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

[SilverDog]

Back on the original subject of a power winder, they're very handy for cycling the shutter many times after a CLA.

 

[benjiboy]

With the Canon New F1 the only way to get shutter priority AE is to use either the Motor Drive FN ( takes 12 AA batteries), or the Power Winder FN ( takes 6 AA batteries).
I had the motor drive, but I sold it and now use a recently bought mint Power Winder FN that's a lot lighter than the motor drive ,and can be removed from the camera in daylight without exposing the film, which isn't the case with the Motor Drive FN.

 

[Mackinaw]

With the Canon New F1 the only way to get shutter priority AE is to use either the Motor Drive FN ( takes 12 AA batteries), or the Power Winder FN ( takes 6 AA batteries).
I had the motor drive, but I sold it and now use a recently bought mint Power Winder FN that's a lot lighter than the motor drive ,and can be removed from the camera in daylight without exposing the film, which isn't the case with the Motor Drive FN.

The Power Winder FN takes 4 AA batteries, not six.

Jim B,

 

[benjiboy]

The Power Winder FN takes 4 AA batteries, not six.

Jim B,

Yes, you are correct of course, it was my error, I had my mind on other things.

 

[ericB&W]

Anyway a motor drive can be also useful when there is risk of blured image due
to a low shutter speed, one takes 3 shoots in fast sequence of the same subject and then
when printing or scanning choose the best one that came out sharpest .

 

[benjiboy]

The Power Winder FN takes 4 AA batteries, not six.

Jim B,

Yes you're right, my mistake.

 

[BHuij]

Technically I use power winders, not motor drives. They are more about getting “semiauto” function than high framerates. I keep one on my OM-G about 85% of the time, though I find the Olympus one to be an uncharacteristically clunky design. I keep one on my Canon AE-1 100% of the time. It’s one of my go to walk around cameras when I’m shooting HP5+ and just want to go handheld.

I didn’t need the drives of course. But they were both so inexpensive, and they do have kind of a satisfying mechanical whirring sound that I find appealing. I don’t think I paid more than $20 for either of them. Ever since I got my Elan II, I’ve been kinda spoiled with not having to wind every shot. Increases convenience of shooting by 4%. I have larger formats when I feel like shooting something inconvenient

 

[benjiboy]

I find power winders on both my Canon F1ns and New F1s very convenient to shoot single shot, it's like using an automatic rifle as opposed to a a bolt action one, because you don't have to change your "point of aim" between shots when cocking the action.
I don't need, and can't afford the six frames a second speed, or the weight of the twelve A A batteries of the Motor Drive FN.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I find power winders on both my Canon F1ns and New F1s very convenient to shoot single shot, it's like using an automatic rifle as opposed to a a bolt action one, because you don't have to change your "point of aim" between shots when cocking the action.

My Nikon N6006 has one too and it's convenient. It allows for bracketing. The only thing is when in auto rewind, you have shut it off before it pulls the whole film strip back into the cassette if that's what you want when developing it.

 

[benjiboy]

My Nikon N6006 has one too and it's convenient. It allows for bracketing. The only thing is when in auto rewind, you have shut it off before it pulls the whole film strip back into the cassette if that's what you want when developing it.

My F1 power winders Alan don't auto rewind, you do it manually, and you can leave the leader out of the cassette if you're careful, although it makes no difference to me, because I don't develop my own film these days.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Today I rewound with the MD4 drive on my Nikon F3 body with an MF-18 back, which incorporates a drop down tab that closes a circuit which stops the drive from rewinding the film into the cassette, leaving the film leader outside the cassette.

I then opened the back and popped the roll of film into my hand then ripped the end of the film off to know it has been used, then placed the used roll into the pocket with exposed film rolls, pulled a new roll out of the new roll pocket and proceeded to expose more film.

Leaving the film sticking out on an exposed roll helps to keep dust at bay, which while not really an issue most of the time, can be and is sometimes where I am an issue. Places I frequent in warm to hot weather often have talcum powder fine dust which can and does get inside the film cassettes and onto the film. I've been tearing film leaders off and changing pockets forever.

I was feeling lucky today: I was using Lucky SHD 100 135 format film. Picked up a stash in 2017-18 for a song, down to the last 20+ rolls.

 

[BHuij]

No auto rewind on my Canon or Olympus winders, just single shot advancement (and a "burst" mode that's something like 2.4 frames per second if I ever wanted to cover a Sloth NASCAR event on film). My Elan II auto rewinds, but has a custom setting to leave the leader sticking out.

 

[GregY]

Pentax 645....still going strong .... & cheap enough to replace

 

[bluechromis]

It's not clear to me whether this thread is just about add-on motor drives or built-in motor drives. In any case, I use Canon EOS bodies like an Elan 7 with a built in motor drive, though not just because of the motor drive. The drives are surprisingly quiet. I do find they are good for fast-paced scenes like street photography. I like to take pictures of parades and often there is only a moment to catch a particular subject as it streams by. I sometimes like to take double exposures and want to go for a specific alignment of the two images, sometimes with only a slight lack of registration between them. If am not using a tripod, this is easier to do with a motor drive because I don't have to change the position of the camera much. I am tempted to get a motor drive for my Minolta XD-11.

