Wired remote for D800

[Cage]

The D800 arrives today, maybe the battery grip too, and a Kirk plate for the grip is winging it's way across the Pacific.

I do a lot of my shooting using a wired remote but was blown away by the price of the genuine items. I've found that the Chinese knock-offs have worked just fine on previous cameras and was looking for feedback on using one with the D800. Any recommendations appreciated.

This is a cheapie on fleabay. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/REMOTE-SH...item417fe16cb1

Or this one with a timer. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Yongnuo-T...item3a7eeb070b

Also I was thinking about a glass monitor cover. I've never bothered with one for the D600 and have just left the OEM plastic one on the camera.

[I @ M]

Kevin, don't forget to click on the JJC link in the site advertisers when you buy this one from JJC .

I use it, works perfectly.

Very good service from them in the past as well.

Oh look, they do screen protectors as well.

[arthurking83]

Whatever remote you decide to get, I strongly recommend that it has a detachable connection lead(to the Nikon 10 pin port).
So far I'd have two fail on me, one in no time and the last one after a few years.
D300 and D800 share the same 10pin connection type.

While I now have 2 spare 10 pin fly leads, I try to use them as little as possible. What happens is that something 'breaks' in the right angled housing. I know this because if you wiggle the housing a bit of squeeze it the connection comes live again. The leads are fairly cheap .. but that's not the point.
if the fly lead is permanently attached to the triggering device .. unless you are any good with soldering-desoldering microscopically sized components the device becomes useless.
My very first wireless remote had this permanent lead design which I then modded to a removable 2.5mm stereo plug type.

Which leads me to what remote type to get.
The timer/intervalometer type remote sounds good to have, but note that you do have a built in intervalometer on the camera. While it's less easy to setup than a intervalometer remote .. it's not too painful.
I always recommend that folks buy wireless remotes, for obvious reasons of course.
Some can also act as wired remotes that don't require batteries .. other can't. So if you're out bush and the remote battery dies on you and you have no spares .. the remote still works when connected by wire.

I have two wireless remotes, Phottix Plato(2.4Ghz) and the Phottix Plato. Both work very well.
As Andrew said tho .. also have a look at JJC to tho they may have something equally worthy.
I believe that the majority of these remote types are made in one Chinese factory and rebranded across several names!

Earlier I said about having a removable fly lead from the reciever/head unit which makes for peace of mind if the lead breaks.
After the second dead lead(and they appear nigh on impossible to fix as the leads are so fine) I eventually replaced my GPS system with a bluetooth system. That involved using an AOKA Bt module coupled to a Bt GPS receiver.
Apart from the GPS function(which I always use when I'm out in the boonies) the AKOA also has a 2.5mm stereo plug input for a remote(so I can have GPS AND a remote connected concurrently).
So instead of using those annoying fragile 10 pin leads, I now prefer to use the AKOA(connected to the camera 10 pin port) and a 2.5mm stereo fly lead.
The small box like AKOA doesn't impede camera handling except in one unique situation(that may not be important to you anyhow).
I sometimes use the AKOA just for the 2.5mm remote port without using GPS(when it's not needed).


Note tho that my 10 pin cables issues could be isolated ones and may not be the norm ... maybe I'm just a bit rough with my gear .. dunno. The point is that to be mindful of whatever you get it's flexible enough that if a silly thing like that happens, you are prepared for it.
FWIW too tho the Nikon intervalometer remote(MC-36) is about 5x more heavy duty cable/right angle 10 pin connector. I haven't used it much as I prefer the wireless types. But when my cables both self mutilated themselves, it was my only option!

OH! and if you're thinking why does this fool need so many remotes .. I don't! They just seemed to build up over the years.

[Cage]

Thanks Andrew and Arthur.

The 'A' team ?

I've bought a cheap remote from a mob who I've got them from before, and they worked fine. I'd really like one that just triggers the shutter, without the 1/2 push that activates the auto focus. After I've set up my shot in-camera, I really don't want even a minuscule focus tweak, and I do confess to know Jack about electronics. I figure if it's a two stage switch, and you don't want to change your focus, the fact that you have to go through the focus switch to get to the triggering switch does concern me a bit.

Anyway, the camera and grip arrived today, but the weather was crap, so hopefully will post my first shots tomorrow. Would like to start this camera with something post worthy. And check the shutter count !

Cheers

Kevin

PS: My first thoughts were that it will be a very easy transition from the D600. The changes all seem fairly intuitive, and for the better. I did think it would be bigger than it is, but it really doesn't seem all that much bigger than the D600. I'm really looking forward to the challenge of coping with 36MP, and do realise that if I'm to utilise the extra Megapixies I'll need to be on my game.

[arthurking83]

..... I'd really like one that just triggers the shutter, without the 1/2 push that activates the auto focus. After I've set up my shot in-camera, I really don't want even a minuscule focus tweak, and I do confess to know Jack about electronics. I figure if it's a two stage switch, and you don't want to change your focus, the fact that you have to go through the focus switch to get to the triggering switch does concern me a bit.

