Wireless timers

[elin_dolle]

<p>I'm interested in getting a wireless timer for my E-5. I've found 2 the Vello Shutter Boss and the Phottix Aion. Does anyone know anything about either one of these and/or which one is better?</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<p>Hi Elin. I have been using one of the Vello RF release products (not a timer per se but has a delay and multiple burst function) with my<em> Panasonic GH 2.</em> I can <strong>not</strong> however use it with the shutter release port on my E-3 because Vello does <em>not</em> make a cable from the unit (rats and double rats!) and says they have no intention to market one for the three pin port on the E-3. <br>

Without more speculation which is all I offer, I would say to be <em>sure</em> that the RF's device cable is not just for "certain E <em>series cameras.</em>" Olympus had to go and put a different cable release configuration on the flagship models. Too bad, as the Vello brand has a good rep with me for build and customer response speed via e mail....idea is to e mail their customer service and ask specifically re the E-5. Best, gs PS. Cutting and splicing one to fit and work is another matter I will leave to someone else to ponder or devise....</p>

[elin_dolle]

<p>Thanks, Gary. I don't see a place to attach a cable which is why I'm looking at the wireless. I use a basic wireless remote now but it would be nice to have the timer on the remote.</p>

[meissner]

<p>There are 4 shutter releases Olympus has used for their DSLRs and medium/high end digital cameras:</p>

<ul>

<li>The RM-1 is an infrared shutter release that was used with several of the C-* cameras (and even came in the box of my C-2100UZ). It has 2 channels and 3 buttons (shutter button, and Wide/Telephoto buttons to allow the camera to zoom in and out when it is playing back on a TV). The Olympus DSLRs have an IR sensor that you can use with the RM-1, but the RM-1 was no longer included in the box. Starting with the E-500, you could use the W and T buttons for bulb shooting.</li>

<li>The RM-2 is a cost reduced version of the RM-1 that eliminates the W and T buttons (and the 2nd channel) that was included in some of the mid-range C-* cameras.</li>

<li>The RM-CB1 is a wired shutter release that was used on the E-10, E-20, E-1, E-3, and E-5 cameras. The C-8080WZ and E-300 could use the RM-CB1 with their portrait grips. With the RM-CB1 you have to be careful not to pull at the cable, or you will pull the locking ring off the device, making it useless.</li>

<li>With the E-1 and E-300, Olympus had separate connections for shutter release, video out, and USB, and starting with the E-500 went to a combined 12 pin cable that had separate pins for each function. The E-500 and E-330 did not support a wired shutter, but with the next camera (E-400) they added the RM-UC1 shutter release. My main gripe with the design is Olympus never released a cable that allowed you to do video out and shutter release at the same time, but now there are some products that support the combined function. Some of the SP cameras (such as my SP-550UZ) supported the RM-UC1, but the current SP and SZ models do not. The E-PL1 is the only Pen that does not support the wired shutter release. The E-3 and E-5 continue with the E-1 cabling setup (with the E-5 adding HDMI), and do not use the combined cable.</li>

<li>The E-500, E-330, and E-PL1 are the only DSLRs that do not support any wired shutter release (though E-500 and E-330 do support the RM-1 and RM-2 infrared releases).</li>

</ul>

<p>Now, there are several different wired and wireless shutter releases that take multiple cables. The ones I've seen take a 3 pin phono cable, either 2.5mm or 3.5mm. You can try ordering a cable from another maker to see if it is compatible. So far, for the wired shutter release, it looks like the cabling is the same (ground being the connection closest to the wire, focus being the middle connect, and fire being the tip -- you need ground and focus connected to get the camera to auto focus, and you need all three wires connected to fire the camera).</p>

<p>I bought the CL-CB1 cable from the ebay seller cam.plus for $7. It is the RM-CB1 cable for the Pixel TW-282/TC-252/TF-361/TF-371 or RW-221 shutter releases or flash triggers (the flash triggers have a 2.5mm cable for acting as a shutter release).</p>

<p>Doing a search on ebay, I see the seller foto4easy is selling some items:</p>

<ul>

<li>A wired shutter release with timer complete with cable for the RM-CB1 for $16: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Timer-Remote-Removable-Shutter-Cord-Olympus-E3-E1-E300-E10-E20-C7070-RM-CB1-/220910716729?pt=Camera_Camcorder_Remotes&hash=item336f4e0739.</li>

