What have I done?

[Glenda]

Went out last night to shoot fireworks. Set the camera to bulb, manual focus etc and it took the first shot perfectly, ie clicked remote to start exposure, and clicked a few seconds later to stop. The next time I clicked, despite still being in bulb mode, it did a really quick exposure. Tried again same result. The only way I could get it to wait for me to click to stop the exposure was to turn off the camera, turn it on again and it would perform perfectly - once. If I tried for a second shot a quick exposure would be the result. So, being in the dark with other photographers around me I just kept turning it off and on again. Very frustrating.
Can't work out why it is doing this - have done this before and never had this problem. The camera is a Nikon D7100. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction. I assume I've changed something accidentally but I have no idea what.

[ricktas]

You haven't set mirror lock-up by any chance?

[Glenda]

No it was just on quick response remote

[hakka]

Remote batteries?

[Glenda]

No, the remote is working fine - I took a few 30sec exposures after and no problems at all.

[arthurking83]

I'm not 100% sure what you have done, but for the 3 Nikon cameras I have, bulb mode doesn't work the way you described it for your first exposure.
(unless Nikon have changed something!! )

That is, Bulb mode on a Nikon works that when you press the shutter release button, whether on the camera, or via a remote .. it's only exposing during the time you have the shutter button pressed.

If you press and release, it creates a short exposure as you described for the subsequent shots after the (incorrect) initial exposure.
What you need to do in Bulb mode is press and hold the shutter release .. hold it down for 10 secs and it exposes for 10 secs .. etc, etc.

Some wired Nikon remotes have a locking feature for the release button to help with 'holding' the shutter release down.
You mentioned using a remote, but didn't specify which remote type, or model or brand .. etc.

I just had a quick peek at the D7100 manual and it seems Nikon have changed a few things(at least since I last read any of their manuals .. about when the D70s was new )

If you use the (wireless) ML-L3 remote, bulb mode works as you expected(or wanted it too) .. in a Time mode.
So something else they have changed is in adding a Time mode, in addition to Bulb mode.

So, as an example of what could be going wrong, if you set your camera to Time mode instead .. and are using a corded remote(ie. not the ML-L3 wireless remote) .. you will or should get this click to open shutter and click again to close shutter(which is what Time mode is).

Bulb mode on Nikons, has been (for ages, that I can remember) press and hold for the duration of the exposure you want.

Why you're getting this strange effect that it works once but not again for subsequent exposures is curious too tho.

Are you using a third party type remote? if so what connection type.
That is, is it a partially wired device with a transmitter/receiver type device?(example a Phottix, Aputure, or similar type wireless remote)
Or a thirdparty IR wireless remote?

If it's a cabled thirdparty remote, it should work exactly the same as any Nikon wired remote.

As an example of how things can get mixed up with thirdparty type devices.

None of my 3 Nikons(D800E, D300, D70s) have a Time shutter speed function(the type you seem to want to use), click to open and click again to close the shutter.
They only have Bulb mode .. where you have to press and hold. But I got a Phottix wireless remote, the receiver/transmitter type. I plug the receiver via cable into the camera, and the transmitter is the remote unit.
99.9999 times in 100, it works perfectly, but it has it's own bulb mode too.
But what this bulb mode does(when the camera is set to bulb mode too!) is that it works the way you describe you want it too. Press to open shutter .. press again to close it.
To my knowledge, Nikon have never offered such a device either in camera, nor as an accessory.
That is, until I just now found that the D7100 now has a Time shutter speed mode! (I guess a few more newish models also have this too).

But my Phottixes(I actually have two of them) .. occasionally give me this unexpected quick exposure. ie. the press to open - press to close bulb function on the remotes seems to have forgotten what it was supposed to do! In the thousands of times I've used this Bulb mode on the remotes tho, I've seen this annoyance maybe once or twice .. so it's not an issue.

Hope this helps.

- - - Updated - - -

pe. apologies for the long reply .. but Bulb mode should work the way you described it to work in the first exposure instance!

[I @ M]

Along with Arthur's points about the bulb operation I will just pose a thought.

Do you have long exposure noise reduction turned on in the menu system? That can cause the camera to be confused if the exposure sequence is interrupted.

[ricktas]

Yes, thinking about it (not used for a while), my Nikon one you either have to hold the button in, or press and slide it to lock it.

[hakka]

I have an rfn-4s remote that doesn't need to be held down, lne press to start, another press to stop the exposure.

[arthurking83]

I have an rfn-4s remote ....

I just googled that unit, and it looks impressive.

Only problem for me would be the ability to use my GPS .. and two lenses that wouldn't allow for it to mount to the 10 pin port.

It looks like it senses bulb mode automatically going by the description on the website.

My phottixes just need the user to press the mode button to set the remotes(the transmitter units) to Bulb mode and then you just press as per normal.

Also, I just noticed that you now have a D810. This camera also now has a T(Time) mode that works with the press to open press to close routine.

So it seems that Nikon have indeed added this new Shutter speed to their new cameras at some point recently(at least after the D800's model year)

[hakka]

Didn't know about the T mode, i'll look into that.

I rarely use the rfn-4s remote as it doesn't have a time display. I use the yongnuo wireless or the promote control, both programmable.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I just noticed that you now have a D810. This camera also now has a T(Time) mode that works with the press to open press to close routine.