I don't I burn a lot more film with a motor drive or anything like the quantity as when shooting digital. When I get those fleeting decisive moments, I may sometimes get two shots in with motor drive where I would only get one without one. So it is not that big of a difference. Why do I like to shoot analog for fast-paced scenes? For one thing, the gritty character one can get with film seems to suit street scenes.

But then digital aficionados will claim that they can do as well or better than analog with almost everything including "slow" subject matter like landscapes. I am weary of conversations about that. So I don't see the justification for shooting fast-paced scenes with analog as all that different than the justification for any other subject with analog. In the end, I do it because I enjoy it.

 

[bluechromis]

You mean to tell me that you can get cameras without these motor things? Gee I wish I had been told that years ago. Oh well I’m used to them by now. View attachment 321033

That's an impressive collection. How do you develop the bulk rolls? With a jumbo tank and reel?

 

[IMetodiev]

Yeah, for wildlife only though

 

[dave olson]

On my Canon F1 to have shutter priority, as someone else has said.

 

[benjiboy]

On my Canon F1 to have shutter priority, as someone else has said.

I originally had the Motor Drive FN Dave, but with its 12 AA batteries it made what's a heavy camera into a boat anchor, the Power Winder FN is much lighter, and only takes 4 batteries.

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

In this day of digital I cannot imagine why one would expose 'the defining moment' with film by using film at a high rate of exposures.
The supposed move by some to use film is a wish to re establish a relationship between the photographer and the world around him or her with some personal meaning .
This fly's in the face of those that make many exposures by digital be it DSLR's or smart phone s that rely upon capturing that defining photo by volume not skill.
There are many wonderful photos on the internet produced by a photographer on his or hers 1000th capture of the day!

I like my digital cameras but i am ever drawn to the process of getting it right the first time with film!!

 

[rulnacco]

In this day of digital I cannot imagine why one would expose 'the defining moment' with film by using film at a high rate of exposures.

Given the high cost of film--and the advantages of shooting digital if you're "machine-gunning" with the shutter--I'm not too sure many people are doing that, really. Even shooting single-exposure, the motor drive does allow you to shoot just a bit faster--but in a controlled fashion--than advancing manually. I like to use a motor drive when shooting things like skateboarding or BMX, as I can concentrate on the action in front of me, without being distracted/delayed by advancing the film, and fire the shutter whenever I need, basically. I often get in an extra good frame or two in a sequence by doing that, without wasting *too* much film.

 

[Cholentpot]

Given the high cost of film--and the advantages of shooting digital if you're "machine-gunning" with the shutter--I'm not too sure many people are doing that, really. Even shooting single-exposure, the motor drive does allow you to shoot just a bit faster--but in a controlled fashion--than advancing manually. I like to use a motor drive when shooting things like skateboarding or BMX, as I can concentrate on the action in front of me, without being distracted/delayed by advancing the film, and fire the shutter whenever I need, basically. I often get in an extra good frame or two in a sequence by doing that, without wasting *too* much film.

reality is it allows you to keep your eye to the viewfinder without having to move anything. I've found it very useful.

 

[joelbolden]

reality is it allows you to keep your eye to the viewfinder without having to move anything. I've found it very useful.

An example of this is the other day I had a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers land at my feeder. I had my Pentax LX with winder and a 300mm lens laying there(the feeder is only 20 ft from my kitchen window). Quickly focused(easy with the LX) and started shooting. Three shots at 1/125sec, changed to 1/60sec without taking my eye from the viewfinder and shot 3 more at that speed. Took about 10 seconds, and then the birds flew off. Instead of having to manually cock the shutter, I was instead able to quickly change the Shutter Speed. When shooting wildlife, there are times when you want multiple exposures and that isn't "wasting" film.

 

[Cholentpot]

An example of this is the other day I had a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers land at my feeder. I had my Pentax LX with winder and a 300mm lens laying there(the feeder is only 20 ft from my kitchen window). Quickly focused(easy with the LX) and started shooting. Three shots at 1/125sec, changed to 1/60sec without taking my eye from the viewfinder and shot 3 more at that speed. Took about 10 seconds, and then the birds flew off. Instead of having to manually cock the shutter, I was instead able to quickly change the Shutter Speed. When shooting wildlife, there are times when you want multiple exposures and that isn't "wasting" film.

Panning shots at an airshow with the F3. I don't need to blow the whole roll but I know out of those three shots I at least nailed one.

 

[faberryman]

Why 13 pages of discussion? If you need or want to use a winder or motor drive, use a winder or motor drive.

 

[Cholentpot]

Why 13 pages of discussion? If you need or want to use a winder or motor drive, use a winder or motor drive.

We like discussing.