<li>Just the cable for $4: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Removable-Shutter-Connecting-Cable-Cord-Olympus-E3-E1-E300-E10-E20-C7070-CB1-/320809727653?pt=Camera_Camcorder_Remotes&hash=item4ab1bff6a5.</li>

<li>A different wired shutter release with timer (and no removable cord) is also available: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Timer-Remote-Switch-OLYMPUS-E3-E1-E300-E10-RM-CB1-/230460327601?pt=Camera_Camcorder_Remotes&hash=item35a88186b1.</li>

<li>They sell a wireless version, but only for the RM-UC1 cameras. It is unclear if the cable from the wired version would work in this.</li>

</ul>

<p>If you are into hacking electronics, I just found out about a free app for Android phones. You would need to build on one of the RM-CB1 cables mentioned earlier to build a custom circuit that plugs into the speaker port of your phone. You can make it wireless by using a bluetooth remote speaker: http://bitshift.bi.funpic.de/en/dslr-remote.php?lang=EN.</p>

<p>There is a Adriniuo based trigger (triggertrap) that is in theory going to start shipping in April. They don't supply the cable, but I think the above cables will work the triggertrap. Here are their links:</p>

<ul>

<li>Main link: http://www.triggertrap.com.</li>

<li>Different cables and the pinouts: http://triggertrap.com/2011/07/09/making-your-own-triggertrap-connection-leads/.</li>

<li>How to hack existing cables: http://triggertrap.com/2011/07/28/adapting-a-camera-remote-for-triggertrap/.</li>

</ul>

[meissner]

<p>By the way, here is what a RM-CB1 cable looks like if you yank it out:<br>

<img src="http://www.the-meissners.org/2011-small-albums/2011-hide-camera/thumb/2011-09-11-21-29-051-hidecamera.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /></p>

[elin_dolle]

<p>Thanks for the very in depth explanation. The Vello wireless timer is made for the Olympus E 1, 3 and 5.</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<p>Elin, good to see that there is NOW an <em>accessory</em> mini stereo jack type to E-1 on B and H for 8 bucks. I will order one to use with my Vello Free Wave plus on my E-3. And hope it turns out is not as fragile as the Oly cable Michael pictures, ( cracked the end on one myself and had to fork up for another Oly model at the time,ca. a year back. Kind of cheesy solder job on that RM-CB1. )<br /> I trust the Vello device timer model you buy works out for you. I tend to think that B and H carries half decent wares on aftermarket.<br /> Aloha, gs</p>

[meissner]

<p>Gary in my experience, the real Olympus RM-CB1 is a lot more sturdy than some of the wired clones. I tend to think the problem I had in the above photo is a design fault in the RM-CB1. There really isn't much you can do if the cable is screwed into the port gets yanked. With the RM-UC1 cable, it will just come out of the camera, but with RM-CB1 and clones, that little screw ring clamps it down -- it keeps the cable in, but if enough force is generated it will break.</p>

<p>However, I didn't mention that several of the real cheap wired clones evidently have real thin wires in side of the cable itself, and if you have a 90 bend in the wire, it will break the wire. After my last cable break, I started buying the clone shutter releases or cables in batches. Of course by now, I know to treat the cables gently.</p>

<p>The one thing the real RM-CB1 shutter release has that the clones don't have is a screw port that you can attach the little cap so it doesn't go wandering.</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<p>Received the accessory Vello brand cable from B and H, checked it out with the E1 and E-3 remote ports. Already know it work with the Panny cable on my GH 2. Cable itself is shall we say 'linguine thin' but that doesn't bother me at this point. The cable end has a decent size , grippable screw in ring plug and the plug end's molded strain relief seems good. Gold plated contacts look stout. <br /> I am, so far anyway, a pleased user of this Vello brand remote RF release pair. I would venture to guess their other pair, the remote flash and trigger combo is worth considering too, at a reasonable price of around a hundred dollars. Plus maybe a little extra for a cable. </p>

[elin_dolle]

<p>Thanks, Gerry. That's good to know; I'm leaning towards the Vello.</p>