Remote release WR10 on a D800

[warren_williams]

<p>I own a D800e and already had the 10 pin connector replaced once. I frequently use the camera on tripods and have been using the time delay setting to release the shutter but don't like living with the delay. I am hesitant to use a remote release and constantly unplugging it. Would it be feasible to buy the WR10 and leave the WR a10 unit plugged in more or less permanently. Part of my concern is will the A10 unit take pulling the camera in and out of my bag. Does anyone have another approach to releasing the camera shutter? </p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>I use it on the D810. With my bag there isn't any problem when taking the camera out of the bag while the unit is on, and I simply leave it on when I'm doing landscape/close-up photography. I also have a MC-30A as an alternative that doesn't require batteries. I bought the WR-10 because my older MC-30 (not A) cable release would get really stiff in very cold temperatures (<-20C) and it was difficult to make sure there would be no shake. However, the MC-30A does seem an improvement and so I have two systems that both work well.</p>

<p>I think the position of the WR-10 on the body is such that it is not easily damaged in normal use but I'm not saying it <em>could not</em> be if the body falls on the ground for example, but then you'd have other problems as well. A part of the reason I bought the WR-10 is that with upcoming camera bodies and flashes it will be possible to use it to trigger and control the flashes, so there is dual use. One of the reasons I got the MC-30A is that I read it is less stiff in the cold and easier to screw in than the MC-30 (both correct) and it would not be dependent on batteries, just in case there is some practical limit of operation in the WR-10 that I have not yet discovered.</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Get a cheap wired remote, cut the cable a couple of inches short of the 10 pin plug and make good with a 3.5mm stereo jack and line-socket. Problem solved! And without spending over $200.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>"A part of the reason I bought the WR-10 is that with upcoming camera bodies and flashes it will be possible to use it to trigger and control the flashes,.."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'm not sure how that's going to work Illka. The transmitter only appears to support very simple switch operations with no display or channel/power setting buttons. And if you have to buy an additional Nikon transmitter, you can bet it'll cost more than a TT5 or similar unit.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>The settings are on the camera. AFAIK the WR-R10 (+WR-A10) <em>is</em> the Nikon transmitter/controller for the new radio based wireless flash system. It does need a firmware update to work in this role. If I recall correctly, the WR-10 system has three channels that you can choose from. The radio based wireless flash system can support up to six groups of flashes. Here are some early experiences of SB-5000 and D500:</p>

<p>http://www.ishootshows.com/2016/01/05/shooting-impressions-on-assignment-with-the-nikon-d500-and-sb-5000/</p>

<p>"remote SB-5000 units are controlled through a flash options menu on the D500."</p>

<p>"Furthermore, I set the Fn2 button on the back of the D500 as a shortcut to the remote flash options, so it was amazingly easy to change flash power, active groups, and flash mode on the fly."</p>

<p>I would imagine the same controls are available on the D5.</p>

[warren_williams]

<p>Thanks Rodeo Joe - a great idea. I'm going to give it a try if I can locate my old soldering gun somewhere....</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>I thought the whole point of the D5 and D500's compatibility with Nikon's RF controlled flash was that they needed no external trigger, but had one built in?</p>

<p>I can see that the WR-R10 might be used to trigger an SB-5000, but control it - how? AFAIK Nikon's DSLRs previous to the D5/D500 don't have any facility for communicating flash control to the WR-R10. And if you have a D5 or D500, then you don't need the WR-R10. So what's the real use of it?</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

Even the D5 and D500 need the WR-A10+WR-R10 to use the radio based advanced wireless lighting, but most of the

electronics is inside (my guess is that the WR-R10 contains the antenna and some circuitry). Older cameras do not support this system even if you mount the WR-R10 on, then it is just used for remote triggering.

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>"Even the D5 and D500 need the WR-A10+WR-R10 to use the radio based <a id="itxthook5" href="/nikon-camera-forum/00dm76" rel="nofollow">advanced<img id="itxthook5icon" src="http://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/icon1.png" alt="" /></a> wireless lighting,.." - Geez, that's total pants!<br>

I'm sure if a WiFi modem can be fitted into an SD card, then sticking one in the space of a pop-up flash should be an absolute breeze. Any bets on how long it'll take some 3rd party maker to knock off a clone of the WR-A/R10 and sell it for 1/5th of Nikon's brazen price?</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>Well, third party radio triggers do exist, but one of the reason I haven't bought TTL compatible third party triggers is that up until recently there have been numerous cases of incompatibilities with specific combinations of camera, flash, trigger, and settings thus it may or may not work, depending on a host of factors. Also to use third party radio triggers with Nikon flashes you needed a separate receiver to mount on the flash, in addition to the unit that is mounted on the camera, and you needed additional batteries for both the transmitter and the receiver. With Nikon's system, I would expect compatibility to be more clear-cut, and the receiver is built in to the flash, and runs on the flash batteries. The on-camera unit (WR-A10+WR-R10) runs on the camera battery and is small compared to third party radio triggers and really the price isn't that bad relative to third party trigger/receiver units. I appreciate the fact that I don't need a separate receiver unit and that the Nikon transmitter on the camera is very small, and also am more confident that future cameras and flashes will be supported. There are so many batteries and chargers in use today it is such a pain to manage all the logistics of charging and having enough backups for every situation, and replacing them in time, for that reason the Nikon radio controlled flash system is welcome as it doesn't make the battery situation worse. You just have AA's in the flash, and the camera battery in the camera, and that's all. </p>

 

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>I've been using cheap 3rd party dumb RF triggers for years with about 2 changes of battery in all that time. The common 12v car-remote battery the transmitter takes is so small I can carry a spare easily, along with a few AAA cells. My studio strobes use trigger receivers that are mains powered.</p>

<p>TTL? Who needs it? I have a flashmeter, and flashes with Auto-Aperture control that give all the exposure automation needed. However I recently bought some CLS/I-TTL compatible Godox Ving speedlights. They use a rechargeable Lithium-polymer battery that weighs half of what 4 AA cells do, and stores around twice the charge. There's also very little self-discharge while the flashes aren't in use. In addition the Godoxes take a plug-in trigger receiver that runs off the flash battery. The hotshoe mounted transmitter allows control of the power of up to 16 separate flashes with a reliable range of tens of metres. So it seems like Godox has beaten Nikon to it in addressing most of your flash concerns Ilkka.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

I am happy to hear that Godox works for you. I know also several Yongnuo users who are happy with their radio

controlled flash products. Yongnuo also now has a flash which is compatible with Canon's radio transmitter. Nikon's

advantage is the tiny transmitter.

 

As for whether I need TTL, I do use TTL bounce flash at events and for office portraits that need to be done quickly. It

works fine and manual flash would not be convenient. A flash meter gives f-stop for the given manual flash energy set,

but I want to control the aperture manually and adjust the flash output for a correct exposure. It is faster for me to do trial

and error than use a flash meter to get what I want. I do use a flash meter sometimes in the studio to set up background

lighting and test everything ready before the subject arrives. For quick fill for events and portraits on location I prefer TTL.