Richard Parkinson
Forum Enthusiast
Having ordered it back in August it arrived today. At last I can clean my CCD properly, why on earth don't Nikon provided this with the camera?
OK so they get more $$$.
OK so they get more $$$.
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Finaly, my EH-5 has arrived!
- Thread starter Richard Parkinson
- Start date
Zorpie
Senior Member
Because it is a standard AC power supply and there is nothing fancy about it. You can buy a higher spec (regulated and over voltage/over current protected) switched output voltage AC Adaptor from Tandy (Radio Shack) - for about £30. I have sourced the 4 pin Nikon plugs from Paramount Cords in NY and when they get here, I will be making up a lead to be able to use my Tandy PSU. You can forget a £75 AC PSU - it is basically a Nikon rip-off. It should be provided with a new D100 anyway - it is NOT an optional extra - it is a required item. Otherwise - how do you access the CCD Cleaning option in the menu ?? It's like Nikon Capture. How do you otherwise gain access to the D100's tone curve ?? Adopting non-standard battery fittings - is just another way of hyping the price and forcing users to buy dedicated Nikon extras. £75 for a low current AC PSU - is just a complete and utter scam.
JoeSlotz
Well-known member
... its called a GOUGE! They charge $80-100 for a $20-30 AC adapter with a Nikon D100 proprietary tip. They over-charge because they can. YOU NEED IT and no one else makes or sells it.
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JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
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JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
nikonslr
Well-known member
I totally agree that that's how they make money. Every big companies do that. For example, Sony does that too. Especially with their hi-8, then M-DV, then their Memory stick (128MB MAX). I will never get a Sony digital camera or anything that use only their standard 128MB max memory stick. Just imagine D100 takes only a 128MB Memory stick, that would be a disaster coz you need more than 10 Memory Sticks ..hehe..
I will get the standard A/C adapter for US$5 and make my own pin head too =)
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http://www.pbase.com/nikonslr
Only take your pictures with a SLR please.... !
I will get the standard A/C adapter for US$5 and make my own pin head too =)
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--------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/nikonslr
Only take your pictures with a SLR please.... !
JoeSlotz
Well-known member
Its funny, I just went over to B&H to look at the EH-5. Their photo looks just like an old IBM Thinkpad AC adapter right down to the 4 hole plug. I have 2 of those lying around. I think I need to look at the AC/DC specs of both units.
No, I won't plug it in unless I am 100% sure its a match.
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JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
No, I won't plug it in unless I am 100% sure its a match.
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JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
JoeSlotz
Well-known member
Hey Zorpie,
Can you please post the plug and power supply specs and part numbers for us?
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JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
Can you please post the plug and power supply specs and part numbers for us?
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JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
Zorpie
Senior Member
Joe,
The AC adaptor I use is from Tandy (Radio Shack) it is made by 'Fameart' and is the ADP120R. It has a 1.2amp output with a switchable voltage (regulated) output (mine is set to the 7.5 volt or 9 volt setting) and is sold by Tandy here in the UK. It cost me about £35 if I remember. I used it to power my last DSLR (an Olympus E-10) with no problems whatsoever. The Nikon EH-5 AC PSU is rated at 9 volt 4.5amp. But I do not believe that the D100 draws anywhere near that sort of current !! If you consider that the EL-3 battery is rated at 7.2 volt, 1400 mAH then in theory it could supply 1.4 amps for an hour. This is not sustainable however and if a constant 1.4 amps were being drawn by the camera, the EL-3 would not last anywhere near an hour. It might be advantageous if someone who does use an EH-5 could monitor the idle current drawn by the D100 and then see what peaks of current are drawn when the AF is used, or the CF card is written to - etc etc. But I do believe that my 1200mA supply is more than adequate for the job.
The 4 pin Nikon plugs are available from Paramount Cords in NY. Contact Gary on:
[email protected]
and the Web site is:
http://www.paramountcords.com/
Hope this helps. My 4 pin plugs have just arrived - but I have not seen them yet as the mail arrived when I was at work - the envelope has gone back to the sorting office as it was too big for the letterbox !! I will collect it tomorrow. If you need any details on the plug connections let me know. You can buy the curly cords already made up with the 4 pin plug if you don't like a soldering iron !! Just tell Gary that it is for a D100.
