Nikon D90 MC-DC2 Remote Shutter Hack

ever need to control your shutter on your nikon but cant find that strange "accessory" plug?
need more distance on your remote
want to make a highspeed photography rig or have one that does not work for your nikon?

well me to so i have made this simple hack for you :)

Step 1: Gather the parts

go to radioshack or your parts bin and get
ONE In-Line 1/8" Phone Jack (3 PIN Stereo type)
ONE (or 2 if your making ur own shutter cable) 1/8" stereo Phone Plug
(these come in packs of 2)

one nikon MC-DC2 (works with MC-DC1 if your camera only supports that and probably other shutter releases)

Comments

[jjiménez20]

You say that the focus must be active for the shutter release to work. I am trying to connect a Celestron 4SE telescope to the Nikon (the telescope has camera control functions). Here is the schematic.

http://downloads.celestron.com/Archives/Telescopes/NexStar_SE/4-5SEcamera_shutter_cable.pdf

However, it only has ground and shutter release, not focus. How could I get this to work with the D3200 Nikon?

[rcole-2]

So is it possible to just buy the jack that goes into the Nikon? I have a d3100 and it's got a strange rectangular jack about the size of a mini usb, but without the flanges. It would be great to be able to not need to buy the whole MC-DC2. Is that correct? Could you maybe add a schematic of just that plug?? the colored wire description is great, but only relevant to those w/ that plug already wired up. Thanks!

[rjbatc]

Buy it on e-bay from the chinese for 3$. Buy two, just in case. When one of them breaks, you can use the plug and still use the other one.

[Sidney Floyd]

It's far easier to just foot the cost of the whole remote shutter accessory. Once it's cut you get the plug that is broken out into the fly lead. Not to mention that you probably can't find the proprietary nikon shutter plug anywhere as a single, modifiable unit.

[skaramicke]

I cut an old usb cord I wasn't using, separated the four wires inside and stripped their ends, plugged in to my camera, shorted green against black - and nothing!
Isn't it supposed to focus when I do that?

Or is the MC-DC2 sending power through too?

[NeilJB]

The plug/socket being used here isn't the USB socket - it's the one at the top, i.e. the one above the USB socket. It's square, and a bit larger than mini USB. This applies to D90, D5000, D3100, D5100 (and possibly others, check Nikon specs at mynikonlife.com for use of MC-DC2).

[NeilJB]

You can get a cable and plug from eBay, it's a

YongNuo RF-602 YN-126 Remote Cable for NIKON D90 D5000 LS-021.

Cut one end off and you have exactly what you need. I got mine through phoebe-g2009 a few months ago for AU$7.26 each postage free, so in US$ it would be a little more.

[RogerDman]

Awesome! Thank you for this, I shoot off a 50 foot mast and needed a better way besides radio control.