Timer remote not closing shutter after exposure

[VigdisVZ]

Hey SGL, kind of an urgent question here...

Got myself a timer remote today for my nikon, going to try can take 90 sec subs unguided tonight.

This is the remote:

http://www.amazon.com/JYC-TC-N3-Timer-Remote-Control/dp/B00KB2EQCA

Problem:

It starts the sequence, but when the exposure ends, it doesnt close the shutter on the camera. The timer remote keeps going for the next sub, but the camera keeps on working on the first one. As if the remote doesnt send a signal to stop exposure.

This is in BULB mode, and if i set anything else than bulb mode, the camera setting overrides the timer remote.

Any ideas? Kinda let down right now since I was hoping to use tonights break in the weather.

[PhotoGav]

Arrrrghhhh. Bad situation!

What settings have you put into the timer remote? You have four things to set:

Delay - time before it all starts

Length - exposure time

Interval - time between exposures

Number - number of exposures

Hopefully it's simply a wrong setting...

Also, do you have the mirror lock-up and shutter delay timer set to run on the camera itself - this is a useful way of getting rid of any potential camera shake. The signal from the remote triggers the mirror lock up and starts the timer on the camera, then when the self-timer runs out, the shutter opens and the exposure starts. You have to remember to increase the exposure length on the remote by the length of the self-timer on the camera, that way you actually get the right length of exposure.

Hope that makes sense and is of help.

[Astrosurf]

I find these timers confusing. With one timer I have, I have to set the interval time from the START of one sub to the START of another. So if you're taking a 3min sub you set the interval for 3mins + the delay e.g. 5s. So that's an interval of 3mins 5s. But with my other one it's from the END of one sub to the START of another e.g. just the 5s. Madness. What interval have you set?

Alexxx

[hobsey]

I also find these quite confusing.

Try doing 1 exposure with a 1 minute gab inbetween instead of one straight after the other as you have to leave time for it to transfer on to the memory card and if shooting in RAW than that can take quite a bit of time.

[Psychobilly]

There are at least two diffetent programming schemes so you really need to check the terminology in the manual for the remote ... I know I have been caughf out in the past when switching between different remotes..

Peter...

[sonic190178]

hello  did you turn the auto reduce noise off

[VigdisVZ]

Hello

I tried every setting, including factory reset on the camera.

The timer remote was not confusing after reading the manual, and i tried for an hour or so before I went back to the store. Here's what happened then:

I tried all 4 timer remotes in stock. 3 of them had the same issue. The 4th worked actually ONCE then stopped working next time i plugged it in. Also the battery holder was busted on this one.

So this means either that the timer remote model is rubbish. Or that my camera connection port is bad. However the port has never been used hence never worn, and I believe more in Nikon quality than cheap no-name rubbish. Also if my port on the camera is faulty, why did it work initiating exposure, not ending it?

Anyway, this means that tonights AP session is ruined. The extra trip to the store took all evening, and now I have a martial arts class to lead, and the gear isnt even close to packed into the car (also, I need to rise early, and I'm not in the mood for manually timing 90sec subs). I suppose I could go out tomorrow for more 30sec subs if the weather holds.

Maybe impulse buy an astromodded Canon and get a proper timer remote for that, and keep the Nikon for daytime use

Also, any tips on targets for 30sec subs? I dont wanna pump up the ISO to 3200 again. Im thinking M33 is out, but maybe the double cluster responds nicer to shorter, lower ISO subs?

[Alien 13]

Hi Carl, if you camera has an IR sensor and you have a mobile with IR capability you could try the "DSLR Remote" app (there are instructions on the site for diy options if your phone doesnt have IR).

Alan

[Astrosurf]

I'm sorry you've had such a frustrating time. With all this tech we use it's amazing most of it runs OK!

Have a go at M27 - the Dumbbell Nebula. Nice and bright. I managed an image with an unmodded camera at ISO 1600, 30s subs - lots!

[VigdisVZ]

Hi Carl, if you camera has an IR sensor and you have a mobile with IR capability you could try the "DSLR Remote" app (there are instructions on the site for diy options if your phone doesnt have IR).

Alan

Sadly my iPhone 5 doesnt. But I'm taking my Nikon to a friend whos an expert on bulb-cables. Not giving up yet

I'm sorry you've had such a frustrating time. With all this tech we use it's amazing most of it runs OK!

Have a go at M27 - the Dumbbell Nebula. Nice and bright. I managed an image with an unmodded camera at ISO 1600, 30s subs - lots!

