Programmable IR Remote for K-5

v5planet · 12-10-2012, 10:37 AM

For the last couple years I've been using a JJC programmable wired remote with my K-7 and now my K-5. Generally speaking this has worked out well, but now the remote only appears to work intermittently with both cameras. I have since read that plug shape can vary slightly between manufacturers, resulting in deformations of the contacts inside a socket, so I am worried this is potentially what is happening on my cameras. (I plan to buy one el cheapo official wired Pentax remote to test the health of the sockets.) In the long run I am thinking I could use an IR remote, but I am loathe to give up the programmable functions of my current remote, which I use all the time for its intervalometer and programmable shutter speed functionality (often in combination).

To my knowledge, there is no programmable IR remote available for the Pentax family of cameras, first party or otherwise. I did find this simple intervalometer:
Gentles Limited: gentLED-AUTO

but that's not quite what I'm looking for, since shutter speed is not programmable.

Does anyone know of a fully programmable IR remote that works with Pentax? Or some IR adapter that could connect to my wired remote? Information on this stuff seems to be really scarce in Pentax land.

**jatrax** · 12-10-2012, 11:13 AM

Get a cheap extension cord, or dig one out of the closet and try that first. If it is the plug sometimes doing that will fix the problem. At least it is something to try. You are correct in that different manufacturer's plugs can be slightly different but in this case I would be more inclined to blame a loose connection in the male plug of the remote. Over time bending in this area causes metal fatigue in the very tiny wires.

Anyway, that is the most common source of failure with mini-plugs. Test this by trying an extension cable or by using an electrical meter to test the remote. Since it is intermittent you might have to test a lot. If that is the problem a $3.00 part from Radio Shack and a bit soldering iron work will fix you up.

Sorry but I don't have a recommendation for an IR remote.

**JimJohnson** · 12-10-2012, 07:43 PM

shameless advertising-
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/do-yourself/186110-make-wired-release-any...ir-camera.html

You can plug darn near anything into it that operates as a simple switch.

**Ron Boggs** · 12-13-2012, 07:08 PM

Giga T Pro II Wireless Timer Remote (Canon model fits Pentax too)

B&H has it for $100 right now.

Don't get the previous version as it only has the release while this newer version has many programmable features.

Not certain it's IR without looking it up again, but I'll leave that to you!

**Ron Boggs** · 12-24-2012, 08:42 PM

Gosh my family pays attention, just opened a Giga T Pro II Wireless Timer Remote for Christmas from my mother 3 states away. Cool!

v5planet · 12-24-2012, 09:12 PM

Originally posted by Ron Boggs

Gosh my family pays attention, just opened a Giga T Pro II Wireless Timer Remote for Christmas from my mother 3 states away. Cool!

Ha! I read that link you posted with great interest. Let me know how it works for you! For the time being I've bought a standard first party wired shutter release for my camera and discovered the socket is just fine. So I'll be in the market for a replacement to my reprogrammable at some point in the near future.

I'll be especially interested to learn how well that remote works re: interval shooting.

**Ron Boggs** · 12-26-2012, 02:43 PM

Played around a bit...just indoors for testing. Very cool feature that this remote allows me to set a burst of shots at each interval. So it does the intervalometer setting with another setting for the number of shots at the intervals. For example, I set the unit to fire five shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes and it worked flawlessly.

This particular remote also has a second timer loop so I could have set it to fire 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes then a timed delay and rerun the 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes...

The item is mostly intuitive and once you skim the 4 page manual it all becomes clear and simple.

The quality exceeds my expectations: buttons for settings are solid, wire for connecting the receiver to the camera is quality wire with quality fittings, LCD screens seem to be well fit.

Yes, I'd accept this as a gift again...and if I lost this one, I'd buy another just like it.

v5planet · 12-26-2012, 07:47 PM

Originally posted by Ron Boggs

Played around a bit...just indoors for testing. Very cool feature that this remote allows me to set a burst of shots at each interval. So it does the intervalometer setting with another setting for the number of shots at the intervals. For example, I set the unit to fire five shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes and it worked flawlessly.

This particular remote also has a second timer loop so I could have set it to fire 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes then a timed delay and rerun the 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes...

The item is mostly intuitive and once you skim the 4 page manual it all becomes clear and simple.

The quality exceeds my expectations: buttons for settings are solid, wire for connecting the receiver to the camera is quality wire with quality fittings, LCD screens seem to be well fit.

Yes, I'd accept this as a gift again...and if I lost this one, I'd buy another just like it.

Can you set the exposure length for the individual shots? My planned use would primarily be in bulb mode with >30" exposures.

**Ron Boggs** · 12-28-2012, 03:57 PM

I'm at work without the unit or manual right now, but it does offer bulb mode settings. I never shoot that way so didn't investigate the particulars other than to see a couple spots in the manual that address bulb mode.

Have the Puget Sound crab filled their shells yet? Oregon coast crab still empty from the fall molt...usually the crab at my family's Hood Canal place are on pace with Puget Sound...winter crab are the best and well worth the 13 hour one way drive to go catch some!

