Taking lights with DSLR & Mirror lockup method??

[tingting44]

Morning guys, im just wondering if there is a less power hungry method of getting lights with the mirror lockup enabled on a DSLR? at 1st i use to use my Canon 7D with mirror lockup enabled, but its not the best method with the use of a shutter release cable, as when the shutter release clicks on for say a one minute exposure it will only lock the mirror to open, then the shutter release thinks its capturing 1 min of data, then when the 2nd min comes the shutter release will click the camera again which this time it will take the 1 min light sub, but it takes 2 cycles via the shutter release to get one light, this is very bad as it was cutting my imaging time in half for the night which is not good with the ammount of clear skies we get to  waste say 4 hours taking lights and to only get 2 hours worth................

So then i started to not use mirror lockup and just started to leave the live view on all the time as this locks the mirror also to achieve the live view, but again this is not ideal as it drains my batteries and warms the camera up terribly which is not a good thing either.......

so im just wondering have i missed something........is there a way to use a shutter release with mirror lockup without cutting my imaging time in half....

[frugal]

I do not know what kind of shutter release you are using, but have you tried turning the timer on the camera on? On my 60D if the timber is on and mirror lock is selected it will raise the mirror at the start of the timer. So you get 10 seconds (or 2 depending on the timer setting chosen) of mirror lock before the shutter opens.

I would have expected the mirror to drop when the shutter closes at the end of the photo.

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

[PhotoGav]

Absolutely - turn the self timer on, then the mirror lifts on the 'press', self timer starts, finishes, the shutter opens and the exposure time continues. Don't forget to add the length of the self-timer to the total exposure time.

Good luck!

[Tinker1947]

i use a remote its cheap and works well this link might not fit your model but there will be one just Google for it....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Remote-Control-Shutter-Release-DC274/dp/B00C95M46W/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1400922038&sr=8-6&keywords=canon+remote+shutter+release

[tingting44]

thanks for the replies guys, very interesting idea about the timer method!!! i will try it in a minute so if i want a 60 sec exposure with the 10 sec timer delay id need to put the exposure for 70 sec........

and thanks tinker thats the same shutter release ive got

[tingting44]

Thanks guys that works a TREAT! just need to figure out a way to turn off that annoying flashing timer light now lol.....cant find a way in any of the menu's or FN menu's

[Guest]

Hi,

I don think you need to do any of that, first is it a digic IV processor in the camera, which I think it is on that camera, so use software like APT set your exposure length and enable mirror lock up,on the camera and in the delay settings in the APT software, then set a delay of about 15 seconds,and off you go, it will open the mirror then 15 seconds later take the exposure and then drop the mirror, and then you set another delay between exposures of say another 15 seconds, then the whole process will start again for as many exposures as you told it to take, and this is all done through a single USB cable from the camera to PC, no separate shutter cables to bother with....simples...

So, to recap

Shutter lifts.....and then 15 second delay......then image taken at whatever length set.......then shutter closes and mirror drops.......another 15 second delay or whatever you choose to set, and then the whole process starts again for as many exposures as you tell it to take.

Obviously for all this to happen you need a PC.........and it only works through USB alone with Digic IV processor cameras or newer.

Hope that helps a bit

MM

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[tingting44]

Thanks MagnaMan, think ill stick with my shutter release for now as i got more important money to save up for when it comes to programs, such as PI,GTX photoshop plugin and a few more that are bookmarked lol let along an 80ED, FF/FR and i will be getting a CCD next april so DSLR is just a temp solution for the time being, thats why i have not modded my canon 7D as i will eventually be getting a CCD and i use it for daytime togging, shame as i cant image many nubula with my current setup, at least ive got the Galaxies and cluster;s to keep me busy

edit, or did i read wrong? is APT free with no time limit for the demo?

[Guest]

Thanks MagnaMan, think ill stick with my shutter release for now as i got more important money to save up for when it comes to programs, such as PI,GTX photoshop plugin and a few more that are bookmarked lol let along an 80ED, FF/FR and i will be getting a CCD next april so DSLR is just a temp solution for the time being, thats why i have not modded my canon 7D as i will eventually be getting a CCD and i use it for daytime togging, shame as i cant image many nubula with my current setup, at least ive got the Galaxies and cluster;s to keep me busy

edit, or did i read wrong? is APT free with no time limit for the demo?

