Intervalometers - compatability and recomendations?

[RichardHealy]

I have a Canon 450d - my first ever DSLR - and rather pleased with the results I'm getting so far I'd like to try new techniques and am considering a move into time-lapse photography, leading into perhaps short film making, maybe some astrophotography: for this I shall need an Intervalometer and it's my birthday next month so I can justify a bit of a treat.

When I asked at my local camera shop, they sort of looked at me funny - like I was speaking Martian - and said I should contact Canon.

So I did.

They wrote back this evening saying no such device existed that was compatible with my camera.

They then wrote again correcting that and said, no actually there was one - the TC-80N3.

I checked it's up to £150. Waaaaaay out of my price range.

So a quick google later throws up these two candidates.

LCD Timer Remote switch cord cable for Canon G10 G11: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Lots of positive reviews - and quite cheap, a mere £25.

Professional LCD Timer Remote Release - for Canon EOS: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

+£10 more, No reviews either way but does appear to mimic the TC-80N3 almost exactly....


That is as far as my own investigations have progressed.

What I was wondering is can the DPS community recommend any intervalomters that are compatible with a Canon 450D that come in for around about the £30 mark?

Thanks.

RH. x

[RichardHealy]

Just to add to the confusion, I just got this email from Canon:

Dear Mr. Healy,

To my regret I have to contact you a second time to clear this issue up.

The TC-80N3 does *NOT* fit the EOS 450D.

Declaring that it should fit was a mistake on my part. My first e-mail was correct. I seem to have opened the wrong manual by accident when I checked the other compatibility charts for the other camera's to see if the TC-80N3 was just left out of the 450D manual because it's newer than that camera.

The 450D takes RC-1, RC-5 wireless remote controls, and RS-60E3. The socket for RS-60E3 and TC-80N3 are different; therefore the TC-80N3 will *not* fit the 450D.


Which in a way is good cos I wasn't going to be able to afford their crappy TC-80N3 anyway!

But it does now mean the focus is back on you guys!

Canon can't do the job - so do you know someone who can? - I throw down the gauntlet!

[ishootRAW]

First before we start. Time lapse puts a lot of shots on your camera. You will wear the shutter out amazingly quick. That's why I stopped doing it with my 50D. And I did buy canons intervalometer. If you are really interested in this, get the cheapest used rebel you can find, and use that for your time-lapeses.

You have 3 ways to do this.

1: use a PC. The Canon remote shooting software has a "interval shooting" mode.

2: use a calculator. There is a curtain Texas Insterments model, that when plugged in to a rebel, will function as a interalometer. A quick google search will turn up plenty of how-tos for this.

3: find a china clone on sketchy corners of the Internet.

[RichardHealy]

I don't have the sort of spare cash to go about buying *another camera* just to pursue this ambition.

I must say I've never heard of a shutter 'wearing out' either.


---> huh. apparently so:

http://www.digital-photography-schoo...meras-will-die


Also I don't have a PC or a laptop - just an Imac (OSX 10.5.8) which I'm rather fond of.

[ishootRAW]

Ok, I did find a friend a original rebel for $80 (body only) though.

I believe that canon remote capture does indeed work on Mac. If it dosent there is 3rd party software that does the same thing.

I'm not trying to discourage you here. It's just that you will wear you your camera a lot faster doing this.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by ishootRAW

First before we start. Time lapse puts a lot of shots on your camera. You will wear the shutter out amazingly quick. That's why I stopped doing it with my 50D. And I did buy canons intervalometer. If you are really interested in this, get the cheapest used rebel you can find, and use that for your time-lapeses.

Bah. A camera is designed to be used. Even a reasonably long time lapse wont put nearly that many shots on a camera.

[RichardHealy]

So I checked with the suppliers of the two intervalometers linked to above who both confirm they are compatible with the canon 450D.

So can I get a show of hands or something?

Which should I go for: the cheaper brand or the the more expensive mimic?

How (apart from price) should I choose between them? Put another way, is there in fact anything that distinguishes them, do you think?

[RichardHealy]

*nudge*

*bump*

what's the semaphore for "I'm over here!" ?

[ishootRAW]

Cheaper one, unless you are going to be dropping it off cliffs or something. save the money and use it for a lens or something.

[RichardHealy]

Now if there was a lens that I could get for £10 I'd be convinced!

The lens/tripod/mount/software I want, that £10 saving probably represents I'm guess but a little more or less than 1%

It's a start. A very small start.