When I get my AC adaptor wired up - I will post another message about the results. (I've been in electronic engineering for quite a while - so this kind of thing is not an issue for me !! The problem always was to locate a supplier of the 4 pin Nikon connectors)
The AC adaptor I use is from Tandy (Radio Shack) it is made by 'Fameart' and is the ADP120R. It has a 1.2amp output with a switchable voltage (regulated) output (mine is set to the 7.5 volt or 9 volt setting) and is sold by Tandy here in the UK. It cost me about £35 if I remember. I used it to power my last DSLR (an Olympus E-10) with no problems whatsoever. The Nikon EH-5 AC PSU is rated at 9 volt 4.5amp. But I do not believe that the D100 draws anywhere near that sort of current !! If you consider that the EL-3 battery is rated at 7.2 volt, 1400 mAH then in theory it could supply 1.4 amps for an hour. This is not sustainable however and if a constant 1.4 amps were being drawn by the camera, the EL-3 would not last anywhere near an hour. It might be advantageous if someone who does use an EH-5 could monitor the idle current drawn by the D100 and then see what peaks of current are drawn when the AF is used, or the CF card is written to - etc etc. But I do believe that my 1200mA supply is more than adequate for the job.
The 4 pin Nikon plugs are available from Paramount Cords in NY. Contact Gary on:
[email protected]
and the Web site is:
http://www.paramountcords.com/
Hope this helps. My 4 pin plugs have just arrived - but I have not seen them yet as the mail arrived when I was at work - the envelope has gone back to the sorting office as it was too big for the letterbox !! I will collect it tomorrow. If you need any details on the plug connections let me know. You can buy the curly cords already made up with the 4 pin plug if you don't like a soldering iron !! Just tell Gary that it is for a D100.
When I get my AC adaptor wired up - I will post another message about the results. (I've been in electronic engineering for quite a while - so this kind of thing is not an issue for me !! The problem always was to locate a supplier of the 4 pin Nikon connectors)
Zorpie
Senior Member
Joe,
You mentioned a laptop - a Thinkpad ?? I have heard this before - that there is an exact match of the Nikon D100 4 pin connector on a laptop - but don't know what laptop. Someone (a while ago now) said in a thread on here, that he knew of a guy who simply swapped his AC PSU from his laptop to his D100 and charged both with the same adaptor. I have been unable to find out - which laptop is involved here.
If you want a photo of the plate off the bottom of an EH-5 AC PSU showing the pin-out details - let me know. This again was posted a couple of months ago by other D100 users discussing the same topic.
You mentioned a laptop - a Thinkpad ?? I have heard this before - that there is an exact match of the Nikon D100 4 pin connector on a laptop - but don't know what laptop. Someone (a while ago now) said in a thread on here, that he knew of a guy who simply swapped his AC PSU from his laptop to his D100 and charged both with the same adaptor. I have been unable to find out - which laptop is involved here.
If you want a photo of the plate off the bottom of an EH-5 AC PSU showing the pin-out details - let me know. This again was posted a couple of months ago by other D100 users discussing the same topic.
Zorpie,
I checked the Paramount Cables website, and was unable to locate the 4 pin connector for the D100. How much were the connectors and could you post a pic of the ones you recieved?
Thanks,
John
I checked the Paramount Cables website, and was unable to locate the 4 pin connector for the D100. How much were the connectors and could you post a pic of the ones you recieved?
Thanks,
John
JoeSlotz
Well-known member
The IBM AC powersupply is a no-go. The plug is larger and shped differently. I beleive the output voltage differs from what is required in a D100 (stated above).
I await hearing if your AC adapter works. I will be checking availability of the parts here in the US.
--
JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
I await hearing if your AC adapter works. I will be checking availability of the parts here in the US.
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JoeSlotz
-- Got Nikon? --
Troy Tripamer
Senior Member
Zorpie, please keep this thread alive with what you do.
Thanks.
Troy
Love the ocean love the beach come visit Virginia Beach (VA USA)
My galleries: http://www.pbase.com/troysup
Thanks.
Troy
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Love the ocean love the beach come visit Virginia Beach (VA USA)
My galleries: http://www.pbase.com/troysup
Michael Prediger
New member
This reminds me of the proprietary 10-pin connector issue for my F100! I checked high and low for a connector that would fit this and could not find one, so I made my own. I actually went so far as to use the CNC machine here at work and created a pinned mold for the connector body that could be filled with plastic, so the pins would be straight and the plug look professional. Looks like I might be making an adapter for this!!!
