Remote shutter releases for large format lenses

[Terence Falk]

Does anyone know of a better way to fire a shutter remotely other than the air releases? I've tried a few of them and they don't always work. I do not want the hose and bulb visible in the series of self-portraits that I am working on. I was thinking of a battery opertated system that might use parts from radio controlled models- a wire with a switch at the end that would work with alot less effort. Any

[paul schuster]

I use a self timer for self portraits etc. for under $15 it sure sounds simpler than your wires and radio controller.

[Rob Tucher]

The Capture Group or something like that (maybe Kapture?) made or makes a kit of remote devices and parts of it seem to be able to shoot large-format lenses remotely. As I understand one of the devices can even repeat-shoot a Prontor shutter. The downside...it is FIENDISHLY expensive. Don't know if you can buy parts separate from the kit or where you can even get it. You used to be able to rent it at Jeff Hirsch's FotoCare in NYC.

[Larry Huppert]

I believe the Kapture Group electronic shutter release sells for about $900, and it might require AC power. For about another $800 you can tote along a nice light and quiet Honda generator to power the shutter release in the field.

[Larry Huppert]

Terence,

In all seriousness, there aren't many reasonable alternatives for triping the shutter. The cheap little self timers do work, and an air release of high quality would also work. As you've found, the cheap plastic air releases aren't very good for LF use. However, there are some better models on the market. I use a modified version of the de Groff air release, and it works great. I believe Kaiser may also make a better quality air release, although I've never seen it. To get what you want, you might have to do a little inventing. If I take the bulb from my air release and press it with my foot, it will work, however the bulb is meant to be pressed by your hand and it will wiggle around on the floor and requires that you pretty much step fully on the bulb. That amount of foot force would probably disrupt your self portrait. For your needs I'd go to a sporting goods store and look at one of those inexpensive foot pumps for inflating boats. Using some fittings, you should be able to adapt that to an air release. Those pumps have such high volume, it shouldn't take much foot pressure to trip your shutter. Previous posts have also discussed the various air releases on the market in some detail.

[Sean Billy Bob Boy yates]

I definately vote for the small mechanical clock-work self timers. I have one made in Germany from before WWII that works like a champ. It is designed to be attached to a cable release. I don't know if you can get them like that any more, but adding an extension, like what is used for wide angle lenses to any of the better quality ones aimed at the S.L.R. market should work well. They come up on Ebay all the time.

[eduardtoader]

I prefere 380v generator if it's possible. I could weld with too..

I'm curious about the old german selftimer. Would you share a pic of the shutter and how you attach it to the camera?

Cheers.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

A cheap LF solenoid based radio remote wireless trigger would be nice but AFAIK there aren't any commonly available.

Since you have an air-bulb and a length of hose, you might try squeezing it under your foot if the self portrait is a standing or seated one. Another easy way to get a self-portrait would be a darkened room using an open flash technique (open shutter, and the flash pop is all that records on film). That'd be really easy with a Poverty Wizard/Pocket Wizard. But you'll need to rig a secondary solenoid and battery circuit into a wireless trigger to use one of these kinds of remotes with your LF shutter-- or else find a cheap R/C toy that can be cannibalized for transmitter, receiver, battery and servo motor. But then there's shutter lag to be factored in, etc. I'll suggest you don't try to go through an airport screening with anything like this held together with Gaffer's tape. They'll mistake you for the Unibomber.

Not to dissuade you but honestly, I suggest the simpler methods first because once you've tried to do even a little bit of this sort of thing, you may find the keeper ratio to be so low as to make further efforts with film and particularly LF images unrewarding (e.g. ridiculously expensive).

Especially compared to using a tethered DSLR that you can flip a laptop around for live view, pose and take as many shots as you have the patience for at no incremental cost with aperture and metering brackets, flash ratio changes etc. It's almost trivially easy to do this with the right camera and tethering software. Tethering will also work with radio-triggered remotes. It's simple to use a DSLR or smaller film formats with something like a Phottix Cleon or Yong Nuo RF602 or another cheap wireless trigger, provided they have electric shutter release sockets and autowinders or motordrives.

[IanG]

I prefere 380v generator if it's possible. I could weld with too..

I'm curious about the old german selftimer. Would you share a pic of the shutter and how you attach it to the camera?

Cheers.

