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

Jerome Leaves

H
Jerome Leaves

  • 1
  • 0
  • 26
Jerome

H
Jerome

  • 0
  • 0
  • 30
Sedona Tree

H
Sedona Tree

  • 1
  • 0
  • 34
Sedona

H
Sedona

  • 0
  • 0
  • 36
Bell Rock

H
Bell Rock

  • 0
  • 0
  • 36

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
197,421
Messages
2,758,768
Members
99,493
Latest member
Leicaporter
Recent bookmarks
0

Do You Use an Accessory Motor Drive or Winder on a Film Camera


  • Total voters
    137

faberryman

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
Messages
6,049
Location
Wherever
Format
Multi Format
What kind of lab are you using. Or alternatively, how long do you wait before you develop?

I only shoot black and white film. I don't use a lab. Sometimes I develop film the same day I shoot; sometimes it takes a while before I get around to it. It depends on my schedule. It is the same with digital. Sometimes I look at my images the same day; sometimes it takes a while before I get around to it.

You don't need to cite all these rationalizations for shooting film. If you want to shoot film, shoot film. If you want to shoot digital, shoot digital. Or shoot both. The same goes for using a winder or motor drive. Whatever you want to do is fine.
 
Last edited:

Helge

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
Messages
3,938
Location
Denmark
Format
Medium Format
I only shoot black and white film. I don't use a lab. Sometimes I develop film the same day I shoot; sometimes it takes a while before I get around to it. It depends on my schedule. It is the same with digital. Sometimes I look at my images the same day; sometimes it takes a while before I get around to it.

You don't need to cite all these rationalizations for shooting film. If you want to shoot film, shoot film. If you want to shoot digital, shoot digital. Or shoot both. The same goes for using a winder or motor drive. Whatever you want to do is fine.

Everything is equally good. Nothing is bad. Everything is beige. Let’s not fight ever.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
51,900
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
There is no Gray[Grey]! Everything is Black or White.

I expect if a bunch of the members of Photrio were together in a room and you looked at their hair, you would come to a different conclusion :whistling:
 
OP
OP

Sharktooth

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2022
Messages
317
Location
Canada
Format
Medium Format
I expect if a bunch of the members of Photrio were together in a room and you looked at their hair, you would come to a different conclusion :whistling:

Yup, I sense we're a high ISO crowd. Lots of greyn (grayn) here.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,113
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
I expect if a bunch of the members of Photrio were together in a room and you looked at their hair, you would come to a different conclusion :whistling:

You are assuming that many of the males still have hair.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,113
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
You might want to check with a logician or a therapist about that.

Did you mean Boolean expert?
How do you feel about that?
When did you first feel that way?
How would you react to what your mother would say?
Are you always feeling that that?
When did those feelings first start?
 

faberryman

Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2016
Messages
6,049
Location
Wherever
Format
Multi Format
Did you mean Boolean expert?
How do you feel about that?
When did you first feel that way?
How would you react to what your mother would say?
Are you always feeling that that?
When did those feelings first start?

Check with Eliza.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,113
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
And confirmed that we are both older than we care to admit. On the upside, our long term memory seems to be intact.

In my case years of work with artificial inteligence or was it real stupidity? I ferget now.
 
  • BrianShaw
  • Deleted
  • Reason: OK, I’ll stop adding to the childish lunacy

guangong

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
3,589
Format
Medium Format
Ironically, that’s exactly what the folks who take photos in continuous and burst mode also say.

Same
Exact
Words

Gotta ask, which “decisive moment” is most important: the decisive moment that the image is most interesting, or the decisive moment the shutter is released by the photographer.

Probably the same difference as driving a sports car and a selfdrving car.
I have nothing against motor drives. I can see the need at large weddings, industrial applications, etc. To each his own.
 
Joined
Oct 8, 2020
Messages
86
Location
Michigan
Format
Analog
The only camera I've used a motor drive on is my EOS 1V. The vertical controls added by the PB-E2 are very handy. Being able to offload the stress of film advance on an external (replaceable) motor is nice, as is the counterweight for larger lenses, and being able to rely on lithium AAs rather than costly 2CR5s.
That being said, I use it exclusively in single-shot mode as it seems to ready the next frame faster than the internal motor.
 

ic-racer

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
16,481
Location
USA
Format
Multi Format
Almost no disadvantage to having the built-in motor drives in these cameras.
6008 and Hy6 40mm.JPG
 

CMoore

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
6,191
Location
USA CA
Format
35mm
I have often wondered the same as The OP :smile:

Like all things, there is LOTS of nuance to different scenarios.
There have certainly been times when i wanted to shoot a lot of frames of the same subjest and wished i had an auto winder.
I am sure motor drives are no where near as popular as the once were and never will be.
Some will find more need that others.
 

Craig

Subscriber
Joined
Apr 8, 2004
Messages
2,230
Location
Calgary
Format
Multi Format
There have certainly been times when i wanted to shoot a lot of frames of the same subjest and wished i had an auto winder.
For me a winder is very useful when doing macro work with the camera on a copystand. Winding by hand often moves the body, with a winder I don't have to reframe after each exposure.

It's the opposite of photojournalism/sports photography, but the winder still serves a useful function.
 

AnselMortensen

Subscriber
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
2,257
Location
SFBayArea
Format
Traditional
Nikon F3HP / MD-4 combination is an ergonomic delight.
....and a good defensive weapon.

Ever wonder why Hasselblad 500 EL/ ELM/ELX, etc go for pennies on the dollar compared to a 500C/M?
 

theolj

Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2019
Messages
5
Location
New York, NY
Format
35mm
My Canon EOS cameras have motor drives, which is useful in firing off action shots for people and wildlife, I also stuck one on my FM when I owned one cuz I didn't like having to pull out the advance lever to trigger the meter.
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom