How can I set my camera to take a 2 minute exposure?

Wail

Wail

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Wail
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As the question states, I am trying to get a picture that needs an exposure time of over 30 seconds (in the 2 minutes region).

I know putting the setting on "bulb", holding down the shutter release for the duration, will give me the desired exposure; but (a) I don't want to hold down the button for that long, and (b) I would much rather set it on the camera setting somehow to ensure the exact duration of exposure.

I am using Nikon D700.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
I am not sure this is possible, most camera timed settings only go up to 30sec. You may have some kind of customizable setting in your D700 that allows this but I am a canon owner so not sure.

If you have a problem with holding down the shutter than remote shutter releases usually have a lock function so you can lock the button down for the required time and you really should be using a remote release for long exposures.

Sorry I know its not much help to your question hopefully somebody more Nikon knowledgeable will know different.

Steve
 
Some remote shutters have a 'hold' button so you can press it, then it holds itself whilst you time it, then release. Others, as animal168 says, have timers on them.

Here's a couple of links with timers but are in US dollars
http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/product.php?productid=17139&cat=0&page=1
http://www.linkdelight.com/index.ph...N-for-Nikon-MC-36/Detailed-product-flyer.html

here's a couple from the UK:
http://www.bestofferbuy.com/Digital...ource=gbase&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=gbase
http://www.bestofferbuy.com/YongNuo...ource=gbase&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=gbase
 
Thank you for all the replies, and for the links.

I have gone over the manual over and over and over, to see if there is such a feature. Sadly, I think there isn't. I've exhausted my search, and found nothing.

So, the alternative would be for me to use a remote release :thumbs:, and I do have one that locks; but this has its limitations.

The things is, there is no way for me to accurately know the duration of the exposure while I am shooting. Of course, there is the option for me to use a stop-watch and watch that while the camera is taking the picture; but that's not the most practical of approaches. It means I have too much to fiddle with.

As for the remote release cables. I think all the ones that I've seen (including the ones linked here) will time-out at 30 seconds. Unless I am wrong, and I hope that there is one that will allow for longer times.

Again, thank you for the feedbacks.
 
You don't need split second accuracy with a 2 minute exposure. + or - 10 seconds won't make a lot of difference.
 
Actually, I've just gone over the links in more details. It seems that the first one posted by Uneducated Rick claims to offer exactly what I am looking for :thumbs:

Now, let me see if I can find someone who's used it, to rate it for me; and then see if I can source one in UK.
 
RobertP said:
You don't need split second accuracy with a 2 minute exposure. + or - 10 seconds won't make a lot of difference.
Click to expand...


True!

However, I tend to try and bracket my shots to get the "best fit". So, the +/- 10" will mean that my bracketing is of no use since they may all end-up being the same duration :bang:

Of course, it would be great if I could get the shot wonderful without bracketing :shrug:, but that's not so easy.
 
Wail said:
Thank you for all the replies, and for the links.

I have gone over the manual over and over and over, to see if there is such a feature. Sadly, I think there isn't. I've exhausted my search, and found nothing.

So, the alternative would be for me to use a remote release :thumbs:, and I do have one that locks; but this has its limitations.

The things is, there is no way for me to accurately know the duration of the exposure while I am shooting. Of course, there is the option for me to use a stop-watch and watch that while the camera is taking the picture; but that's not the most practical of approaches. It means I have too much to fiddle with.

As for the remote release cables. I think all the ones that I've seen (including the ones linked here) will time-out at 30 seconds. Unless I am wrong, and I hope that there is one that will allow for longer times.

Again, thank you for the feedbacks.
Click to expand...

Morning I have the remote cord MC-36 and it is fantastic for all your needs the only problem is its not cheap! see link http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/Accessories/Digital%20Accessories/Digital%20Remote%20Controls/products/Nikon/MC-36%20Remote%20Cord-35130/Show.html

you can set it for hours minutes and seconds and so much more good luck and PS what is the picture your trying to capture?
 
Wail said:
Actually, I've just gone over the links in more details. It seems that the first one posted by Uneducated Rick claims to offer exactly what I am looking for :thumbs:

Now, let me see if I can find someone who's used it, to rate it for me; and then see if I can source one in UK.
Click to expand...

wail


check the model as a d70 has a different fitting than a d700 for the cable releases


dont want you wasting money
 
I've not used the ones posted by Rick, but I do have a similar one for my Canon 450d. It works a treat and I use it for sequences of shots of 2 minutes and longer exposures for Astro photography. It may be a Canon thing, but when in bulb mode, with the LCD turned on, the camera counts the exposure time so is quite easy to see when you have hit your desired time.
 
Hi

This looks like the same unit I had for my Sony A100 which I purchased from this company on ebay. I have bought other bits from them since and the service was good.

Link

It terms of the unit the only thing I fund was that there wasn't an on/off switch and so it was reliant on the auto shut down of the unit.

