PocketWizards as Shutter Release

Pindy

Anybody know how a PW handles shutter release function if AF is switched on?

ziggy53

I'm not sure I understand the question. Could you rephrase the question or add more information?

LiquidAir

It depends on how the cable you get to hook it up is wired. I first got a third party cable which continually holds the button half way down but I found that annoying because on my camera you can't change most of the settings without disconnecting the cable. I then picked the official PW cable which handles it a trigger as a full press of the button which I find works much better.

Some other notes on using a PW to trigger the camera: I can't reliably trigger the camera with the radio trigger in my Sekonic lightmeter; if I am triggering the shutter I have to use an actual PW as the trigger source. Also, if you want to trigger both the strobes and the camera wirelessly you need to keep the shutter speed short or else the strobes won't fire.

Pindy

ziggy53 wrote:

I'm not sure I understand the question. Could you rephrase the question or add more information?

When AF is enabled, the function of the shutter button is twofold:

halfway depressed = focuses
fully depressed = releases the shutter

The PW, I imagine, is a single signal that may or may not affect the AF functions. know what I mean? Even my cheap eBay shutter release has this two-mode feature. I was wondering what the costly and insensitively bulky PW does in this case.

Pindy

LiquidAir wrote:

It depends on how the cable you get to hook it up is wired. I first got a third party cable which continually holds the button half way down but I found that annoying because on my camera you can't change most of the settings without disconnecting the cable. I then picked the official PW cable which handles it a trigger as a full press of the button which I find works much better..

Does this mean that you are forced to manually set focus with the official PW cable? Not a deal-breaker—or even a bad idea—just asking. Does it try to focus when you trigger it?

LiquidAir

Pindy wrote:

Does this mean that you are forced to manually set focus with the official PW cable? Not a deal-breaker—or even a bad idea—just asking. Does it try to focus when you trigger it?

It depends on how your camera is set up, but if you leave the focus on the shutter button then the camera refocuses everytime you trigger the shutter with the PW. Usually I set the CF to put the focus on the * button so I can focus just once and then fire off shots with the PW without refocusing.

Pindy

LiquidAir wrote:

It depends on how your camera is set up, but if you leave the focus on the shutter button then the camera refocuses everytime you trigger the shutter with the PW. Usually I set the CF to put the focus on the * button so I can focus just once and then fire off shots with the PW without refocusing.

Mine's set the same way (option #3 in that particular CF). I suppose if you have the shutter button as AF, your shutter release is delayed, more or less, every time, since focus and shutter release is a serial sequence. Okay, LiquidAir, thanks for the info.

Nikolai

LiquidAir wrote:

It depends on how your camera is set up, but if you leave the focus on the shutter button then the camera refocuses everytime you trigger the shutter with the PW. Usually I set the CF to put the focus on the * button so I can focus just once and then fire off shots with the PW without refocusing.

Unfortunately it only lasts so long.. 30 sec or about it.

Nikolai

Pindy, check ebay for PW-ready release cables, there is a variety.

LiquidAir

Nikolai wrote:

Unfortunately it only lasts so long.. 30 sec or about it.

With my 5D, I can set the focus once and fire all day with the PW without it shifting.

Nikolai

LiquidAir wrote:

With my 5D, I can set the focus once and fire all day with the PW without it shifting.

Interesting... Mine (40D) expires after both the timeout and a shot taken. The only reliable way I know to do it is to shoot manual...

LiquidAir

Nikolai wrote:

Interesting... Mine (40D) expires after both the timeout and a shot taken. The only reliable way I know to do it is to shoot manual...

Is this using 1/2 shutter button focus or * button focus? On my camera * button focus behaves just like manual focus until I press the * button. 1/2 shutter button focus is different and might have a timeout--I don't use it much.

Nikolai

LiquidAir wrote:

Is this using 1/2 shutter button focus or * button focus? On my camera * button focus behaves just like manual focus until I press the * button. 1/2 shutter button focus is different and might have a timeout--I don't use it much.

Oh, maybe that's the difference. I see now. Anyway, if I am to trigger remotely I'll probably preset everything in manual so it's not really a big matter, but it's good to know the behaviour differs, thank you!