Yes it is free the demo version with no time limit, and the full version is only 12.70 euros and then 6 euros a year after, but you can just pay the 12.70 euros and then after one year just not be able to get anymore updates, but if it does what you want when you buy, which it will,I assure you, then no need to ever update. So a bargain @ around a tender.

I would highly recommend it, I have used for ages and it is superb software for Canon owners I can assure you.

MM

MM

[tingting44]

Yes it is free the demo version with no time limit, and the full version is only 12.70 euros and then 6 euros a year after, but you can just pay the 12.70 euros and then after one year just not be able to get anymore updates, but if it does what you want when you buy, which it will,I assure you, then no need to ever update. So a bargain @ around a tender.

I would highly recommend it, I have used for ages and it is superb software for Canon owners I can assure you.

MM

MM

wow not a bank breaker at £10 then i will indeed make the effort to use it then next time we have a break in cloud, thanks buddy

[Guest]

wow not a bank breaker at £10 then i will indeed make the effort to use it then next time we have a break in cloud, thanks buddy

Yep

It's a no brainer.... :-)

[frugal]

Thanks guys that works a TREAT! just need to figure out a way to turn off that annoying flashing timer light now lol.....cant find a way in any of the menu's or FN menu's

Try a small piece of black electrical tape. Completely opaque and can be peeled off if you need to.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[tingting44]

Try a small piece of black electrical tape. Completely opaque and can be peeled off if you need to.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Thanks buddy, might try that or blue tac...

[PhotoGav]

+1 for APT and if you are going to move to CCD, you definitely need to be an in-the-field-laptop master!

[tingting44]

+1 for APT and if you are going to move to CCD, you definitely need to be an in-the-field-laptop master!

yup, will be some good practice on the notebook then ive only really started using the notebook for guiding, so better get use to it for when i jump into the world of CCD

thanks Gav

edit, i cant seem to find any where to buy the program anywhere on the site tho? ...

also if the demo is unlimited, why would you buy the full version?

[tingting44]

 first is it a digic IV processor in the camera,

just checked up before getting the program and yes i have dual digic IV processor's so i should be ok ...

[tingting44]

i see you can guide with APT, is it better to guide with it instead of PHD also?

[Guest]

yup, will be some good practice on the notebook then ive only really started using the notebook for guiding, so better get use to it for when i jump into the world of CCD

thanks Gav

edit, i cant seem to find any where to buy the program anywhere on the site tho? ...

also if the demo is unlimited, why would you buy the full version?

Because the demo has limited features, there is a lot more in the full version

Go to here and see the purchase link on left hand side

http://www.ideiki.com/astro/

MM

[Guest]

i see you can guide with APT, is it better to guide with it instead of PHD also?

No you do not guide with APT it integrated with PHD so you use PHD but you can switch between program's as they are linked. The author made it that way and it works perfectly

MM

[tingting44]

Because the demo has limited features, there is a lot more in the full version

Go to here and see the purchase link on left hand side

http://www.ideiki.com/astro/

MM

thanks, ill get my head around things 1st but will buy it once im use to it really liking a lot of options im seeing so far tho

[tingting44]

No you do not guide with APT it integrated with PHD so you use PHD but you can switch between program's as they are linked. The author made it that way and it works perfectly

MM

what reason would you switch between APT and PHD for? sorry for all the questions lol just trying to get clued up for when i use it on a cloudless night lol

[Guest]

what reason would you switch between APT and PHD for? sorry for all the questions lol just trying to get clued up for when i use it on a cloudless night lol

PHD is controlling your guiding, but APT is controlling your camera and image capture, so if you are using a big screen then you could have them both on screen, but on a netbook like I use which is 10" then I don't have room to have both programmes on screen together, but once PHD is guiding you can minimise that and concentrate on the capture, as the guiding takes care of itself, but because the two programmes are integrated, it makes the whole image capture process so easy.

It really is a superb programme with a lot of support too, just email the author and he will get bake to you straight away with an answer, he is very helpful indeed.

MM

[tingting44]

awsome one MM thanks for all your info, might plug my dslr into it in a bit and have a bit of a play just to get use to it, i also have a small notebook so not a lot of screen space will report back how i find using APT