FT-1 Accessory Terminal Pin Out Questions

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All,

SOmetime back there was a short flurry of postings on the Fx-1 (x = C, S, T) Accessory Terminal and how one goes about triggering the shutter.

Does any one have detailed information on the port? The old postings said the pins (numbering CW from lower right 1-5) 4 and 5 were the "braid" in the cable and 2 and 3 were the green and white wires in the cable. Apparently the green and white when tied together and then touched to the braid (4 and 5) the shutter would fire.

I'm wondering if:

a. Is this (the above description) right? b. Does tying 2 & 3 do something like set the exposure if the AE lock switch is set? c. Are there any other functions "derivable" from the accessory terminal? d. Does anyone have any information on the Wireless Shutter Release or the Timed Shutter Release? Any experiences to share? I haven't seen anything offered up on eBay or elsewhere on-line. e. Are there Newer accessories made for the Fx-1 cameras? Todays Wireless and digital circuitry seems to make this very do-able. Thanks for your help & attention.

-- tm

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2001

Answers

FT-1 Accessory Terminal

Hi Tom,

I finally looked this up in the factory service manual and here is some info which may help (haven't looked at the earlier postings, so don't know if this is anything additional). Bear with me, I'm no electronics genius and these manuals are the usual bizarre translations from Japanese!

As you look at the port from the front, the locating pin hole is on the right side at 3 o'clock... clockwise from there...

1. The terminal at 4:30 is "Fout", which I think they mean f-out... this terminal provides a connection to the camera's AE metering system, whereby AE info can be transmitted to external accessories, in terms of voltage levels... I would think for connection to an external flash, for example.

2. The terminal at 7:30 is labelled S2, see below...

3. The terminal at 9:00 is labelled S1, see below...

4. The terminal at 10:30 is labelled ST, and is dedicated to turning off the camera's internal self-timer mechanism when certain external accessories are being used. It looks like when voltage is supplied to this terminal (ON) the internal self-timer is turned "off". When there is no voltage to this terminal (OFF) the internal self-timer operates normally. I can see where this override would be needed with the Interval Timer or the Remote Shutter Release (radio type).

5. The terminal ar 1:00 is labelled G, which even tho I'm no electrical genius, I can surmise is Ground.

S1 & S2 work together... S1 is the terminal for inputting a signal to release the 1st step of the shutter. This 1st step is really just the activation of the metering system... when using an FT-1 remote shutter release, you have a "halfway" position on the button, just like the on-camera shutter release button... whereby the metering is activited, pending "full" movement of the button which fires the shutter.

S2 activates the 2nd step of "shutter release", which in simplified order is diaphragm magnet on, shutter release magnet on, reading & begin setting the aperture, raising the mirror, diaphragm magnet off, aperture determined, lead plane on, exposure, lead plane off, rear plane on, MB (mirror box?) motor on (which returns diaphragm to original position, returns mirror to original position, charges the shutter), MB motor off, Wind motor on (film winds, counter advances), wind motor off.

I'm trying to adapt this description from a flow chart in the manual, some of these actions happen concurrently. I know one of your questions was about the potential for a mirror lockup. Don't know if this helps or not!

You might want to send an e-mail to a technician like Greg Weber (gweber@teknetwork.com) to see if he has ever modified or seen a modification for mirror lockup.

Let us know. I would be curious, because this and depth-of-field preview capability are two very key features that I really miss on the FT-1, that keep me using my solid, noisy old T4s (as long as their meters hold out)!

Alan Myers San Jose, Calif.

-- Anonymous, March 04, 2001


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