Zorpie
Senior Member
To Troy and Joe,
I've just arrived back from a long weekend away - so have not done anything yet as regards the AC adaptor for the D100. However, the 4 pin plugs from Paramount Cords arrived. They are purely the mould, (which fits neatly into the D100 socket) with two pins and connector wires protruding from the back of the mould to connect to. I will hopefully start to do tests with my own AC Adaptor mentioned previously - and come back with comments. The plugs ARE available from Paramount Cords - but they are not yet on their Web site. I cannot advise the cost as yet (until I get the credit card invoice !!) because they were shipped from NY to me in the UK. Postage was $1.6 - that is all I know at the moment. I will try and photograph the two plugs and post them somewhere !! But as Gary at Paramount Cords told me, I will have to use epoxy to seal the back of the connector (once I have connected the two wires) to make up a solid plug that I can push in and pull out of the D100 socket. I will come back with further updates.
I've just arrived back from a long weekend away - so have not done anything yet as regards the AC adaptor for the D100. However, the 4 pin plugs from Paramount Cords arrived. They are purely the mould, (which fits neatly into the D100 socket) with two pins and connector wires protruding from the back of the mould to connect to. I will hopefully start to do tests with my own AC Adaptor mentioned previously - and come back with comments. The plugs ARE available from Paramount Cords - but they are not yet on their Web site. I cannot advise the cost as yet (until I get the credit card invoice !!) because they were shipped from NY to me in the UK. Postage was $1.6 - that is all I know at the moment. I will try and photograph the two plugs and post them somewhere !! But as Gary at Paramount Cords told me, I will have to use epoxy to seal the back of the connector (once I have connected the two wires) to make up a solid plug that I can push in and pull out of the D100 socket. I will come back with further updates.
This reminds me of the proprietary 10-pin connector issue for my
F100! I checked high and low for a connector that would fit this
and could not find one, so I made my own. I actually went so far as
to use the CNC machine here at work and created a pinned mold for
the connector body that could be filled with plastic, so the pins
would be straight and the plug look professional. Looks like I
might be making an adapter for this!!!
SpinThis!
Well-known member
- cough * geeks * cough*.
--
Dave
Zorpie
Senior Member
SpinThis,
No kick at all - just the point that I already have a suitable AC adaptor - and just because Nikon fit a non-standard DC input plug to the camera - I have to go to the expense of another AC adaptor ?? I don't think that is a good idea at all. So no - it isn't a kick - it is a point of principle I guess. The principle being that Nikon should either fit standard connectors to their equipment range - or - they should be issuing the AC Adaptor with the camera when it is bought new. I can use my AC adaptor (when I get around to doing the job) with the $10 plug from Paramount Cords. It has saved me at least £65. Some people would say that spending £1700 on a camera body and then getting around the £70 for the AC Adaptor - is penny pinching. I wouldn't agree. In my case - it is principle.
No kick at all - just the point that I already have a suitable AC adaptor - and just because Nikon fit a non-standard DC input plug to the camera - I have to go to the expense of another AC adaptor ?? I don't think that is a good idea at all. So no - it isn't a kick - it is a point of principle I guess. The principle being that Nikon should either fit standard connectors to their equipment range - or - they should be issuing the AC Adaptor with the camera when it is bought new. I can use my AC adaptor (when I get around to doing the job) with the $10 plug from Paramount Cords. It has saved me at least £65. Some people would say that spending £1700 on a camera body and then getting around the £70 for the AC Adaptor - is penny pinching. I wouldn't agree. In my case - it is principle.
Nikon is price gauging, there's no issue there, but I find it
- cough * geeks * cough*.
interesting some people go to great lenghts to fabricate an adapter
that's not even guaranteed to work! Isn't your time worth
something? I guess some people value their money more than their
time or they just get a real kick out of those DYI projects.
--
Dave
Zorpie
Senior Member
To those of you interested enough - the Paramount D100 plugs are NOT easy to work with. There is no cable gland or back to the plug - you have to mix epoxy and make your own. For me, this has not been a success. The next thing is to then order the plugs from Paramount with a curly lead attached and the plug already sealed in a mould. At least the end of the curly cord can then be fitted with a conventional connector to fit an external battery or AC PSU. Watch this space.
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