.....

There are two ways to achieve your aim here.
Firstly, I'm not sure you can get any remote release that doesn't mimic the camera's release.

The first of the two ways to expose without refocusing are the easy to do, but convoluted effort of switching the M/A switch on the LHS of the camera to M every time you need this function.

The other, easier, generally recommended and dual purpose method is to set up, and learn to use the AF-On focusing routine. Many folks call it the back button focusing(I actually find that misleading as there is no <-BACK- button on the camera(I have two on my PC keyboard tho! )

If you want to try it, the menu item you're looking for is/are:

CSM menu a4 = OFF(not ON) this one switches off the focus trigger on the release(exposure) button. The menu is explanatory once you get in there.
The other two menu items you may want to adjust as well are:
a1 AF-C priority selection set to Release(not focus at all)
a2 AF-S priority set to focus.

Once you have done this, you then need to set the focus mode(press the A/M focus button on the LHS and turn rear command dial to AF-C for most of your shooting.

What this setup does for 'ya:

With AF-C for focus mode, your camera will only try to focus if you press the AF-On button. Having the menu a4 set to AF-On, separates exposure copntrol from focus duties. They are afterall two separate duties.
As you said, it's annoying when the camera tries to refocus every time you take a photo.
This set up stops that from happening .. unless you deliberately press the AF-On button during/before/after an exposure.

With menu a1, the camera will allow exposure at any time, even if the image hasn't been focused(properly) or even attempted.
Note: if you don't set menu a1 and try to use only half the methods described .. but leave a1 to focus, you can't trigger the release. You may if you got focus once, but after than(even tho the subject is stil in focus) the release won't trigger.

With menu a2, setting AF-S mode to focus, you still get the ability for the camera to not take the exposure unless focus is confirmed(this is how most cameras are setup as default.
This setting used to drive me insane and in general I can't use it. Because of a slight change in one of my lenses a while back I set it back to focus tho.
This one is not as important, but in general AF-S mode is in some ways better set like this. I have mine set for a unique reason.

So, you now have two different settings at your disposal.
If you feel more comfortable in having the camera only expose after focus, set the focus mode to AF-S.
For landscapey situations(90% of my main interest) AF-C mode is set, and focus is not controlled by the camera, it's controlled only with my right thumb.
This way there is no need to set/unset/reset/forget/remember to set/not forget to remember to set/ the M/A focus switch.
(FWIW) I hate that M/A switch, but for a long time couldn't do without it. I haven't use my last surviving AF-D lens for a while now, and since that lens went into retirement, I haven't touched that switch(other than the central push button) ever since.
The use of AF-D lenses without mechanical focus decoupling on the lens itself still require the use of that M/A focus switch.

The hard part in this(for a few people) is getting used to having to keep your thumb on the AF-On button all the time to focus. Once you've gotten used to it, there is basically no going back from that point.
All that have embraced it, will probably agree on that point. But, as said before .. not everyone likes it for whatever reason.

[I @ M]

Is it possible for anyone to expand upon a post made by his royal pain in the bum?

Yes!!!!!!

The couple of methods of focus actuation as described above will fix any of your concerns about altering focus with a remote switch Kevin. The other thing that you can consider if you want to be able to revert quickly to achieving focus with the shutter button ( don't know why anyone would actually want to do that after getting used to using the af on button ) is to configure a custom setting in the menu.
In simple steps ----
Menu,
Custom setting menu ( pencil icon )
Custom setting bank ( select A, B, C or D )
Rename the bank that you choose to something like FOCUS if you want or leave it as the original letter.
A1 - autofocus and set the way that the method of focus is achieved.

Once a menu bank is set, all the functions that you dictated on the initial set up will stay in place until you alter them.

You then have a quick way to alter the way you use the camera without multiple button presses when changing shooting styles. All it will require you to do is to hit the menu button and select which custom setting bank you are in, A, FOCUS, C or D. Literally about 3 very intuitive button pushes.

Of course, there are many parameters that can be set in the custom menus and they can be quite handy to use but they do take quite a while to set all the variables. For something as simple as the focus method it is worth doing though and all other settings in each bank will stay at the camera "default" as it comes in the box.

[Cage]

Thanks again the 'A' Team.

I've been using back button focusing on the D600 and will continue to do so on the D800.

I guess what I was wondering about was if using only the AF-ON button to focus, and having a wired remote connected, will the focus function in the remote be disabled too.

The remote should arrive in the next few days so I guess I'll know then.

Cheers

Kevin

[arthurking83]

.....

I guess what I was wondering about was if using only the AF-ON button to focus, and having a wired remote connected, will the focus function in the remote be disabled too.

....

Yep! Only if you set that CSM menu a1 to AF-On only.

If you set it to either of the other options, then the focus will activate when you half press both the camera shutter, and/or the remote button.

I'm pretty sure tho that on a wired remote you can hack it to stop it from AFing if need be. But that could depend on each specific remote type .. dunno exactly haven't tried to hack my wired remote.
In fact I've never used it(it came as an additional accessory with something else I got).