Some F3 technical questions

[richardHaw]

Hello, what do these 2 little copper contacts do? Do they send out a current when the shutter is fired? Does the F3 have a way of telleing an external device wether it has been fired or not? Thanks!

[Akira]

RIck, if I remember correctly, these are the contacts for its dedicated data back (for the synchronization).  I figure the numbers/letters of the data back light up when the shutter is activated.

[the solitaire]

Those are indeed for use with the databack. In the F4 Nikon even placed 7 contacts in that same location for a wider array of communication options

[richardHaw]

thanks for answering, everybody!
that was what i was initially thinking but i saw a data-back made my kodak that does not have any corresponding pins to these
i am going to get a volt meter soon and then we will know exactly what these do. i really need the F3 to give me a signal each time it is fired. can anybody point me to a technical paper for the F3? thanks.

PS: i will show you what i am up to once i get things going...mr Akira is the closest person to me physically as he lives in the same city so he can be my guinea pig if it's ok for him hahaha

[Akira]

RIck, I'm willing to be your guinea pig so long as you don't try to modify me.

I would suspect the contacts are simply connected parallel to the hotshoe rather than put out some sort of signal?

[Asle F]

i really need the F3 to give me a signal each time it is fired.

The PC-connector will do that

[JAP]

Here is my old work horse and databack,

[richardHaw]

The PC-connector will do that

that's brilliant

very elegant. now i need to know how much voltage it spits out

[richardHaw]

Here is my old work horse and databack,

thanks, JAP. that pressure plate looks huge, what data back is this?

[Matthew Currie]

I have a copy of the second version of the F3 service manual (Look in "acticwolfs.net") and this page is all there seems to be on it:

[JAP]

thanks, JAP. that pressure plate looks huge, what data back is this?

MF-14 (picture name is wrong sorry)
makes red printings , if i remember right,

juha

[Hugh_3170]

Richard, I have just checked my F100 and its MF-29 back (whilst looking for something else I admit ), and it has 7 fixed contacts on the body (just below the bottom film rails) and a matching set of 7 pins on the MF-29 back.

Can get images of these for you if they are of interest.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The Plot thickens - or not?

My F3P has the two shown contacts that correspond to the contacts of the special back used for F3P + motordrive MD-4 and which indeed makes the red LED(s) light up. That is, if I remember correctly, one LED lights up for each exposure, another lights up and stays put while the film is rewound.

Thus it seems these two are related to the motordrive and not to any databack.