Difference between revisions of "Remote Camera Triggering"

Revision as of 06:33, 20 March 2014

1D Mark II, FlexTT5, and CM-N3-ACC cable

As with other PocketWizard radios, the MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 can be used to trigger a remote camera. A PocketWizard remote camera cable is required to perform this operation. Different camera bodies have different remote camera connectors and require different cables. To find the right cable for your particular camera, you can use the Cable Finder.

With the default settings, a remote camera can be triggered in single shot mode and there will be a delay between subsequent triggers until the camera's viewfinder LCD deactivates. Continuous triggering for motor drive bursts is possible if the FlexTT5 attached to the camera has either Disable Shoe Communications or Basic Trigger Mode set via the PocketWizard Utility. It is not possible to combine continuous remote camera triggering with advanced features like TTL and FP/High Speed Sync. Relay Mode with TTL is only available in single shot mode.

Basic Remote Camera Setup

1. Set the transmitting radios and the receiving radio on your camera to the same Channel.
2. Attach the remote camera cable to your camera's motor drive port and the sync port on the camera's receiving radio.
3. Turn on your equipment top to bottom (radio, then camera)
4. The transmitter in your hand will trigger the remote camera when you press the TEST button

Relay Mode

A receiving FlexTT5 is automatically configured to use Relay Mode to trigger remote flashes in sync with the remote camera. To engage relay mode, simply set the FlexTT5s connected to remote flashes to one channel higher than you're using to trigger the camera. So if the FlexTT5 triggering the camera is receiving on ControlTL Channel 1, it will transmit on ControlTL Channel 2 to trigger flash in sync. You can specify the transmit and receive channels via the PocketWizard Utility.

Note: You can use a flash in the receiving camera's hot shoe, simply set it to Master, just as you would if you were firing directly from the camera.

See more about Relay Mode in this PW TV episode:

Remote Camera Cables

Remote camera cables fall into three general categories, each with different applications and features.

ACC Cables - These cables have a stereo miniphone connector on one end and a camera-specific remote connector on the other. A camera can be remotely pre-released when connected via an ACC cable to a compatible Pocketwizard radio. They can be used with the ACC port on a MultiMAX or the P1 port on a FlexTT5.

Note: -ACC cables shipped into the market starting July/August 2013 include an MSMM Adapter (stereo to mono miniphone) which converts a -ACC cable to a standard miniphone cable.

Pre-release Cables - These cables have a mono miniphone connector on one end and a camera-specific remote connector on the other. They also have a pre-release switch built into the cable itself. When the switch is engaged, the connected camera behaves as if its shutter button is held down half way. This lets the camera respond more quickly and consistently, but at the expense of battery life. Pre-release cables can be used with Plus IIs, MultiMAXes, and FlexTT5s set to Basic Trigger Mode.

Note: As of July 2013, we've started shipping Pre-Trigger Mono Miniphone (PTMM) Adapters in place of Pre-Trigger (-P) cables. The PTMM Adapter works with any -ACC cable to convert it from a -ACC cable to a Pre-Trigger (-P) cable and has a switch for Normal or Pre-Trigger mode.

Pre-Trigger ON behavior (switch engaged and set to I):

• Camera continuously meters and focuses (if set to autofocus)
• Reduces Lag Time/more consistent Lag Time
• Camera uses batteries faster
• Some camera controls (menus) not available

Pre-Trigger OFF behavior (switch disabled and set to O):

• Camera meters and focuses only when triggered
• Lag time affected by focus time
• Camera uses batteries normally
• Image review available
• All camera controls available

Standard Cables - These cables have a mono miniphone connector on one end and a camera-specific remote connector on the other. They can be used with Plus IIs, MultiMAXes, and FlexTT5s set to Basic Trigger Mode.

Note: -ACC cables shipped into the market starting July/August 2013 include an MSMM Adapter (stereo to mono miniphone) which converts a -ACC cable to a standard miniphone cable.

ADDED BONUS: All cables shipped into the market starting July/August 2013 will be packaged in our new retail packaging. They are now packaged in an environmental friendly 100% recycled paperboard box with white labels showing both ends of the cable as well as a compatibility list. This replaces our old packaging of a plastic zipped bag.

See more about remote camera cables in this PW TV episode:

Auto-Focus

A remote camera that is using Auto-Focus but has not been pre-released (with a pre-trigger cable or a half-press from a Plus III) will still attempt to focus a remote camera before firing an exposure. Depending on the AF setting that you have chosen for your remote camera, the auto-focus behavior will look a little different:

• When the camera is set to AF-S (Single), the camera will not release the shutter button until it can confirm the focus. When using this setting on the camera, the camera will attempt to autofocus before releasing the shutter button.
• When the camera is set to AF-C (Continuous), the focus is continuous up until the point of the full shutter release. When using this setting on the camera, the camera will first attempt to focus and will then fire regardless of focus confirmation.

In AF-S there is the possibility of missing shots, if focus cannot be confirmed, and in AF-C there is the possibility of getting an out-of-focus shot. These limitations are tied to the camera’s auto-focus system – you will see the same behavior with or without PocketWizard radios.