Topic: Tips for using time

[choppert]

Specifically, if I want to use the time setting on a camera with no cable release what's the best way?

My thinking is taking me to.... trip the shutter with the lens covered with black cloth?, expose, re-cover with cloth, close shutter

What tips for reducing any camera shake associated with touching the camera?

Thanks,



Chops

[Francois]

Well, long cable release comes to mind first but since you don't have access to that, I'd opt for a dark hat held in front of the lens instead (it's something they did in the old days).

[Heather]

You can get cable releases (small/short ones) that automatically lock in place so you can do T mode on B mode if you understand that? B(ulb) stays open as long as you hold down the shutter release, T mode is a two-part action - one to open the shutter and one to close the shutter.

The answer to how to avoid camera shake is always a really really good, sturdy tripod.

[astrobeck]

does your camera have mirror lock-up?  

Most astrophotographers covet the older models that have this feature to avoid mirror slap.

It's why my Nikon F2 is so precious to me.  

The hat trick is a good one....

[Francois]

Somehow, I have the feel we're dealing with some really vintage hardware. Apart from a view camera, new models that have a T setting are quite rare...

[choppert]

Sorry folks, I meant a P&S camera with no THREAD for using a cable release.

Should have made that clearer!

The shake would come from tripping the shutter button by hand

Chops

[Francois]

You could bend an L bracket to shape so that it would land over the trigger button and use a drill bit to just cup out a cone shaped hole in the button to receive the plunger from a cable release... I don't know if you can see where I'm getting at?

[Mike (happyforest)]

I'm sure I've seen somewhere a commercially made bracket for P&S cameras so they can be used with a cable release.

I'll seen if I can find the link.

http://www.fotospeed.com/keywordsearchresults.asp

or

http://www.srb-griturn.com/cable-release-bracket-for-compact-cameras-1965-p.asp

or

http://www.srb-griturn.com/cable-release-bracket-for-compact-angled-cameras-1966-p.asp
Mike

[astrobeck]

Which P&S model?
Maybe that will help us figure something out.
I like the L-bracket Francois mentioned, but if we know which camera body, it might help narrow it down.

[choppert]

Ricoh GR1

I'm sure I can remember a material strap (with velcro) with a cable release thread in it.

I could cobble one of those together if I could find somewhere to buy a threaded adapter thing.  I bet a thread cutting tap (of tap and die fame) would help if I knew which size to use.  Any ideas?

Chops

[euge...]

I used to just use fingers while my late lamented Gr1s was set to bulb mode and on a small pocketable tripod(or wall) and found that with care the results were better than you'd expect.This was with exposures from 1 to 30 secs.For shorter exposures Id use the self timer.
I have wondered about the srb release that happy forest linked to.If you end up getting it Id be curious to hear your thoughts.

[Francois]

I bet a thread cutting tap (of tap and die fame) would help if I knew which size to use.  Any ideas?

Since the cable release has a tapered tread, it can fit a variety of hole sizes without problem. I have an old Ansco folder which has a simple tapped hole in it to press the shutter open. At first I was a bit dubious but it actually works fine.

One thing you could do is simply aim for a hole that would fit the release at about the halfway mark and find a tap that has about the same number of treads per inch as the plunger... just eyeball it.

[euge...]

Both of these were Bracketed from 5,10,15 sec exposures on a jessops small bendy legged tripod .