need a couple of remote cameras...

[richard_dulkin]

<p>Have a studio completely setup with studio strobe lighting, using two Nikon bodies=D-700 w/ 24~70 f/2.8 lens and D-90 w/ 80~200 F/2.8 usual lens (also have 18~105 kit lens, 10~24). I want another couple of bodies that would serves as remote cameras, one for floor angle shoots and one for overheads. They must be able to be viewed, zoomed and triggered remotely from an iPhone or laptop computer and they must have an accessory shoe to hold the studio flash transmitter. Would prefer Nikon, but would not dismiss other brands. I am handicapped and unable to get down on the floor and up on ladders, so need these to give me added shooting angles. Price range for camera body or body w/ lens $300 to $700 with a megapixel minimum of 12... <br>

Any suggestions?</p>

[Two23]

<p>D300 will do it. You need a camera with a 10-pin remote.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

[richard_dulkin]

<p>Sorry Ken, not in the price range, even used!</p>

[elliot1]

<p>Actually, the D300 used is well within the price range you specify. You just need to be a savvy shopper!</p>

[jonb]

<blockquote>

<p>They must be able to be viewed, <strong>zoomed</strong> and triggered remotely...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No Nikon DSLR supports remote zooming. I'm not sure what cameras do.</p>

<p>But ignoring that... how about using D2X bodies? They are going for <$700 and produce excellent 12-MP images as long as you keep the ISO fairly low.</p>

 

[mike_halliwell]

<blockquote>

<p>You need a camera with a 10-pin remote.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Obviously being a bit dim this morning, but why? I tether my D90 all the time and it has an accessory shoe to fire a studio flash.</p>

<p>It can use D lenses and has 12.3MP. 2nd hand with 18-55mm ~ £290 in UK, that's ~ $450.</p>

<p>Zoomed remotely? Nope, there are ways but they are NOT native! Small RC winch servos and gears.</p>

[sjoerd_leeuwenberg]

<p>Running a studio while being handicapped sounds like a challenge, best of luck with that. Makes my photography sound very easy all of a sudden. But I bet the results are good and the pleasure is even greater when a lot of effort went into it.<br>

About the camera's, I would take D90's, can be remotely controlled with USB. Or maybe A D5x00 for the articulated screen. Build-in automatic zoom control will not be possible. If you have fixed positions, you might be able to construct a simple wheel with rubber band construction, you might be able to put the wheel in a location you are able to reach and then use the rubber band to connect the wheel with the zoom ring. Just a thought.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>If you are sort of handicapped, so running USB cables to tether a remote single camera, should be out of question, (nonsense to tether couple or more of them this way - for many reasons e.g. like lack of software to do it).</p>

<p>Your remote camera should have the 10 pin control socket, so you will be able to control and remotely take pictures of unlimitted number of remotely located cameras. </p>

<p>Lower shelf consumer end cameras (e.g. like D90) that have the Accessory Terminal instead of 10 pin control socket, may not be appropropriate, unless (again) cables are used. Another way would be to release remote cameras via an Infra Red interface, if available.</p>

<p>Generally your requirements to tether everything, and zoom etc. are far beyond current technoology use and available software.</p>

<p>Cameras with SD - Wi-Fi cards could possiby allow you to wirelessly tranfer your pictures to a central computer in your studio, and see them and organize remotely. So, combination of remote camera trigering via a radio device trigger in the 10 pin socket, and the Wi-Fi card picture transfer would be as far as it is possibe to do.</p>

<p> </p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>I'm obviously missing something very important about the 10 pin socket!! </p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Your remote camera should have the 10 pin control socket, so you will be able to control and remotely take pictures of unlimitted number of remotely located cameras.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

How do you <em>CONTROL</em> it wirelessly?</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>The zoom part is the killer. That's going to be an external, mechanical interface. If you're into some homebrew, I'll be the local RC hobby shop could help you wizard something together using a cheap transmitter and servo rig - but it would be a little mad-scientist-looking.<br /><br />Check out the CamRanger for control of everything else - it will interface nicely with something modestly priced like a used D90. </p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>Thanks Matt...Excellent link! I don't have an <em><strong>i</strong></em>-anything but I see a PC version is in the offing.</p>

<p>Why the <em><strong>HECK</strong></em> didn't Nikon do this themselves? Maybe CCP 3 is Wi-Fi? Ha Ha!</p>

<p>I'll have to buy one when I'm over the Pond next. They're the same in ££ as they are there in $$!!</p>

[richard_dulkin]

<p>Thanks everyone so far. I have used my D-90 tethered as I said above, and yes the usb wires were sort of a pain. I was hoping that there was a camera, such as my GoPro that could be commanded wireless. It is a simple device that can be commanded by an iPhone w/ app or the device provided with the Hero3 black edition. So my assumption was that if this small camera could be controlled that way, perhaps a more sophisticated Nikon (or other brand) could also be controlled with more sophistication.<br>

I think I wished for too much. In rethinking my current Nikon D-700 and D-90 are used in the M mode and since my lighting never varies neither does the f/ stop and the shutter speed. So could the two additional two cameras. Another D-90 or two with the lenses I already have in DX format could suffice. <br>

With this new set of parameters, any less expensive (and less sophisticated cameras than the D-90, even better, an automatic focus and controllable point and shoot, would also be what I was looking for?</p>

 

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>The 10 pin socket has no facility to control the camera except for triggering AF and the shutter release. Camera Control Pro connects via USB, and the USB connection is the only way AFAIK to get control of aperture, shutter speed, etc. A simple composite video feed would show you what the camera is seeing - <strong>but</strong> the camera would have to support Live View. The lowest priced model that supports Live View is the D90. No zooming though - that's a separate function of the lens. You'd have to get an integral lens camera to control zooming as well, or rig up a cine modified lens to a motor controller, and that option isn't going to come cheap.</p>

<p>Edit: Maybe a simpler and cheaper option would be to fix the camera onto a boom that could be raised or lowered with control of aperture, shutter speed and release via a cannibalised battery grip. Since a battery grip can control most functions of the camera, it seems logical that the control buttons from one could be removed and the wiring extended.</p>

[kohanmike]

<p>Mike, I have a D300s with the 10 pin and bought a wireless remote control where the receiver is a little dome that plugs into the 10 pin, and the trigger is a small remote., which can be converted to a wired remote as well. But the same problem exists, it only triggers the shutter, nothing else.</p>