Paul
 
stressless said:
Morning I have the remote cord MC-36 and it is fantastic for all your needs the only problem is its not cheap! see link http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/Accessories/Digital%20Accessories/Digital%20Remote%20Controls/products/Nikon/MC-36%20Remote%20Cord-35130/Show.html

you can set it for hours minutes and seconds and so much more good luck and PS what is the picture your trying to capture?
Click to expand...

Now that's music to my ears :p

The thing with this, (a) no where did I manage to read that it would allow for over 30second exposure. Can you please confirm tht it does. I was just on Nikon's site as you were typing your post here; and Nikon's site doesn't give any useful information about it. (b) Again, from Nikon's site, it does not say that it will fit on a D700, D300 etc.

I don't mind the cost / price, if it something that I need to get my shot then I am happy to fork out for it.

What am I trying to shoot? A number of things ....

1. Day-time shots, with long exposure, heavy ND filters, in shopping areas, to get the people to appear as shadows.

2. Night-time shots, mostly sea, rivers, waterfalls.



Joe©;1324768 said:
wail


check the model as a d70 has a different fitting than a d700 for the cable releases


dont want you wasting money
Click to expand...

Thank you .. this is something I've been worried about; but it was my understanding (but am uncertain about this) that the pin connectors on the D70 (and upwards bodies) were identical?


So, can someone please confirm to me if the MC-36 will fit different Nikon bodies (in particular the D700, D300, D3, and D3x); and will this allow me to time for longer than 30seconds? I would hate to spend over £100 on this to find that it doesn't :nono:

Again, thank you all for the feedback.
 
Wail said:
True!

However, I tend to try and bracket my shots to get the "best fit". So, the +/- 10" will mean that my bracketing is of no use since they may all end-up being the same duration :bang:

Of course, it would be great if I could get the shot wonderful without bracketing :shrug:, but that's not so easy.
Click to expand...

I'll admit I haven't thought about this too deeply but wouldn't bracketing a 2 min exposure by a stop mean 1 minute and 4 minutes?
 
jgs001 said:
I've not used the ones posted by Rick, but I do have a similar one for my Canon 450d. It works a treat and I use it for sequences of shots of 2 minutes and longer exposures for Astro photography. It may be a Canon thing, but when in bulb mode, with the LCD turned on, the camera counts the exposure time so is quite easy to see when you have hit your desired time.
Click to expand...

Now that is a great feature. I wonder if someone can show me to to get it on my D700 :p; which begs me to ask ... any hacks known to do such a thing?


Hammerhead64 said:
Hi

This looks like the same unit I had for my Sony A100 which I purchased from this company on ebay. I have bought other bits from them since and the service was good.

Link

It terms of the unit the only thing I fund was that there wasn't an on/off switch and so it was reliant on the auto shut down of the unit.

Paul
Click to expand...

I've often bought from them .. and I love their service. However, I am not too sure what the exact specifications of the cable release they have. They do have one that is claimed to be identical to the Nikon MC-36 ... but is it :shrug:? As it is something very sensitive (carries short & small electric pulses), I would much rather go with the Nikon model than the cheaper on. Too scared it may cause something funny to happen!
 
RobertP said:
I'll admit I haven't thought about this too deeply but wouldn't bracketing a 2 min exposure by a stop mean 1 minute and 4 minutes?
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I am very ignorant on the maths & science of all this :p .... I am sure you are right .. and as such you make a valid point.
 
ok Wail, this will do and does do what you need it to do you can set it from anything from 1 sec to 99hours 59minutes and 59 seconds I dont have any ND filters have never done a day shot but have done countless evening shots with this device http://www.flickr.com/photos/edinburghmichael/3018427631/meta/

if you have time look through and you might find some stupid lenth ones

Michael
 
Joe,

:)

Glad to see it does fit ... but, does it actually offer timed shots for over 30seconds? I can't seem to find anything to say it does :shrug:!
 
Wail said:
Joe,

:)

Glad to see it does fit ... but, does it actually offer timed shots for over 30seconds? I can't seem to find anything to say it does :shrug:!
Click to expand...

Specifications:
Timer delay: 0s to 99hrs 59min 59s in one-second increments
Exposure time: 0s to 99hrs 59min 59s in one-second increments
Interval: 0s to 99hrs 59min 59s in one-second increments
Power source: Two AAA-type batteries
Battery life: Approximately two months of continuos shooting with a delay of 5 min, an exposure time of 4 min 56 s, and an interval of 5 min.
Dimensions: 155(W) x 44(H) x 18(D) mm / 6.1(W) x 1.6(H) x 0.7(D) in.
Weight (without batteries): 105g (3.7 oz)
Length of Cord: 85cm (33.5 in.)
 
Michael,

Thank you for confirming this :thumbs:, and thank you for the link to your Flicker, I will for certain look it over.

