Which ebay Intervalometer?

[AndyT350]

Has anyone bought any of these off ebay? If so which would you recommend? They seem to range from £10 - £40 for essentially the same thing!

I want to have a go at some timelapse and jump on the startrail bandwagon...

Linky: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=canon+500d+r...

I've got a Canon 500d

Cheers,

Andy

[Gad-Westy]

I bought one of the Nikon versions of these for exactly the same reason. 7 day shop, rather than ebay and £15. It seems perfect to me.

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...

[AndyT350]

Cheers - I've gone for http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Timer-Remote-Cord-Canon-... for 9.99 (looks idential)

Will let you all know if it works!

(edited for link that might actually work)

Edited by AndyT350 on Monday 24th October 23:43

[14-7]

Can't see which one you've bought but I have one like most on the ebay page and have used it loads. It works fine and in two years I've never had to change the battery.

I think I paid around £20 which considering it does the same as the one Canon charge over £100 for I think it's a bargain. No issues with build quality whatsoever.

[cal216610]

Looking for something like this for the FIL, he has a Sony alpha.
Any ideas anyone.

[XKjimmy]

This is for Nikon. its a timer and battery grip, more battery life and the Intervalometer all on one. this one is £36

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Timer-Vertical-Batte...

Other makes here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_tr...

[dibbly dobbler]

I've just bought one of these and am reading the instructions. You set the exposure time, then an interval and then the number of shots you want - all good. However the interval should be 'at least 1 second longer than the exposure time' apparently ? Eh ?

So if I want to do a series of 30sec exposures for star trails then according to this I need to wait 31 seconds between shots - this seems barmy. Any thoughts ?

ETA - Actually it looks like I've ordered the wrong bding thing. Arse!! Anybody want one ? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIte...

Edited by dibbly dobbler on Tuesday 25th October 22:11

[Comacchio]

For star trails you dont need an intervalometer. What you need is a remote shutter release that locks.

Then you set the camera to the exposure length required, set it on continuous shooting then release the shutter on your remote and lock it in place.

Job done.

[baz7175]

dibbly dobbler said:

I've just bought one of these and am reading the instructions. You set the exposure time, then an interval and then the number of shots you want - all good. However the interval should be 'at least 1 second longer than the exposure time' apparently ? Eh ?

So if I want to do a series of 30sec exposures for star trails then according to this I need to wait 31 seconds between shots - this seems barmy. Any thoughts ?

ETA - Actually it looks like I've ordered the wrong bding thing. Arse!! Anybody want one ? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIte...

He he, it does actually make sense that you set the interval longer than the exposure, otherwise it would try to fire again as it's just letting go of the previous shot, too close together, with expensive kit you could set a difference of a few milliseconds, but the lower end kit I'd guess the lowest would be 1 sec anyhoo...

Interval is a timescale of when you want it to fire, so for example every 5 seconds, if you are shooting 4 second exposures you have a 1 second wait peeriod before it will fire again, with a 5 second exposure it will maybes aye/maybes naw fire for every second exposure depending on how quickly the signal hits the cam etc in relation to the end of the previous shot, and if you are shooting say every 6 seconds, the first shot would fire, then stop, as you're already past fire signal #2 you'd have a 4 second delay until #3 fire signal actually gets to the cam for it's actual 2nd shot.

Hope that makes sense, no doubt as clear as mud

[baz7175]

This will probably help explain it...

[dibbly dobbler]

Comacchio said:

For star trails you dont need an intervalometer. What you need is a remote shutter release that locks.

Then you set the camera to the exposure length required, set it on continuous shooting then release the shutter on your remote and lock it in place.

Job done.

Ah you mean like the one I already had Double arse!!

[dibbly dobbler]

baz7175 said:

This will probably help explain it...

Baz - thankyou that is very clear

In my defence in the instructions I'm sure it made it looks as if the intervals were inbetween the shots but I'll have another look tonight.

On the face of it, it seems as though I have failed to understand the wrong version of the wrong thing which I didn't need anyway.

Triple Arse !!!

[AndyT350]

IT WORKS!

Star Trail (First Attempt).jpg by andydean117, on Flickr

This was 60x 30 Second Exposures using a 50mm 1.8 @ f5.6 & ISO 100 and stacked using startrail.exe

Not the best example but just playing around at the sec (def not going to post it in the star photography thread where people have managed to get the milky way and other far away places!)

Also haven't managed to get the interval to <1 sec so if you look really closely there are small gaps in the trail. Not sure how to best get around that.. all fun and games anyway so will have a wander out in the Peaks when we next have a nice clear night.

Edited by AndyT350 on Thursday 27th October 20:58

[XKjimmy]

NIce shot very crisp too! it certainly seems to have worked. Look forward to seeing more. Its quite addictive when you get into it.

[14-7]

dibbly dobbler said:

Ah you mean like the one I already had Double arse!!

Very handy if you want to do timelapse though

[dibbly dobbler]

14-7 said:

Very handy if you want to do timelapse though

At least it would have been if it fitted a 60D - that was arse number 1 !

If anybody wants the thing (for free) just PM me - it's no good to me and I can't be bothered try and reclaim the £18

[_dobbo_]

Am I right in thinking Nikons have this built in?

[AndyT350]

_dobbo_ said:

Am I right in thinking Nikons have this built in?

Some in not all of the Nikons have them built in (i'm sure a Nikon owner will be along in a sec)- I've heard that the external ones are seem to be reliable than the built in ones though..

[XKjimmy]

I have the D300s and it's got one on board, not sure about other ones though.