Thanks Alex, I might just do that tomorrow if the weather holds

[Davey-T]

Have you got a cable release ? boring I know but you can just stand there and shoot manually. The Canon utilities timer is equally confusing especially if you have on manual instead of bulb.

Dave

[ronin]

I have the same question as Photogav:- Have you got switched off the auto noise reduction??

Immaterial of whatever you set on the remote if this is not off the camera will perform a second exposure of the same duration as the requested exposure length. Whatever you remote requests will then simply be ignored. Then things are out of step.

If it operates the same as mine then for a 90 second expousre of object_X the camera will then perform a 90 second noise reduction exposure (a dark in effect). If your remote is the same as mine then for a 90 second exposure you should afterwards set a delay of say 120 seconds to allow for the noise reduction exposure to complete.

Then as you have taken in effect 2 exposures of 90 seconds you need to let the sensor cool for about the same length as the exposure(s) so make the delay 360 or 400 seconds. This is because you are, will be, taking multiple exposures.

In effect :- Exposure = 90, Delay = 360(400), Number of Exposures = Whatever.

Delay is a bit rong: Should be 100 for the "dark" and then 180 for exposure+Noise Reduction = 270sec, so say 90 sec Expousre, 300 sec Delay.

[VigdisVZ]

Right now I'm writing this off as faulty timers. Could get one to work once in the store, but the battery holder was bogus and neither me or the store clerk could get it to work again.

Camera does not have "auto reduce noise" but all the Nikon equalivents was off.

A buddy of mine has a similar camera, bulb cables for EQmod and a different timer remote. Paying him a visit soon to rule out that my own camera is glitchy.

Thanks again all!

[ronin]

If it is a D90 it does have long exposure noise reduction, it is usually defaulted to Off but there is a second one for High ISO noise reduction that as best I can tell is cannot be turned Off, looks like it is the camera that applies this immaterial of what you want. How it works and waht it's effect is I cannot tell.

But if you have the D90 you do have noise reduction and you may have 2 variants.

If you have the D7000 then it appears that you have the same 2 noise reduction options, and setting High ISO NR to Off does not necessarily turn it Off. If the ISO is high the camera ignores Off.

So as the timer is for D90 or D700 then you have NR.

[astronymonkey]

I have a much older d40 and found that the remote settings were confusing to say the least with bulb only becoming active once the remote setting was activated. When bulb was active a second press was needed ti shut the shutter so if this was in timer then the remotemwould need to send a second signal to finish the job, with the remote being set at 90secs im wondering if by defining the exposure time is it only sending a single pulse as it would for exposures below 30secs.

Ronins point is also important as if the noise reduction is active then the second dark frame will be getting exposed at the same time the remote is trying to trigger the second exposure.

Hope you get it sorted,

Cheers

[Astrosurf]

Sadly my iPhone 5 doesnt. But I'm taking my Nikon to a friend whos an expert on bulb-cables. Not giving up yet

Thanks Alex, I might just do that tomorrow if the weather holds

Good luck! Let us know how you get on.

[glowingturnip]

you're probably sick of it by now, but I use one of these with my Nikon D80 and it works just fine - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aputure-Camera-Remote-Control-Shutter/dp/B008MFQUHM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-2&keywords=intervalometer+%2Baputure+%2Bd80

The Long Exposure Noise Reduction on Nikons works by taking a dark immediately after the light frame of the same time length and with the shutter closed.  You'll notice that if you take a long exposure, then after the shutter has clicked closed again, the camera will lock up for the same amount of time, and show a red LED on the back, that's when it's taking the dark, which it then subtracts from the light in-camera. 

If you have LENR on, then maybe that'll upset your remote timer operation, since the camera would still be busy taking the dark when your intervalometer is trying to take the next light. 

You're better off turning that LENR off, and taking your darks separately anyway, it's better to take a stacked averaged dark off your light frames than one specific dark per frame.

[VigdisVZ]

I know about Nikons camera settings. I've tried it once for widefields. It's not the camera settings. I take my darks separately. This occured when I tried taking daylight sequences as a trial before heading out.

I've tried all combinations on the camera. Like I said above, we got 1 of 4 timers of the same brand to work at the store where I bought it, once. It's either faulty timers or some kind of random loose contact glitch.

As soon as I can borrow a friends timer and bulb cables I'll have ruled out the camera, and the only thing left then is to find another brand timer or go nuts and get an AP modded Canon.

[glowingturnip]

check the link I posted above, is a different brand, and on a sample base of 1, it works

[VigdisVZ]

Tried a buddys timer remote today at the astronomy club meeting. Worked like a charm. Convinced him to loan it to me, might even give him money to order a new for himself, and keep this one   . Also ordered a coma corrector today.