Cameras with wireless control?

waynecrider · Apr 28, 2009

I need a camera with wireless control. I'm not looking to spend top money, just something to get the job done from a high mount. AF is probably not going to be of importance as action will be quick and I will be presetting the focus using a somewhat wide lens such as a 24-35mm to start with, so I'll need a reasonable priced lens as well. I will eventually use two bodies but am going to start with one. I know Minolta's have wireless control (I'm trying to sell a 7000 and 7000i for a friend) but I have long and short Nikon lenses and Canon FD lenses I could use to cut cost. I think getting a wireless camera controller is going to be half the problem if it's not current. I'm also running an infrared flash setup for 2 to 3 rigged slave controlled flashes off another handheld body and need control thru both bodies. I think a PC flash or wireless off the wireless body could handle the flash problem. Any ideas?

Tom Nutter · Apr 28, 2009

You can get radio slaves and a cord specific to your camera that will connect them to your camera. You will probably need a camera that uses an electronic cable release.. I used to do this with Nikon f-5's and n90's with quantum slave units. the cord came from quantum, not nikon.

I used to do this for "Perp walks" in my newspaper days. You can also get creative and with a few parts from radio shack, you can make foot switches and all kinds of cool stuff.

Excalibur2 · Apr 28, 2009

In the user manual for the Canon T90, it mentions wireless control and of course the T90 takes FD lenses

Peter C · Apr 28, 2009

Several Nikons (F90, F4, F801 for example) have freeze focus when used with a multi-control back.
Freeze focus lets you set the focus and the camera will fire when subject is in focus.

PhotoJim · Apr 28, 2009

Nikon has a wireless control unit that works through the 10-pin cable release socket. A body as modest as an F90/N90 will work. The wireless units are not common but they are around.

Tom Nutter · Apr 28, 2009

I'm assuming any nikon from that generation, even an F5 is pretty cheap these days...probably cheaper than the slaves, and Manual- focus AIS lenses cheaper still...If you need a camera too...........that's right, you would want that 10-pin socket.

gordrob · Apr 28, 2009

If you have Canon FD lenses you may want to look for their infrared remote releases - they work up to 100m. The LC 1 will work with A1 and F1N with motor drives. For a T90 you would need an LC 2 which also has a beam mode that allows you to set up so that when the beam is broken it trips the shutter. LC-1s can be found fairly cheap while the LC 2 is more expensive. I am not sure if the Lc 2 has the same 100m distance that the LC 1 has.
Gord

waynecrider · Apr 28, 2009

gordrob said:
If you have Canon FD lenses you may want to look for their infrared remote releases - they work up to 100m. The LC 1 will work with A1 and F1N with motor drives. For a T90 you would need an LC 2 which also has a beam mode that allows you to set up so that when the beam is broken it trips the shutter. LC-1s can be found fairly cheap while the LC 2 is more expensive. I am not sure if the Lc 2 has the same 100m distance that the LC 1 has.
Gord

I'll look into the LC-2 and buying a T90. I need auto film advance. Might be a little pricey way to go tho.

David A. Goldfarb · Apr 28, 2009

Most of the Canon motor drives/auto winders for the A-series and the New F-1 have a simple mini phone jack for connecting a remote trigger, which is just a simple switch. The one I use on my New F-1 is a 100-foot cord for movie cameras. If you've already got some sort of remote triggering system or if you need radio control instead of infrared, it would be fairly simple to adapt. I don't know if the remote release for the T-90 has the same kind of ordinary jack, or if it's a proprietary connector like the EOS cameras have in general.

mudman · Apr 29, 2009

Also the Nikon N80 has an infrared remote available I believe, but the range isn't that great and it won't meter with MF lenses.

gordrob · Apr 29, 2009

The Canon T90 needs a Canon proprietary T3 plug to trigger the shutter by remote control. The LC 1 remote has the phono plug connection, The T series needs the T3 connector and the LC 3 to LC5 needs the N3 connector. There is an adapter to use T3 connectors on the EOS cameras but there is no upward compatibility to use the LC 1 on the T or EOS series. The LC 2 is only a trigger and does not support the auto focus on the T & EOS models. Only the LC 2 has the beam breaker release.
There is some more information regarding the use of the LC 2 and flash units at

http://photo.net/canon-eos-digital-camera-forum/00MMoA

Gord

waynecrider · Apr 29, 2009

mudman said:
Also the Nikon N80 has an infrared remote available I believe, but the range isn't that great and it won't meter with MF lenses.

There's nothing listed in the accessories section of the manual. I think the first wireless for an auto film advance camera in Nikon was the N90/S but I could be mistaken.

2F/2F · Apr 29, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
Most of the Canon motor drives/auto winders for the A-series and the New F-1 have a simple mini phone jack for connecting a remote trigger, which is just a simple switch. The one I use on my New F-1 is a 100-foot cord for movie cameras. If you've already got some sort of remote triggering system or if you need radio control instead of infrared, it would be fairly simple to adapt. I don't know if the remote release for the T-90 has the same kind of ordinary jack, or if it's a proprietary connector like the EOS cameras have in general.

My early F-1 Motor Drive and Power Winder have the same jack, I believe. The Power Winder F has it for sure, and I will have to dig out the Motor Drive to check. I have never had a use for it, but it would make sense that you can wire a radio slave into that jack and trigger it from a transmitter on the court/field/wherever. I should take the winder into work and try it out with their Pocket Wizards.

mudman · Apr 29, 2009

waynecrider said:
There's nothing listed in the accessories section of the manual. I think the first wireless for an auto film advance camera in Nikon was the N90/S but I could be mistaken.

Maybe I'm mistaken. I sometimes get the specs of the N80 and the Canon Elan 7ne mixed up because I was looking at purchasing both cameras at one time.

waynecrider · Apr 29, 2009

mudman said:
Maybe I'm mistaken. I sometimes get the specs of the N80 and the Canon Elan 7ne mixed up because I was looking at purchasing both cameras at one time.

There is a release for the digital models and it's pretty cheap.

Cameras with wireless control?

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