Nikon F2 and MD-3 Question

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>Hello All,<br>

I am new to the world of the Nikon F2 and familiarizing myself with the finer points of the motor drives. My question is, can the MD-3 (or MD-2) drives be used by themselves - without any type of battery pack? I'd love to add the ergonomics of the MD-3 to the camera, but do not with to add the mass of the separate power pack to it. After reviewing whatever documentation I can find on the MD-3 I see no mention of how or where batteries would go and my assumption is the unit is designed only to run with the separate power pack sitting beneath it. <br>

Thanks very much for any assistance.<br>

John Crane</p>

[scott_murphy5]

<p>No, both require a battery pack like the MB-1</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>All of the F2 motor-drives need a power pack of some sort. Add in the weight of 8 (IIRC) AA cells and you've got an unwieldy brick stuck to the bottom of what was a very ergonomically designed camera in the first place. IMO handling is definitely <em>not</em> improved by the addition of one of those clumsy lumps. The MD-1 and MD-2 are also quite unreliable since you have to remember to change settings on the MD to accommodate slow shutter speeds.</p>

<p>The rounded grip of an MD-3 makes it slightly more comfortable to use, but it still needs a heavy battery pack attached - unlike the later MD-11 and 12 for the FE and FM series cameras.</p>

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>Thank you both. This is what I suspected. Guess I'll just mount the bottom of my CH-1 and call it good. I've been enjoying the aesthetics of this camera - the "feel" is very much that of my F but shootability is improved with a key key points. I have several now and think they're nice looking cameras. I want to keep the aesthetics intact.<br>

Thanks again for your information.<br>

Kind regards,<br>

John B. Crane</p>

[dave_brooks1]

<p>The MB-2 battery pack is a bit smaller & lighter than the MB-1 , 8 AA vs 10 . MB-2 is also less costly, and motor speeds are slower. Another option is the rare & thus expensive MC-7 motor cord which allows you to keep the battry pack in a pocket, as the cord is about 3 feet long.</p>

[Rick Helmke]

<p>I have just the opposite opinion, I love the F2 with an MD-2 and battery pack bolted on. Frankly I think it makes the camera. The F2 fits my definition of good design in that it never gets in the way of the work. I can set a few adjustments and just go. Reliable? It's dead-on reliable, simple and straightforward. Easily my favorite camera.<br>

<br />Rick H.</p>

[scott_murphy5]

<p>I'm with you Rick, I love the F2 with the MD-2/MB-1. Yes, it is heavy and a little noisy, but it feels right in my hands, even though I have kind of smallish hands. The F2 is most likely the finest manual 35mm film camera ever made and it too is my favorite and go-to 35mm camera.</p>

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>"<em>I have just the opposite opinion, I love the F2 with an MD-2 and battery pack bolted on. Frankly I think it makes the camera. The F2 fits my definition of good design in that it never gets in the way of the work. I can set a few adjustments and just go. Reliable? It's dead-on reliable, simple and straightforward. Easily my favorite camera.</em>"<br>

<br>

"<em>I'm with you Rick, I love the F2 with the MD-2/MB-1. Yes, it is heavy and a little noisy, but it feels right in my hands, even though I have kind of smallish hands. The F2 is most likely the finest manual 35mm film camera ever made and it too is my favorite and go-to 35mm camera.</em>"</p>

<p>Thanks Rick, Scott. I feel the exact same way about my F6 (and my F5). I know there are those who dismiss the MB-40 for the F6, preferring instead the smaller configuration of just the F6. While I appreciate this "convertible" option - I indeed prefer the F6 with the MB-40 mounted (and a Kirk L-bracket to boot) for general use. It somehow completes the camera, balancing it well for me and the way I use it.</p>

<p>So I can understand the draw to the extended F2 configuration very well. One of the great things about the F2 is the system one buys into when jumping on board. The number of options are amazing and intriguing. I have several F2's now and can see outfitting one of them as you've described, just because ;-).</p>

<p>All the best,<br>

John B. Crane</p>