is that you can use AA batteries.

Ha sorry I was being cheeky, I meant the “motor drive” that sits somewhere between the spool, bottom plate, grip and bottom plate ;-)

 

[ic-racer]

My earliest camera with a motor is a Rolleiflex SL35E with "Motor Winder." Not a real "Motor Drive" however. I suspect there may be someone here that actually has the true "Motor Drive" for that camera. They are quite rare.
For me, this camera is easier to hold with the winder attached. The back of the winder is beveled on the right side, to fit one's palm.

 

[Cholentpot]

My earliest camera with a motor is a Rolleiflex SL35E with "Motor Winder." Not a real "Motor Drive" however. I suspect there may be someone here that actually has the true "Motor Drive" for that camera. They are quite rare.
For me, this camera is easier to hold with the winder attached. The back of the winder is beveled on the right side, to fit one's palm.

View attachment 321092

I spy an FX-3

 

[Paul Howell]

And as I recall, in the 70s Topcon came out with the first 35mm SLR autowinder, called the "Auto Winder". Smaller and slower than a motor drive.

The Super DM came out in 1966, DM the M in DM was for Motor, the lighter and slower winder came out in the 70s, it fit both the DM and the RE, Topcon second tier camera that used the same Exacta mount. Topcon's bottom feeder camera the Uni and Auto 100 used a Topcon propriety mount did not have a winder or a motor.

 

[Ian Grant]

Don't forget, SLR is part of the criteria

It is of course the 1952 Praktina FX, way ahead of its time, as the first professional full system cameras, with a huge array of lenses from numerous manufacturers, two different motor drives. Exacta made similar claims earlier, as system cameras, but never had motor drives but shared almost all the same lens range.

Ian

 

[Les Sarile]

There is another aspect, I do still have cameras with power winders, and lenses I really like, but the specialist push process E6 films I used were the first to disappear. At the same time the client(s) began wanting digital files, and digitising a lot of 35mm slides and B&W negatives was just too time-consuming and expensive.

I'm predominantly a film user, that makes up all my personal exhibition work, but realism is sometimes digital is now better. My first Canon DSLR paid for itself with 2 days work at a rock festival, that was with a couple of extra Tamron SP lenses as well.

But who remembers the first 35mm SLR system with a Motor Drive, it's not Nikon

Ian

I don't know if it was first, but this Praktina FX system was an ad published in a Feb 1958 Modern Photography magazine. It's definitely before the Nikon F.

Modern Photography February 1958 Praktina FX ad by Les DMess, on Flickr

I'm still looking for one . . . ;-)

 

[Paul Howell]

Forgot the Leicaflex SL body that took the motor drive, I think it was released in the early 70s, and a limited number at that. I had a Konica T3 which I traded for a factory modified Nikon F and motor drive. I was at a camera shop in Costa Mesa Ca. when the Konica rep was making his rounds. I asked him why Konica did not make a motor drive for the T3, this was 1969 or 1970, he told me that due to the slow response of the early CdS TTL meters and the shutter speed automation a motor drive would not expose correctly. The first Konica with a winder was the T4, it's winder although it takes 6 AA batteries only shoots at 2FPS, my guess to prevent poor auto exposure.

 

[neilt3]

I have a Minolta A9000 the only pro level AF body that did not have an integrated motor drive, I use it with either the drive or the winder. Down side to the drive for the A9000 it takes 12 AA. Although listed as 5.5 FPS with fresh batteries I think it a bit faster, closer to 7. Most of the time I use the winder which takes 4 AA, shoots about 3FPS, and does not have auto rewind.

I have the Minolta 9000AF as well as the grip . Apart from the unit that takes the 12 AA's , one battery pack had the rechargeable Ni-cad cells built in , a bit more compact , and lighter . Main point being rechargeable .
Dispite it being thirty five years old , mine still works and holds a charge .
Certainly for the roll of film loaded , but not for the fifty or whatever rolls it would originally done . It needs re-celling , but that'll not happen .

It just seems obvious to me that if you need to shoot fast, and a lot, then digital is the way to go. I like to shoot film when I'm not in a hurry, and it's nice to make use of older cameras that are perfectly capable as they are. Adding a motor drive or winder is like putting lipstick on a pig, when all you're really interested in is the bacon.

Twenty five years ago it was a different story. Film was the way to go for everything, so having a winder or motor drive gave you capabilities that were not achievable in any other way.

You are aware that you can still take one picture at a time aren't you ?
You don't need to shoot a full roll of film in ten seconds .
All the cameras I have that accept motor drives or battery grips have one .
Not for the speed of shooting or because I can't be bothered to wind the film on with my thumb , just that with larger , heavier lenses the ergonomics are better and the camera is held more stable .
Regardless of use , I shoot one frame at a time , not continuous advance Those that don't have a drive setting are still easy to use , either exposing one frame or more .

And some motor drives have a shutter release which makes portrait/vertical shots REALLY easy.

Another good reason .

Do know that motor drives aren't limited to 35mm SLRs. My Pentax 645n exposes 16 4.5cm x 6cm frames per 12 exposure roll of 120 film. It's winder exposes perhaps 1 frame per second, and imprints exposure data between the frames. It is a sizeable camera, but very convenient to use. For example, it has 2 tripod sockets, one on the bottom of the camera and one on the side opposite the grip, so with a quick release tripod head switching from horizontal to vertical composing is very convenient.

I have a Bronica ETRSi and have several grips for them . two of them are powered drives , and one is the thumb wound speed grip .
Typically I use the Speed grip , but sometimes I use the battery powered one . Mainly if I'm on a tripod using a cable release if it's at an awkward position , low down etc .

MY F6 is set to “S” and the F4 and F3 motor drives stay in a storage cabinet.
Film is way too expensive - action photography is for a digital beast like my D4S and others!

Amongst others I have the F4 and F3 along with the motor drives , by carefully pressing the shutter release with them attached , it's easy to expose just one frame at a time .
You don't need to machine gun them all the time .
I agree though for action shots where the mis rate is higher than the hit rate , I use digital .

 

[Les Sarile]

For the Minolta X-700, the motor drive works in conjunction with the full intervalometer back . . .

x-700 Motor1 MFBack by Les DMess, on Flickr

 

[Cholentpot]

For the Minolta X-700, the motor drive works in conjunction with the full intervalometer back . . .

x-700 Motor1 MFBack by Les DMess, on Flickr

Gee thanks. Now I need one of these for my X-700

 

[ic-racer]

Earliest Rolleiflex winder, the Rolleimot (picture from the internet; I have never seen this in person). This picture omits the automatic cable release that screws into the camera's release button. This is essential for operation of the device.