Pentax Remote Control - Cable or Wireless ?...

Advice please.

I need a remote control to fire the shutter on my Pentax *istDL2 but don't know wether to use cable or wireless. I shall be by the camera so distance not important. Any advice please.

Depends on how you want to use it, but I'd go with the cable, as I think you can only use the infra-red remote from the front of the camera (self-portraits etc).

With cable, you don't have to have a line of sight to the camera, which might not be important to you now, but might be for any application you come up with in the future.

Dan

Hi dangie

Note that you can only fire the wireless remote from the front of the DL2. You can get a compatible cable release off ebay for around £8.00+p&p, the canon variety work with all pentax bodies.

You know, you can stand behind the camera and just swing the IR remote around the body to point straight into the sensor. You don't have to be 10 feet away or in the photo at all. Just form a direct line of sight between the IR remote and the camera's sensor, and Bob's your uncle.

Get a cable remote and a 2.5mm stereo headphone extension cable
If you want to make your own shutter release there's an old thread I did on this forum... (center pin is the shutter, middle is the focus, sleeve is the ground.)

There are plenty of compatible products and web pages on DIY stuff!
Matt

Note that if you use the remote control for long exposure bulb shots, you have to keep the button pressed down, and I doubt that'll do much to the battery life in the r/c unit!

I purchased the cable.

As I didn't know how to get in front for FLOWER images and the like.

in case anyone is interested, I use a Philips one for all TV remote. It cost me £5 from Argos and works with my *istDL2 and K10D. Doesn't work with my MZ-7 though so it's not guaranteed.

Mongoose
That's interesting. How did you get the right code for the camera?
Dangie

its one of the ones with an auto scan function, I'll dig it out later and post the exact model but its basically the cheapest, smallest one I could find.

You put it in setup mode and point it at the camera (obviously camera must be in wireless release mode). The remote just keeps fireing off codes at a rate of about 1 every couple of seconds and you watch until the camera shutter fires. You press a button to set the code et voila, the power button on the remote now = shutter on the camera.

Hi all,

You (should be able to) can use the remote from behind as well. Get a small piece of mirrored plastic, or one of those 2" square mosaic mirror tiles from the DIY superstore.

Gaffer tape the piece of mirror to a length of surgically adapted coat hanger, and the other end to a tripod leg, adjust as necessary to receive the IR beam from the right angle to reflect to the receiver and job done.

Cheers

Liam

And from the comfort of your sofa you can change channel too - GENIUS!

the controler I'm using is a Philips Universal SBC RU 151

Its a couple of years old now so the exact model may no longer be available, but in theory any universal remote should do the trick provided its got a self configure mode.

Hi there,

I need a cable release for a K100/K110D - which Canon model is it that fits the Pentax? There is one that fits EOS 350/400D, is that it? The connector look like the one on the Pentax CS-205 cable switch.

Cheers,
Per