Gunter:
I have built your Pro Timer as specified using in essence the same code and hardware that you have documented.
On an Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mk II the Pro Timer controls the camera as we would expect in either Bulb Mode or Manual Mode. On either a Nikon D800, D810 or D750, the Pro Timer works as programmed with the camera in Manual Mode and with the Pro Timer set with an interval time and allowing the Nikon Cameras to trigger at a given allowable shutter speed. However the Pro Timer will not control any of my Nikon camera models in Bulb mode. I have a number of traditional wired intervalometers and all of my intervalometers control the cameras in Bulb mode as configured.
Are there any other reports that the Pro Timer has issues with Bulb mode on Nikon cameras?
Thanks in advance for your input
Dave Lindey
No, works for me an I work with nikons only. What exactly are you experiencing?
Gunter
I also shoot with Nikon and also Olympus.
I have a Nikon D810, D800 and D750 and and Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mk II.
As you know in Manual Mode the camera controls the shutter speed and the timer programs the interval between shots. In Bulb mode the Pro Timer controls both the shutter speed and the interval between shots.
When I use the Pro Timer with the Olympus, both Manual Mode or Bulb mode work as they should with the timer controlling shutter speed and tinervals.
With any and all of my Nikons Manual mode works properly with the Pro Timer. In Bulb mode however, when you start the timer, the shutter opens but never closes. I have connected test LED leads to inspect the timer to witness what is happening with the Pro Timer. So I am testing if the timer is sending the correct information such as open shutter, close shutter, wait until the interval between shots has elapsed and then shutter open, shutter closed and so on.
The LED's show that if a 5 second exposure and a 4 second interval is programmed into the Pro Timer, the shutter is opened for 5 seconds followed by 4 second interval before the next exposure. So the Pro Timer is operating as it should but the shutter on the camera is not released after the programmed shutter speed. Again the shutter opens for the first shot and never closes.
This only happens in Bulb mode on the Nikons. The Manual mode operate asmexpected.
So something is different with the Nikon Cameras operation / cables etc.
I trust that this hasn't confused you.
Manual mode the timer triggers as programmed for interval using the shutter speed
you wrote:
"if a 5 second exposure and a 4 second interval is programmed into the Pro Timer"
with official firmware you should not be able to set a 5 second exposure time bei given interval of 4 sec. max exposure time is interval - 0.5sec.
i tried interval 9 sec and exposure 5 sec in conjunction with my nikon D750.
the result was as expected:
5sec shutter on 4 sec shutter off.
i turned autofocus off!
cannot see any problem.
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Excuse me for not following the exact vernacular. What I meant was if I set an exposure of 5 seconds and want a 4 second interval between the shots, I set the Pro Timer with an exposure time of 5 and I set the Interval variable as 9. This is exactly how I have set the Pro Timer.
Again as I stated previously the Pro Timer works as expected in Manual Mode and Bulb Mode on the Olympus camera. On my Nikon cameras the Pro Timer works as expected in Manual Mode but when using Bulb Mode, the camera shutter opens at the beginning but the shutter never releases regardless of the time of exposure that I set on the Pro Timer. I have since today managed to try the Pro Timer with a Sony AR III and a Canon 7D. These 2 camera models react identically as my Nikon Cameras do.
So the question is,
1) Has anyone else experienced this problem with Nikon, Canon and Sony cameras using the Pro Timer in Bulb Mode as I have?
2) Has anyone else experienced the Pro Timer working without issue using the Pro Timer in Bulb Mode as I have?
I have a strong electronics background and to trouble shoot the problem I have connected LED's to the circuit as a testing aid to visually show that the Arduino sketch is operating as expected. The LED lights indicate that whatever variables that I set in the Pro Timer, the sketch is operating as expected.
For some strange reason, when the Pro Timer is set to Bulb Mode and the Nikon/Canon/Sony cameras are also set to Bulb mode the shutter opens when the Pro Timer is started but never closes the shutter at the programmed time. The only way to close the shutter is to turn off the cameras.
Again the Olympus works without any issue.
One further point I should make is that I cave connected a Nikon MC-36 intervalometer and a Vello intervalometer to my Nikon cameras and set up a Bulb sequence. I used the identical settings on my camera and set the intervalometer identically to the Pro Timer. The Bulb mode using the wired intervalometers operate as expected.
You make a comment that "turn auto focus off". What do you mean by this? Do you mean that you set the lens to manual and the focus detector switch to manual?
I have not done this but as I stated when I use the traditional wired intervalometers I do not with the lens to manual nor then focus selector switch on any of my Nikon models.
To add one other point I do not switch my Olympus camera to Manual Focus either when executing Bulb mode with the Pro Timer and it works fine.
Very anxious to resolve this issue.
Thanks for then comments and help.
Interval is always the time from opening the shutter to the next opening. It's important to be concise regarding this terminology.
But anyway - this is does not solve your problem. And I'm afraid, if I tell you that I've just tested this with an D750 and D850 and both worked as expected, this doesn't help you either.
The only thing that I can recommend is to double check your hardware, it might be a weak circuit or soldering point causing this. Then it might work with cameras where only a smaller current flows, and with others not. I have no other explanation.
yes, try it with setting lens and camera to "manual focus" mode. focusing influence the behavier although the pins focus and shutter are connectet together.
Thanks Gunter for your reply.
I cannot agree that there is a connection problem. I have used the Pro Timer that I built last September since that time without any problems. I have always used it in Manual mode and it has worked flawlessly. It wasn't until this past week when I wanted to use it in Bulb Mode that I discovered the issue.
I am not certain but the problem may be that I did not set the Nikon camera bodies to to Manual using the Auto-focus selector switch nor did I set the lens to Manual focus.
I am away from my home on vacation at the moment and do not have my Pro Timer with me. When I return home on the weekend I will set the auto-focus selector switch to Manual rather than leaving it set to its usual AF mode and let the lans to Manual focus as well before trying the Pro Timer in Bulb mode
I will report my findings for the benefit of the community.
Thanks
Dave Lindey
Hi Dave, I cannot remote debug your device, I hope you understand that, that's why I can only guess. It's working for others with the same setup but not for you - so obviously something is different.
Turning off autofocus on camera normally is self-evident when shooting timelapse.