I have or maybe had one as it's disappeared made in the 1960's or early 70's, they just thread into the tripod socket and are a simple mechanical (clockwork) device.

I've seen quite a few different models and will keep a look out at a camera fair tomorrow.

Ian

[Sevo]

A cheap LF solenoid based radio remote wireless trigger would be nice but AFAIK there aren't any commonly available.


It never has been a mainstream item, but there were some made in small series, up to the eighties, when cameras with electronic transport and release became standard for wildlife photography and cinematography. However I haven't ever seen a used one offered for sale, so they must be passed along in circles with little or no intersection to large format photography.

But it would not be hard to roll your own with a wireless remote controlling a RC servo drive attached to a cable release - any RC model shop could supply the components (and probably even configure them ready for use).

[Ivan J. Eberle]

There'd be more of a lag with a servo than a solenoid. This is not modern rocket science. It's more like WWII-era or 1950's tech. Solenoids were so common for flashbulb delay as to not be worth commenting upon, then. Too, there were mid-century LF cameras like the Super Graphic with it's electric release that made wiring up remotes dead simple. Remember though this was professional gear for commercial applications. Better solutions replaced the early crude tech. By the 70's there were electrically-timed and released LF shutters. For critical stop-motion stuff, it's also easier to precisely delay and time the flash pop initiation and duration than a mechanically moving shutter. (Which is the rationale behind expensive Kapture Group kit and other sophisticated triggering).

[Arne Croell]

I prefere 380v generator if it's possible. I could weld with too..

I'm curious about the old german selftimer. Would you share a pic of the shutter and how you attach it to the camera?

Cheers.
Here is one (actually "Made in Japan"), attaching it is the same as with a regular cable release. Max. delay is about 15s.

[pbo]

Here is one (actually "Made in Japan"), attaching it is the same as with a regular cable release. Max. delay is about 15s.

I have one of the German versions of the release you have - it's called Autoknips, attaches to the cable release, and if you wind it completely it has a delay of about 8 seconds (though that probably depends on the cable release design and the shutter design). Pretty straightforward in operation, but not very comfortable to use, plus it doesn't have a scale that indicates delay time.

[europanorama]

Prontor Professional Timer 2-32 sec.
First version was a non-perfect workaround with a DIY-adapter(from a cable-release prolonger) which had to reduce the hub. could be i showe that here but did on Facebook. Largeformat Photography. but i had only M 3.2 x0.5 thread on one side of adapter for copal 1. any other shutter has the same mount. so had to tape the cable to the adapter. Then i had an idea: shortening the cable-release-tip. made a big mistake right now. shortened too long in the first stage. 12mm. one should start at 10mm and increase by 0.5mm. at around 11mm timer should open shutter.

[Two23]

I believe the Kapture Group electronic shutter release sells for about $900, and it might require AC power. For about another $800 you can tote along a nice light and quiet Honda generator to power the shutter release in the field.


For twenty bucks I could pay some bum that's hanging around to hit the release.



Kent in SD

[Jim Noel]

The wind up timers made for many years,by several companies are generally very reliable and cost very little. Some of these push the plunger on a cable releases,and others screw directly into the cable release socket. There is aso at least one R/C device from China which works well. Look around and you should be able to find one.

[malexand]

Doing a quick search I found this - https://www.actuonix.com/Wireless-Remote-Control-kit-for-linear-actuators-p/remote_control.htm
A 10 or 20mm actuator looks to run another $70ish. If you have reasonable tinkering skills, it wouldn't take long to put something together with these 2 components...
Great - now you got me thinking about putting one together ;)
As if I needed another project!

[tonyowen]

Why not use the 'V' [delayed action] setting on the shutter??????

regards

Tony

[charleymeyer]

Prontor Professional Timer 2-32 sec.
First version was a non-perfect workaround with a DIY-adapter(from a cable-release prolonger) which had to reduce the hub. could be i showe that here but did on Facebook. Largeformat Photography. but i had only M 3.2 x0.5 thread on one side of adapter for copal 1. any other shutter has the same mount. so had to tape the cable to the adapter. Then i had an idea: shortening the cable-release-tip. made a big mistake right now. shortened too long in the first stage. 12mm. one should start at 10mm and increase by 0.5mm. at around 11mm timer should open shutter.

I second the Prontor professional, It will cock&trip a Sinar shutter.