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Making your own N90s Electronic Shutter Release

Found these instructions here.

Date: Mon, 09 Dec 1996 10:59:20 EST
From: "Rolland Elliott (Quality Assurance Co-Op)"
Subject: Making your own N90s Electronic Shutter Release

If you own an N90s and want to make your own inexpensive electronic shutter release here are the simple plans:
Total cost = About 3 to 6 dollars.
Time to make = About 10 to 20 minutes.

1. Gather up two (1 or 2 feet) pieces of single strand insulated copper wire (strip the insulation off both the ends) and an alkaline or Ni-Cad battery.
2. Locate the 10 pin terminal on the upper right of your camera body and remove the cover.
3. Stick one wire in the bottom right hand hole (4 o'clock position) and stick the other wire in the other bottom right hand hole (5 o'clock position). The wires only have to go in about 3 or 4 mm. See diagram below!
4. Attatch the other end of the 5 o'clock position wire to the positive battery terminal (you can solder it or use electrical tape).
5. As soon as you touch the other end of the 4 o'clock position wire to the negative battery terminal the camera's shutter will be released.

If you have your camera on single servo or continuous servo, the camera's exposure meter will first be activated, it will auto-focus on the subject and then the shutter will be released.
If you have your camera on manual focus the exposure meter will turn on and then the shutter will be released.

This setup isn't too convienient to operate as is. To make it convienient go to your local electronics store and pick up an AA battery holder and a simple on/off switch. The AA battery holder lets you change the battery easily and the on/off switch allows you to trip the shutter easily. If you don't have the switch you will have to manually touch the 4 o'clock position wire to the negative terminal of the battery, this is a pain in the neck after a while. You will also probably want to make a connector to your camera's 10 pin terminal, so you don't have to poke the two wires into the holes all the time. Pick up some FIMO plastic modeling clay at your local crafts store and mold it around the two wires while they are connected to your body, then stick the wires and modeling clay in your oven to harden. Now you have a nice socket that can be plugged in and out of your N90s very easily.

           -------------
          /    NIKON    \
- ---------/               \----------------\
                              O     O     |
                             O        O   |
                                O O       |
                             O        -   |
                               O    + |
                                    | |
                                    | |    On/Off switch
                                 ___| |___/ ___
                                /              \
                               /                \
                               + AA 1.5V Batterya-

I have used this set-up to trip my shutter about 75 times. So far nothing strange has happened to my camera and it's working fine. But please don't blame me if your camera blows up on you!

Other notes:
If you leave the 4 o'clock wire attatched to the negative battery terminal the camera's exposure meter will remain on. If you are in single servo focusing mode, the focus will be locked after the shutter is released and the camera will not allow you to take another picture until you disconnect the wire from the negative battery terminal. If you are in continuous servo focusing mode the focus won't be locked, but the camera will not allow you to take another picture until you disconnect the wire from the negative battery terminal. Conclusion: Don't leave the 4 o'clock wire attatched to the negative battery terminal.

If you are using this setup your camera will probably be on a tripod so I'd recommend the following:
1. Have the shutter release switch set to off.
2. Manually focus your camera.
3. Turn the swtich to the on position.
4. As soon as the camera's shutter is released turn the switch off.
Has worked great for me every time!!!

Hope it works for you too. Sincerely, Rolland Elliott

Chieh Cheng
Thu Nov 4 11:44:52 PST 2004

A picture of the socket . . . found here.

Chieh Cheng
Thu Nov 4 13:18:33 PST 2004

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