Shutter speed on bulb mode?

uday029 · 06-14-2015, 02:21 PM

Last night I tried to shoot some night photos with my K-3. I wanted a shutter speed of more than 30 seconds so I plugged in a remote shutter release and put it in bulb mode. As soon as I press the shutter, the screen goes blank. It does not show how long the shutter has been open for. How do I shoot at a particular shutter speed when in bulb mode? I used to shoot canon before, which used to show time lapsed since the shutter was pressed. I had to guess by counting "Mississippi's".

Is there any setting that should be enabled? I looked in the manual but could not find anything. How do you guys shoot at a particular shutter speed in bulb mode?

Thanks.

Sliver-Surfer · 06-14-2015, 02:28 PM

You will have to get a shutter timer cable.

**mattt** · 06-14-2015, 03:02 PM

Originally posted by uday029

How do you guys shoot at a particular shutter speed in bulb mode?

In order of use:
Astro tracer O-GPS1
Triggertrap
my wrist watch (because really, in terms of "stops" after thirty seconds being out by a second isnt going to kill an exposure)

Mississippi's work for me too.

**sholtzma** · 06-14-2015, 04:55 PM

Yes, it would be nice if Pentax did something like the Canon you remember and allowed for a bulb timer to show on the back monitor and top LCD. Seems like an easy feature to add.

uday029 · 06-14-2015, 05:00 PM

I was hoping that I might have missed some setting. This is pretty disappointing. It is a very basic feature every camera should have.

**dms** · 06-14-2015, 05:07 PM

Exposure being what it is simply counting is generally precise enoungh (1001, 1002, ...). Unlikely you will be off by more than 1/3 e.v.

mikeSF · 06-14-2015, 05:28 PM

i have a $17 intervalometer device for programming a specific time, if i need exposures to match, ie for stitching. But, most of the time i use a $2 cable release and just lock it open and count seconds. I have done this enough against a stopwatch that my time sense is very accurate.

Al_Kahollick · 06-14-2015, 07:41 PM

Originally posted by uday029

It is a very basic feature every camera should have.

Hmmm, I feel the same way about Weather Sealing and Tav Mode, both more useful IMHO!

**jbinpg** · 06-14-2015, 08:48 PM

Every smartphone has a countdown timer these days.

Flasher · 06-14-2015, 11:12 PM

This works well on an android phone with IR capabilities. I use it on a Samsung S4. Just set the camera to Remote IR mode and Bulb Mode 1 in camera setup

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.dslrremote&hl=en

Would have been a nice feature on the Pentax though and not too hard to implement.

BrianR · 06-15-2015, 05:18 AM

Cheap dollar store kitchen timer.

Lack of a countdown option has always baffled me. For that matter, I've never understood why we can't manually input how long we'd like the exposure for the long stuff. It's not like cameras don't come with a built in clocks these days. Call it HB mode for "Hyper-Bulb", I'd use it more than TAv

IchabodCrane · 06-15-2015, 05:27 AM

In those extremely rare cases when I want to take a shot for longer than 30 seconds, I use my wristwatch. It's something I always have.

Unregistered User · 06-15-2015, 05:46 AM

We are used to counting missisippis and I guess it is hard to teach an old dog to sit, i.e no one thought of this... It would be nice to have the option to see a timer counting for you. Also I would like to see a count down timer when using the O-GPS and shutter speeds over 1s. I think you can see the count down in the top LCD and in the OVF when using O-GPS... Have to check again.

Rickster · 06-15-2015, 06:20 AM - **1 Like**

This app works great with my Samsung S4 and Pentax K30 ...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dslr.camera.ir.remote.full&hl=en

uday029 · 06-15-2015, 10:28 AM

Originally posted by Rickster

This app works great with my Samsung S4 and Pentax K30 ...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dslr.camera.ir.remote.full&hl=en

Great. Thanks. Will try it out.

