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I'm looking for a remote that can handle at least 30' of range and hold the shutter down long enough to do exposure bracketing. The latter part is what's really problematic--I have a remote that can fire it at that range, but it won't hold it for long enough.

I have seen some remotes with truly extreme ranges for wildlife photography but that's overkill, I haven't seen anything in between.

Loren Pechtel
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3 Answers3

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You can get a wired remote on eBay for $£€ 10

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to which you can add extension cables for about the same price.

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You don't even need to put batteries in for a simple shutter release, only for the timer functions. As all it's doing is closing a contact, you can run quite a long way. They have a 2-stage press, same as the camera's own release & a lock to keep on shooting. The last part of the cable comes in many flavours for different camera types.

Tetsujin
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  • I want to minimize what's in the frame so wired isn't a good answer but I do like your idea of extension cables. Not ideal but I'll try that if I don't find a better solution. Plugging a remote into an extension cable would reduce the range. – Loren Pechtel May 29 '21 at 23:42
  • @LorenPechtel It'd have to be a fairly long cable. These things carry no data. They're simple on/off switches (other than Panasonic, which is sensitive to the amount of resistance to determine the difference in 'half press' and 'full press' over only one wire plus ground). – Michael C May 30 '21 at 06:12
  • @LorenPechtel Are you wishing to activate the camera while you are visible in the frame? – Michael C May 30 '21 at 06:13
  • @MichaelC Exactly. Selfies in the wilderness with the camera on a tripod. Uneven terrain can play havoc with tripod placement. – Loren Pechtel May 30 '21 at 22:54
  • @LorenPechtel There are radio versions of the above. The transmitter can usually also be used wired, or it can be used wirelessly with the receiver wired to the camera via a variety of connectors like the wired only one above. Most manufacturer remotes are infrared with much shorter ranges. Please see this answer and this answer – Michael C Jun 01 '21 at 00:57
  • @MichaelC One of those is about wired remotes, the other is about wireless--but nothing about it indicates it won't hit the same issue I have been hitting--range and failing to sustain the signal for a burst. – Loren Pechtel Jun 01 '21 at 01:26
  • Both have links to wireless remotes that connect via the camera's wired ports. As far as I know those will continue to send a signal until the button is released. These are radio remotes that work on the same frequency bands as radio triggers for flashes, not infrared remotes. I've used flashes with radio triggers at considerably greater distances than what your question says you need, in the neighborhood of 100-150'. – Michael C Jun 01 '21 at 03:03
  • The first link shows a wire to connect the receiver to the camera, not to connect it to the transmitter. the second link shows a wired remoted and then a wireless radio remote set that also connects to the cameras wired remote port. That's the only way you're going to get continuous drive mode with most cameras - using the wired remote port. – Michael C Jun 01 '21 at 03:06
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I'm not sure about the Panasonic camera, but with the Nikon D7500, you don't need a remote that holds the shutter for a long time. You can do single-press shutter button exposure bracketing by setting the bracket function and setting the interval timer function.

First, as you're probably doing, set the number and EV range of your brackets by pressing the BKT button.

Secondly, set the interval timer to start Now, taking 1 interval of as many shots as you set in the Bracketing function. You can also set a short delay between shots (I usually keep that delay to a minimum). By doing this, with a single press of the shutter button (or the remote's button), you will take, say, 3 bracketed shots automatically. The next time you press the shutter button, you will take 3 more bracketed shots.

When you're done with bracketed shooting, you have to remember to turn off both bracketing and the interval timer. I know, it's a bit fidgety, and easy to forget to set (or disable) both modes. But it's how it's done with Nikon DSLRs.

scottbb
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  • Interesting! I never tried combining interval + bracketing. I know for simple bracketing you have to hold the button. – Loren Pechtel May 30 '21 at 01:23
  • I don't think that's how Nikon intended it, holding the button for the entire time. In my experience, without using the interval timer, when bracketing is set, each press of the shutter button takes the next bracket in the sequence. So if you're set for a 5-shot bracket at +/- 1EV each, then the first button press is -2 EV. Next press is -1 EV, then 0, etc. (assuming the bracket order was set to "-0+"). If they required you to hold the button down, the camera might move during the exposure, and that's definitely not desirable for bracketing. – scottbb May 30 '21 at 02:16
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    If my brackets are fast enough shutter speed, I sometimes won't bother setting the interval timer. I just press the button on my remote 5 times. But when doing long-exposure brackets, I don't want to wait around for the progressively-longer shots, so I set the interval timer, press the button, and the camera plug away with the shots. – scottbb May 30 '21 at 02:17
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With both your Nikon D7500 and the Panasonic FZ300 bracketing can occur one exposure per shutter release press, and any remote will work for that. With the Nikon you just use the basic BKT button/mode (and step settings) **and the shutter release set to single shot mode. And with the Panasonic you set it to "Single" in the Auto Bracket menu.

(**unless you are really good at controlling the number of shots in continuous mode)

Steven Kersting
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  • Yeah, you can fire it one at a time. There's no need for being really good at controlling the number of shots--on both if you hold down the button it fires the bracket in continuous mode then stops. My only problem is with range. – Loren Pechtel May 30 '21 at 22:52
  • Pretty much every wireless radio remote has at least a 100ft range these days. Can be had for about $30; you'll just need one that has interchangeable camera cable connections and a cable for each body. – Steven Kersting May 31 '21 at 11:31
  • And many of them can also do bulb/continuous exposure as well... even some of the really cheap ones ($20 JJC brand) – Steven Kersting May 31 '21 at 11:36
  • I haven't seen that range even for a single shot, let alone a burst. – Loren Pechtel May 31 '21 at 23:26
  • https://www.amazon.com/JJC-Wireless-Remote-Control-Camera/dp/B00JGI8HV6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=jjc+wireless+nikon&qid=1622515386&s=electronics&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyNExSSDRKQ1EzRkRFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjQ0Mzg1M0hCNUxWUFBMT1hOSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTg2NjEzMzlYUjkwV0xNWTdKWCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= – Steven Kersting Jun 01 '21 at 02:43
  • That appears identical to the weaker one I own. – Loren Pechtel Jun 01 '21 at 03:47