If you don't want to mess around with your cameras, you can buy the official power adapters. For the D700 and D100 it's the Nikon EH5A, and the D200 it's the Nikon EH6. I dunno the rest.
With this, you can do all-night exposures, and days long time-lapses, and you don't have to spend any money on it if you are lucky.
The D100, D200 and D700 power supply is 13.5V, 5A. You can go a bit below this.
My power supply is 12V, 3A and it works perfectly. You might need a laptop power adapter or something that is similar.
I didn't want to cut the wires of the adapter, so I just taped my little cables to it. You have to check the polarity of the adapter, so you don't connect it backwards. I dunno what happens if you connect them the other way around, but I don't want to try it.
I just connected them, and used tape to hold them in place.
In this way, I can re-use the adapter if I need to.
I took the wires out from an old Dell computer. It's because they were wires that connected an LED with the mother board, so they had these square connectors to be able to fit them on to the motherboard's pins:
That thing fits perfectly to the pins of the camera's DC in connector.
If you can not find these, you can use some small crocodile clips.
The Connectors:
The D700 and D100 have the same connectors:
Click on the pictures to see them bigger.
The D200:
I don't know what are the connections on other models.
Now you just have to connect the pins to the cables and plug your adapter in!
Make sure you don't short any wires!!! This is common sense. I didn't try what happens if you do, but I suspect that it would mess your camera up.
As far as I observed, the DC power on the camera does not charge the battery, so you might as well just take it out.
There you have it!
And don't be stupid! one wrong move and you can trash your camera!
I read carefully your page. I was interested in built an external power for a D700. D700 use a EH5a. I compare your connection schem for the D700 to other image of EH5A(http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.sellitnowstores.com/ebay/matt/2011/07july//JulyBWeberNikonEH-5a/DSCN0384.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.ebay.com/itm/EH-5a-AC-Adapter-Nikon-D-Series-Camera-Power-Cable-/280707630307&h=600&w=800&sz=192&tbnid=cwRSoYHp40dCCM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Deh5a%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=eh5a&docid=vM_pBEpwVG9K1M&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=zHagTpitHIPysgarpeT_Ag&ved=0CCUQ9QEwAA&dur=2464). It seems than there is an error on your schem.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about it?
Hi, the picture above is a D100, but the D700 have the same connector. I tested this on the D100, 200 and 700 and I can say for sure that it's working for these 3 cameras. If you still think I have messed up something, please write to me so I can correct it.
ReplyDeletethere is something i don't understand. If you look at this image (http://www.sellitnowstores.com/ebay/matt/2011/07july//JulyBWeberNikonEH-5a/DSCN0384.JPG)of the EH-5A, you will find a scheme of the connector with four pins. Associated to these pins, you have the connections. They do not correspond to your scheme.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think?
i also don't understand why two pins are not used...
thank you for your answer.
The picture you linked is the male version of the connector, so it appears mirrored. the picture I marked up is the female version.
ReplyDeletelook at this picture, this will clarify it:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fBlw8E9steM/TtQpgOqU9ZI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Q1NaukgdyCc/s1600/D77-D100-connect-clarify.jpg
I don't know why is there 2 pins that are not in use. I never asked anybody. When I connected the wires only to those 2 pins and it worked.
Please ask if you have any other questions
Hi Is your camera still working fine? Im looking to make the same modifications... Reply will be helpful.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Ponappa