So it seems that Nikon have indeed added this new Shutter speed to their new cameras at some point recently(at least after the D800's model year)

I camt find this anywhere on the cam, do you have any more info on it?

- - - Updated - - -

Found it. Probably should have read the manual.

[arthurking83]

LOL! .. I'm so geeky .. I download manuals to cameras I don't even have plans to own .. not to mention the manuals for accessories I've also downloaded).

Actually, it may not be as geeky as it sounds tho.
I download manuals where I can for just about any device I haven an interest in .. eg. video/media players, TVs, TV boxes, etc.
I want to figure out any of the pitfalls of owning the device BEFORE it provides me with an excuse for realising it was another waste of money.

Obviously I don't have a D810, nor a D7100 .. how exactly do you set Time as a shutter speed?
Do you set Bulb and then use some button config to subsequently set Time(--) mode, or does it come up as you scroll the command wheel to the final shutter value(which should be X<flash sync speed>).

[hakka]

It's in between bulb and flash sync on the dial, shown as "--". I wish it has a timer shoen on the lcd display.

[Glenda]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. After much fiddling and experimenting I have found the problem. I moved to back button focus a while ago and changed single shot to continuous high speed. Moved it back to single shot and bulb again works perfectly. So will just have to remember to move it to single for long exposures.

I have a Phottix wireless remote and with the camera on bulb mode I can press the button to start the exposure and then press it again to stop - don't have to hold it down. I have seen 'time' but never bothered to find out what it does.

[arthurking83]

.....

I have a Phottix wireless remote and with the camera on bulb mode I can press the button to start the exposure and then press it again to stop - don't have to hold it down. I have seen 'time' but never bothered to find out what it does.

Ah, OK.
On the Phottix remote, do you use the bulb mode?(also: which model?)
Depending on the remote type(I have a Cleon and a Plato) they have different ways of setting the remote to B(Bulb) mode.
On some models(Plato) you set Bulb mode on the transmitter(the remote in your hand), on other models(Cleon) you set Bulb mode on the receiver(the remote part connected to the camera).

So, if you set the camera to Bulb, and the remote is not set to Bulb mode the exposure time will be dependent on the time you have the remote's button pressed for.

To use Bulb mode with a press to open and press again for closing the shutter method of operation, then both camera and remote should be set to Bulb.

On the other hand, if you set the camera to Time mode as Hakka said it should be the shutter speed after Bulb, but before X-Sync and indicated with the -- symbol, you can leave the remote in the default single shot mode and the camera will operate as you wanted it too.

Bulb mode on the remote(not the camera) is just an electronic method for holding the release open.
So for example, if the camera is set to Continuous shooting mode, and the remote is set to Bulb mode, when you press the remote's release the camera will start to shoot in continuous mode for as long as you press the remote's release again!

Another point of note: You said that you set your camera to continuous high speed shooting(Ch) and then reset it back to Single shot(S) modes and now it works as you expected again, but in reality I wouldn't have thought this would make any difference.
Like I said in another reply, I don't have a D7100, but on all three of my cameras, I very rarely use any other shooting mode other than Ch mode (or just continuous mode on the D70s).
It makes no difference to the operation of Bulb mode tho.
That is, in Ch mode on the camera my Bulb mode of operation can be press to hold if the remote is set to normal Single shot mode .. or press+press mode if the remote is set to Bulb mode.

It makes no difference .. the only thing that does make a difference is if the remote is set to Bulb mode or not.

So I reckon the best thing to do is to set the camera to Time mode(--) and just use the remote in Single shot mode .. if you want to shoot in that manner again.

[Glenda]

The remote is the Phottix IR remote Arthur. When it comes to tech knowledge I would be lucky to know about 1% of what you know. All I know is that after switching it back to single shot it allowed me, via the remote and on bulb mode, to open and close the shutter for various exposure lengths, with a press of the button both to start and then stop exposure. On my camera time is actually shown as "Time" after bulb. I just tried the time mode on Ch and exactly the same problem, first shot okay, then reverted to a really quick exposure. Fine on time also, when changed back to single shot. So with that particular remote and camera combination, both bulb and time seem to act exactly the same. Will just have to remember - and I probably will after this experience - to change back to single shot when using this remote and bulb mode.

I've used it plenty of times for up to 30 sec exposures in Ch mode without problem. It does seem strange to only have this occur in bulb mode.

I also have a programmable Phottix remote which I usually use for longer night exposures as it displays the time etc. Chose the wireless last night as with fireworks I usually start when I hear the whoosh and stop after the burst appears and the simple wireless (1 button) seemed the easy option.

[arthurking83]

It seems in this instance your tech knowledge is 100x greater than mine!

I didn't realise that Phottix made an IR remote(which makes sense that they do too tho), so I was assuming one of their wireless(RF type) remotes being used.

Is the programmable remote a cabled type?(I know they have a wireless version .. been thinking of getting one).
if it's a cabled type(and not IR) then it should all work as I explained previously .... press to open press to close(Time mode) or press and hold(Bulb).

Nikon seem to have changed a lot more in terms of operational stuff(in the camera) than just the inclusion of some extra features.

[Glenda]

"It seems in this instance your tech knowledge is 100x greater than mine! " - A once in a lifetime occurrence .

The programmable remote I have is cabled. Usually only use it when shooting longer than 30 sec and I just set the timer.