12-10-2012, 10:37 AM	#1
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915	Programmable IR Remote for K-5 For the last couple years I've been using a JJC programmable wired remote with my K-7 and now my K-5. Generally speaking this has worked out well, but now the remote only appears to work intermittently with both cameras. I have since read that plug shape can vary slightly between manufacturers, resulting in deformations of the contacts inside a socket, so I am worried this is potentially what is happening on my cameras. (I plan to buy one el cheapo official wired Pentax remote to test the health of the sockets.) In the long run I am thinking I could use an IR remote, but I am loathe to give up the programmable functions of my current remote, which I use all the time for its intervalometer and programmable shutter speed functionality (often in combination). To my knowledge, there is no programmable IR remote available for the Pentax family of cameras, first party or otherwise. I did find this simple intervalometer: Gentles Limited: gentLED-AUTO but that's not quite what I'm looking for, since shutter speed is not programmable. Does anyone know of a fully programmable IR remote that works with Pentax? Or some IR adapter that could connect to my wired remote? Information on this stuff seems to be really scarce in Pentax land.

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12-10-2012, 11:13 AM	#2
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,991	Get a cheap extension cord, or dig one out of the closet and try that first. If it is the plug sometimes doing that will fix the problem. At least it is something to try. You are correct in that different manufacturer's plugs can be slightly different but in this case I would be more inclined to blame a loose connection in the male plug of the remote. Over time bending in this area causes metal fatigue in the very tiny wires. Anyway, that is the most common source of failure with mini-plugs. Test this by trying an extension cable or by using an electrical meter to test the remote. Since it is intermittent you might have to test a lot. If that is the problem a $3.00 part from Radio Shack and a bit soldering iron work will fix you up. Sorry but I don't have a recommendation for an IR remote.

12-10-2012, 07:43 PM	#3
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,774	shameless advertising- https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/do-yourself/186110-make-wired-release-any...ir-camera.html You can plug darn near anything into it that operates as a simple switch.

12-13-2012, 07:08 PM	#4
Ron Boggs Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MT Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,350	Giga T Pro II Wireless Timer Remote (Canon model fits Pentax too) B&H has it for $100 right now. Don't get the previous version as it only has the release while this newer version has many programmable features. Not certain it's IR without looking it up again, but I'll leave that to you!

12-24-2012, 08:42 PM	#5
Ron Boggs Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MT Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,350	Gosh my family pays attention, just opened a Giga T Pro II Wireless Timer Remote for Christmas from my mother 3 states away. Cool!

12-24-2012, 09:12 PM	#6
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ron Boggs Gosh my family pays attention, just opened a Giga T Pro II Wireless Timer Remote for Christmas from my mother 3 states away. Cool! Ha! I read that link you posted with great interest. Let me know how it works for you! For the time being I've bought a standard first party wired shutter release for my camera and discovered the socket is just fine. So I'll be in the market for a replacement to my reprogrammable at some point in the near future. I'll be especially interested to learn how well that remote works re: interval shooting.

12-26-2012, 02:43 PM	#7
Ron Boggs Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MT Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,350	Played around a bit...just indoors for testing. Very cool feature that this remote allows me to set a burst of shots at each interval. So it does the intervalometer setting with another setting for the number of shots at the intervals. For example, I set the unit to fire five shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes and it worked flawlessly. This particular remote also has a second timer loop so I could have set it to fire 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes then a timed delay and rerun the 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes... The item is mostly intuitive and once you skim the 4 page manual it all becomes clear and simple. The quality exceeds my expectations: buttons for settings are solid, wire for connecting the receiver to the camera is quality wire with quality fittings, LCD screens seem to be well fit. Yes, I'd accept this as a gift again...and if I lost this one, I'd buy another just like it.

12-26-2012, 07:47 PM	#8
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ron Boggs Played around a bit...just indoors for testing. Very cool feature that this remote allows me to set a burst of shots at each interval. So it does the intervalometer setting with another setting for the number of shots at the intervals. For example, I set the unit to fire five shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes and it worked flawlessly. This particular remote also has a second timer loop so I could have set it to fire 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes then a timed delay and rerun the 5 shot bursts every minute for 4 minutes... The item is mostly intuitive and once you skim the 4 page manual it all becomes clear and simple. The quality exceeds my expectations: buttons for settings are solid, wire for connecting the receiver to the camera is quality wire with quality fittings, LCD screens seem to be well fit. Yes, I'd accept this as a gift again...and if I lost this one, I'd buy another just like it. Can you set the exposure length for the individual shots? My planned use would primarily be in bulb mode with >30" exposures.

12-28-2012, 03:57 PM	#9
Ron Boggs Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MT Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,350	I'm at work without the unit or manual right now, but it does offer bulb mode settings. I never shoot that way so didn't investigate the particulars other than to see a couple spots in the manual that address bulb mode. Have the Puget Sound crab filled their shells yet? Oregon coast crab still empty from the fall molt...usually the crab at my family's Hood Canal place are on pace with Puget Sound...winter crab are the best and well worth the 13 hour one way drive to go catch some!