Of course, a BIG thank you to all who've posted, linked, and suggested the various alternatives.

It seems I've found what I need :)
 
Joe,

For the life of me I can't figure out how I missed seeing that :bang:

Thank you for confirming that to me.
 
Wail said:
Thank you for all the replies, and for the links.

The things is, there is no way for me to accurately know the duration of the exposure while I am shooting. Of course, there is the option for me to use a stop-watch and watch that while the camera is taking the picture; but that's not the most practical of approaches. It means I have too much to fiddle with.
Again, thank you for the feedbacks.
Click to expand...

im struggling to think of what you will be fiddling with when the shutter is open .......
 
Byker28i said:
Ages since I played, but there was a program I've used on my canon for controlling the camera through the USB cable onto a laptop. I'm sure that had exact timings using the pc clock.

Canon 40d ships with a utility for tethered shooting - does the Nikon have anything similar? I found camera control pro 2 30 day trail
http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=61#Anchor-3
Click to expand...


I believe there is one such program for Nikon .. but I am not too keen on using something like that. Too cumbersome for me, and too restrictive; but thank you for the suggestion :)
 
donutagain said:
im struggling to think of what you will be fiddling with when the shutter is open .......
Click to expand...

A stop-watch, a light to see the stop-watch :shrug:. Looking at a watch in itself would be too distracting for me .. making sure that I can an eye on it while the camera is taking the shot.
 
Wail said:
Joe,

:)

Glad to see it does fit ... but, does it actually offer timed shots for over 30seconds? I can't seem to find anything to say it does :shrug:!
Click to expand...

None of these timers will offer any further exposure lengths other than those that your camera natively supports....

To get exposures of longer than 30sec, you have to use the bulb setting. Some of the remotes offer the ability to open the shutter, keep it open for a period of time, then close the shutter. You set the time on the remote and fire away.

Others, which are not quite so advanced will simply allow you to use bulb, but you control when the shutter opens and closes (you don't need to hold the button for the whole time). You need to time the exposure though.

Hope this helps....
 
OutLore,

Now you've just confused me all over again :p ... What of the MC-36 and the ebay one which claims to hold exposures for up to 99hours, 59minutes and 59seconds?


whitey,

Thank you, and thank you for the link. Pity it's out of stock. From the number of that model, I wonder if it is the predecessor to the MC-36 :shrug:?
 
Wail said:
OutLore,

Now you've just confused me all over again :p ... What of the MC-36 and the ebay one which claims to hold exposures for up to 99hours, 59minutes and 59seconds?


whitey,

Thank you, and thank you for the link. Pity it's out of stock. From the number of that model, I wonder if it is the predecessor to the MC-36 :shrug:?
Click to expand...

They all do :) Well certainly the one whitey posted and the MC-36 does too, as I have that one. A friend of mine has an Ebay replica of the MC-36 and it's IDENTICAL but only cost 30 quid. Literally it probably came out of the same moulding as the Nikon original.
 
Some third party grips (if you don't have one and are looking for one) have timers. The one for my Canon 400D has one which goes to 999 mins I think!
 
welly,

Thank you for the confirmation.

I am interested in the cheaper replicas, as the saving is huge; but I worry about quality control, especially for something that is as delicate as this.


gman,

Thank you, but I am not really interested in getting a grip :)
 
Wail said:
welly,

Thank you for the confirmation.

I am interested in the cheaper replicas, as the saving is huge; but I worry about quality control, especially for something that is as delicate as this.
Click to expand...

From what I can see of his replica, if it didn't come out of the same factory as the Nikon version, I'll eat my hat. The only difference I can see between the two is his doesn't have a Nikon sticker, they're that identical.
 
:lol:

GB, not really what I was looking for .. but it is nice to know that I have that option :thumbs:. Thanks
 
welly said:
From what I can see of his replica, if it didn't come out of the same factory as the Nikon version, I'll eat my hat. The only difference I can see between the two is his doesn't have a Nikon sticker, they're that identical.
Click to expand...


Tempting, really tempting :)
 
Wail said:
OutLore,

Now you've just confused me all over again :p ... What of the MC-36 and the ebay one which claims to hold exposures for up to 99hours, 59minutes and 59seconds?


whitey,

Thank you, and thank you for the link. Pity it's out of stock. From the number of that model, I wonder if it is the predecessor to the MC-36 :shrug:?
Click to expand...

I stand to be corrected here - but I think all it does is hold the shutter open with the camera set to "bulb" (IE permanently open) for the time you set.

I don't have the genuine Nikon remote - I have a wireless Ebay jobby that cost me about £12 (I think) which simply allows me to focus, open, and close the shutter from about 30m away...
 
:) Thank you whitey, but it seems that the link is taking me to the MC-21, which is the extension cable for the MC-20 & MC-36.
 
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