06-14-2015, 02:21 PM	#1
uday029 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 505	Shutter speed on bulb mode? Last night I tried to shoot some night photos with my K-3. I wanted a shutter speed of more than 30 seconds so I plugged in a remote shutter release and put it in bulb mode. As soon as I press the shutter, the screen goes blank. It does not show how long the shutter has been open for. How do I shoot at a particular shutter speed when in bulb mode? I used to shoot canon before, which used to show time lapsed since the shutter was pressed. I had to guess by counting "Mississippi's". Is there any setting that should be enabled? I looked in the manual but could not find anything. How do you guys shoot at a particular shutter speed in bulb mode? Thanks.

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06-14-2015, 02:28 PM	#2
Sliver-Surfer Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 1,558	You will have to get a shutter timer cable.

06-14-2015, 03:02 PM	#3
mattt Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Niagara Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,907	Originally posted by uday029 How do you guys shoot at a particular shutter speed in bulb mode? In order of use: Astro tracer O-GPS1 Triggertrap my wrist watch (because really, in terms of "stops" after thirty seconds being out by a second isnt going to kill an exposure) Mississippi's work for me too.

06-14-2015, 04:55 PM	#4
sholtzma Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Salisbury, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,043	Yes, it would be nice if Pentax did something like the Canon you remember and allowed for a bulb timer to show on the back monitor and top LCD. Seems like an easy feature to add.

06-14-2015, 05:00 PM	#5
uday029 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 505 Original Poster	I was hoping that I might have missed some setting. This is pretty disappointing. It is a very basic feature every camera should have.

06-14-2015, 05:07 PM	#6
dms Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: New York, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,192	Exposure being what it is simply counting is generally precise enoungh (1001, 1002, ...). Unlikely you will be off by more than 1/3 e.v.

06-14-2015, 05:28 PM	#7
mikeSF Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,620	i have a $17 intervalometer device for programming a specific time, if i need exposures to match, ie for stitching. But, most of the time i use a $2 cable release and just lock it open and count seconds. I have done this enough against a stopwatch that my time sense is very accurate.

06-14-2015, 07:41 PM	#8
Al_Kahollick Banned Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 390	Originally posted by uday029 It is a very basic feature every camera should have. Hmmm, I feel the same way about Weather Sealing and Tav Mode, both more useful IMHO!

06-14-2015, 08:48 PM	#9
jbinpg Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Prince George, BC Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,546	Every smartphone has a countdown timer these days.

06-14-2015, 11:12 PM	#10
Flasher Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 50	This works well on an android phone with IR capabilities. I use it on a Samsung S4. Just set the camera to Remote IR mode and Bulb Mode 1 in camera setup https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.dslrremote&hl=en Would have been a nice feature on the Pentax though and not too hard to implement.

06-15-2015, 05:18 AM	#11
BrianR Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,332	Cheap dollar store kitchen timer. Lack of a countdown option has always baffled me. For that matter, I've never understood why we can't manually input how long we'd like the exposure for the long stuff. It's not like cameras don't come with a built in clocks these days. Call it HB mode for "Hyper-Bulb", I'd use it more than TAv

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06-15-2015, 05:27 AM	#12
IchabodCrane Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,728	In those extremely rare cases when I want to take a shot for longer than 30 seconds, I use my wristwatch. It's something I always have.

06-15-2015, 05:46 AM	#13
Unregistered User Guest	We are used to counting missisippis and I guess it is hard to teach an old dog to sit, i.e no one thought of this... It would be nice to have the option to see a timer counting for you. Also I would like to see a count down timer when using the O-GPS and shutter speeds over 1s. I think you can see the count down in the top LCD and in the OVF when using O-GPS... Have to check again.

06-15-2015, 06:20 AM - 1 Like	#14
Rickster Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: SE Idaho - Rocky Mtns Photos: Gallery Posts: 580	This app works great with my Samsung S4 and Pentax K30 ... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dslr.camera.ir.remote.full&hl=en

06-15-2015, 10:28 AM	#15
uday029 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 505 Original Poster	Originally posted by Rickster This app works great with my Samsung S4 and Pentax K30 ... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dslr.camera.ir.remote.full&hl=en Great. Thanks. Will try it out.