Intervalometer with Canon 550d

[Adaaam75]

Hi guys,

My Canon EOS 550d is not responding to the settings of my intervalometer correctly.

It does acknowledge the delay time and opens the shutter at the correct time but after this the camera does its own thing and the shutter remains open for what appears to be a random set time and changes with adjusting the settings.

I have used the intervalometer in the past successfully but have forgotten thenot so simple set up!

For reference,

I'm using a third party intervalometer 

The camera is a Canon 550d DSLR

Select wheel is set to "M"

Shutter time to "Bulb"

Drive mode to single shooting (I have experimented with self-timer/remote control but this doesn't work)

Focus set to manual

All the YouTube videos do is demonstrate the intervalometer and say the camera should be put to "M" and "Bulb" which I have.

Suggestions please.......

Edited February 4, 2022 by Adaaam75

[michael8554]

Those settings seem correct.

Either a faulty Intervalometer.

Or a loose connection causing the shutter to close when connection is lost.

(Title says 450D, text says 550D ?)

Michael

[Cornelius Varley]

Have you switched off long exposure noise reduction ?

[Adaaam75]

23 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

Have you switched off long exposure noise reduction ?

I have, noise reduction is not active.

[Adaaam75]

I feel like I'm missing something obvious but can't work out what!

[Malpi12]

I recently got into a terrible tangle with my intervalometer appearing to do random lengths and numbers of exposures , I dunno if this will help, :-

I had forgotten to allow sufficient delay for the camera (60d) to write the data to card before the 'ometer fired the next shot.
Try -   set the delay between 'ometer activations to   exposure time+write time+a second or two for luck.
If you are saving RAW data (.cr2 on my 60d) that takes extra time to write the large file.

Extra confusion was caused by the length of the data buffer memory in the camera. The camera can appear to take many exposures in quick succession but only for a limited number, before the data being stored in the buffer clogs up, then the camera slows down and is not ready to accept the next trigger from the 'ometer.

I actually gave up on bulb mode and now use 0sec exp. on the 'ometer and set the camera shutter speed to the length I want.
 

[Malpi12]

Ooops, correction !
"exposure time+write time+a second or two for luck". is for camera shutter timed mode

For Bulb use "write time+a second or two for luck" . for the 'ometer delay between exposures.

Sorry about that
 

[Adaaam75]

That's great thanks Malpi. I do remember having that writing issue delay when I was taking star trail shots and having to adjust the time between shots for writing etc. The issue I have is whatever settings I have on the intervalometer, as soon as i start the shooting the bulb shutter activates on the camera and the shutter stays open for 15+ seconds regardless of what the intervalometer is doing. If I set the intervalometer to three 5 second exposures, the camera shutter stays open on the first shot all the way through the three exposure settings.

[Malpi12]

On 08/02/2022 at 22:04, Adaaam75 said:

to three 5 second exposures, the camera shutter stays open on the first shot all the way through the three exposure settings.

Something is well confused that's for sure !
Might be time to start suspecting equipment malfunction.

I suppose you have extracted battery from the 'ometer to do a reset ?
What type of 'ometer,  I mean wired from it to the plug on the camera or a wireless type ?

Easy to test the camera interface - using the (usually supplied) small intermediate cable with a male jack on each end, use a wire (or bent paper clip) connect the tip to body should trigger the camera, to momentarily trigger the shutter, or hold the paper clip on for bulb timed.
(Am I teaching egg sucking ? sorry if so !! )

To test the 'ometer - how is  your diy box of tricks, have you got a multimeter and/or access to LEDs and resistors ?
 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Malpi12

[happy-kat]

The interval from memory is exposure length plus gap between frames, delay is only the gap before the first frame taken, the numbers are hours, minutes, seconds.

[Malpi12]

5 hours ago, happy-kat said:

 delay is only the gap before the first frame taken,

Good point !
In my previous posts I said "delay between exposures" >> To avoid confusion I should have said "interval between exposures"

They say a picture is worth a thousand words!, does this help.
My wired   (if anyine wants pics of a wireless one let me know)    'ometer set for a start-up delay of 4sec.   3 bulb exposures of 15sec each   and a write-enable-delay-interval-wait of 5sec.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Malpi12

[Alien 13]

Only thing I can add is to make sure the mirror lock up function is not enabled as this requires two pulses to make it work..

Alan

[Adaaam75]

On 10/02/2022 at 17:28, Alien 13 said:

Only thing I can add is to make sure the mirror lock up function is not enabled as this requires two pulses to make it work..

Alan

I'm away at the moment but that could be the only thing I haven't checked!

I think I need to see if my uncle has a intervalometer but I have a suspicion he is a Nikon fan 🤦

Well I'll let you guys know what the result is anyway. Thanks for all your suggestions. It should be as easy as you've all demonstrated but something isn't getting through to the camera or the camera is overriding the valomter set up.

[Adaaam75]

On 09/02/2022 at 20:32, Malpi12 said:

Something is well confused that's for sure !
Might be time to start suspecting equipment malfunction.

I suppose you have extracted battery from the 'ometer to do a reset ?
What type of 'ometer,  I mean wired from it to the plug on the camera or a wireless type ?

Easy to test the camera interface - using the (usually supplied) small intermediate cable with a male jack on each end, use a wire (or bent paper clip) connect the tip to body should trigger the camera, to momentarily trigger the shutter, or hold the paper clip on for bulb timed.
(Am I teaching egg sucking ? sorry if so !! )

To test the 'ometer - how is  your diy box of tricks, have you got a multimeter and/or access to LEDs and resistors ?
 

I'd love to be able to knock something up like that but my knowledge of circuits isn't where I'd like it to be 😕

[ammark19xx]

If you're inclined to tinker with your PC and camera software, you can flash magic lantern from your SD card and install it onto your 550D. The menu is easy to use and I use the intervalometer inside.

Quite a few youtube videos out there for this.

https://magiclantern.fm/