Wireless shutter release?

[Lars Daniel]

I am thinking about a way to fire the shutter wirelessly from a distance (100m would be nice). I have a feeling that I might have to resort to DIY using some cheap RC equipment, hooking up a servo to the shutter cable release.
Has anybody done this? Are there any commercial solutions out there?

[BetterSense]

I did it with my RC car radio and a standard servo. I trips a copal self-cocking shutter, but not my speed graphic focal plane shutter. It hooks up to any standard cable release. Not exactly compact; I was going to make another one that used modulated IR so I could use an IR remote, but that would have less range.

[Ernest Purdum]

I remember a radio controlled release being marketed many years ago, but haven't seen one recently.

[Richard Mc]

maybe the mechanical part of the device could include this ->

http://www.kapturegroup.com/kap_htmls/electronic_cable.html

These are made to accept the triggering output of either a sound or laser trigger or a manual foot trigger made by the same company.

They cost about US$900.

You would still have to find some way of interfacing a PocketWizard or similar to the device but that should not be too hard for someone with an electronics background.....

Perhaps it would be worth an email to the Kapture Group ?

You are probably not the first person to have had this requirement, and with any luck they might have a pre-made solution.

Another idea would be to use the Horseman ISS-G3 electronic shutter system ->

http://www.komamura.co.jp/e/digital/ISSG3.html

This is much more expensive (about US$2000 for control unit and US1000 per shutter - available in Copal 0, 1, 3) but there might be some way to trigger an exposure by connecting a PocketWizard to the control unit. You would also buy yourself great accuracy in shutter speeds, more control, and reproducibility of exposure, but may need to be near a power source as the unit is driven by 24V DC via a power adapter.

It's not clear from their website how you would trigger the unit externally, but there are 2 serial ports on the control unit which can be used for connecting a computer or a digital back (to synchronize the back to the shutter), so there may be a way.

[jp]

Someone could probably rig a remote car starter to a door-lock solenoid to operate the camera. Then you'd have a little radio controlled key fob to operate your shutter.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

You've certainly chosen an inconvenient path for yourself. By comparison using a DSLR for remotes is a piece of cake (my Nikon D300 actually allows remote Live View from my laptop prior to pressing the shutter, wirelessly at 100 yards with a WT4A accessory, for instance). A medium format film camera with an electric release is a peace of cake, as well, if you're intent on using film.

You're not easily going to get film advance with LF so a simple solenoid release is probably easiest (e.g. no need to remotely re-cock the shutter). If you're intent on doing this with LF, I'd look hard for a Super Graphic that already has an electric solenoid release in working condition, and simply splice/or wire up to a a YongNuo or Phottix trigger. (The YongNuo is capable of 100 yards and is really tiny, and a bargain).

[Nathan Potter]

At 100 metres it seems a long fishline could do the job. No need to waste more of the electromagnetic spectrum. :D

[Jim Noel]

There are such devices on the market. Check the Calumet catalog. There are also cheaper Chinese copies.