Plugging in wire into K-30's wireless shutter release port causes LCD to turn off

JesterPrime · 11-24-2012, 06:20 AM

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Hey all, I've been having an odd little problem with my K-30. I recently purchased a NPT-04 flash trigger and receiver set (commonly known as the CowboyStudio ones, but I got these from CheapLights) and in the box was a trigger, 2 receivers, and a cable that I found I could use as a wireless shutter release cable when connected to a receiver.

Now, the problem I'm having is that when I plug the cable in, the LCD on the camera turns off, and nothing I do can turn it back on. Only when I pull the cable out of the port does the LCD come back on. The shutter release works perfectly, taking as many pictures as I want using the remote, and when I pull the cable out and the LCD comes back on, it gives me a preview of my last shot.

I'm just wondering why the LCD turns off completely like this, and what I can do about it. It's something to do with the camera itself, because I plugged in the cable into the port without it being connected to a receiver, and the LCD still shut off. Just it sensing that something has been plugged into that port makes this happen. Is this normal? I've googled and searched but haven't found a single mention of it.

Thanks to anyone for any help

**Ex Finn.** · 11-24-2012, 08:25 AM

From the looks of it, the plug is a mono plug with tip and sleeve, not tip, ring, sleeve. Therefore causing a continuous half-press of the shutter.
You could change the plug to TRS type and just connect wire to the sleeve and tip. You would not have half-press obviously.

Ponosby Britt · 11-24-2012, 12:23 PM

Ex Finn is correct. The cable shipped with Cowboy Studio / NPT-04's is for an X-Sync socket. The Pentax Wired Remote and this Wireless Remote
both use the tip, ring , sleeve as described by Ex Finn. I use CS / NPT-04s to trigger off camera flashes (hot shoe) and Alien Bees with the PC to plug cable sold by PCB.

One caveat. When I use the Wireless Remote to trigger the camera shutter and the CS / NPT-04s to trigger lights, the wireless remote signal interferes with the flash receivers. Use the 2 sec delay and lights are triggered normally.

BTW, I've used the Cowboy Studio Triggers for a few years now and I much prefer the 1/4 20 mount of the receiver base to the cold shoe mounts. As long as the batteries are okay, they are very reliable, as in hundreds of exposures reliable. They are so cheap, having spares is a no brainer and affordable. Get a Morris Softbox with the wonderful bracket & speedring, add a QR Plate to the Receiver and with your tripod, you have a very portable and stable main or fill light, great for outdoors sessions.

JesterPrime · 12-03-2012, 03:59 AM

Whoops, sorry it took me so long to reply! I see, thank you both for the info and help. I think I'll look into TS to TRS connectors, do you guys think that would work? And why does this cause a half press of the shutter anyway?

Ponosby, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by the 1/4 20 mount of the receiver base, would you mind elaborating?

Ponosby Britt · 12-03-2012, 02:12 PM

Originally posted by JesterPrime

Whoops, sorry it took me so long to reply! I see, thank you both for the info and help. I think I'll look into TS to TRS connectors, do you guys think that would work? And why does this cause a half press of the shutter anyway?

Ponosby, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by the 1/4 20 mount of the receiver base, would you mind elaborating?

It means a threaded hole of 1/4 " diameter and 20 Threads Per Inch, identical to the one on the bottom of your flash. Put the flash in the hot shoe of wireless receiver and screw it on the light stand or tripod ( I use quick release plates om my tripod)

JesterPrime · 12-03-2012, 02:32 PM

Originally posted by Ponosby Britt

It means a threaded hole of 1/4 " diameter and 20 Threads Per Inch, identical to the one on the bottom of your flash. Put the flash in the hot shoe of wireless receiver and screw it on the light stand or tripod ( I use quick release plates om my tripod)

Ah, I see. And the cold shoe mount being a mount for the flash whose only purpose is to hold it up? Yeah, I have a yongnuo flash and I like to stick it on the receiver, and then the receiver on the stand included with the flash (which itself has a threaded hole at the bottom for tripods and such). Haven't had any trouble with it yet, though I don't have a studio set-up, just experimenting with my one (first) flash.

**Ex Finn.** · 12-03-2012, 03:55 PM

Originally posted by JesterPrime

I think I'll look into TS to TRS connectors, do you guys think that would work? And why does this cause a half press of the shutter anyway?

Adapter will not work. It will just mimic the connection in the camera AFAIK.
The ring connection on a wired remote is for activating focus, the tip is for firing the shutter. In a Mono (tip-sleeve) connector the sleeve is longer, resulting in a continuous short / activation of the focus circuit.

JesterPrime · 12-04-2012, 01:11 AM

Ah, so only solution is connecting the wires like you said? I guess with some black electrical tape, I can put together something that works and looks alright.

**Ex Finn.** · 12-04-2012, 03:43 AM

Originally posted by JesterPrime

Ah, so only solution is connecting the wires like you said? I guess with some black electrical tape, I can put together something that works and looks alright.

Just get a 2.5mm TRS connector and do it right.

JesterPrime · 12-04-2012, 03:49 AM

Originally posted by Ex Finn.

Just get a 2.5mm TRS connector and do it right.

Right in what sense, get a different wire that is TRS on one end and whatever it is that plugs into the receiver? Couldn't that potentially create other problems, given that a TS connector was included with the receivers?

When I said connecting the wires, I meant what you suggested earlier: "You could change the plug to TRS type and just connect wire to the sleeve and tip"

**Ex Finn.** · 12-04-2012, 04:10 AM

Originally posted by JesterPrime

Right in what sense

Every time I hear someone mention electrical tape, I think of people twisting wires together and taping them, instead of proper soldering and heat-shrinking

.
If you prefer not to alter the original plug, then make an adapter. You can`t hurt anything as long you stick with passive (non powered) components.

JesterPrime · 12-04-2012, 04:37 AM

Hehehe, well I can understand that I suppose, I'm not too handy when it comes to soldering stuff. I'll promise not to do such terrible deeds on larger scales, but perhaps for these lowly TS/TRS cable issues, I can get away with it? You said that using a TS to TRS adapter wouldn't work because it'd just mimic what's in the camera. Does an adapter like that not just wire the T and S to the T and S of the TRS and leave the R blank/separate? If not, then what would be the point?

**Ex Finn.** · 12-04-2012, 09:42 AM

Come to think of it, the adapter might work fine. It could just convert the "stereo" TRS to "mono " and that should be ok.
Possibly worth a try, they are pretty cheap.

eastman · 12-04-2012, 08:52 PM

I use this cable from FlashZebra to connect a radio trigger to my K20D - FlashZebra.com: Shutter Release for Cameras with Subminiphone Plug (Canon E3, Pentax, etc.) to Pocket Wizard (Item #0092)

I'm guessing the K-30 uses the same connection since it is common to a lot of Pentax SLR cameras (film and digital).

11-24-2012, 06:20 AM	#1
JesterPrime New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 15	Plugging in wire into K-30's wireless shutter release port causes LCD to turn off Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Hey all, I've been having an odd little problem with my K-30. I recently purchased a NPT-04 flash trigger and receiver set (commonly known as the CowboyStudio ones, but I got these from CheapLights) and in the box was a trigger, 2 receivers, and a cable that I found I could use as a wireless shutter release cable when connected to a receiver. Now, the problem I'm having is that when I plug the cable in, the LCD on the camera turns off, and nothing I do can turn it back on. Only when I pull the cable out of the port does the LCD come back on. The shutter release works perfectly, taking as many pictures as I want using the remote, and when I pull the cable out and the LCD comes back on, it gives me a preview of my last shot. I'm just wondering why the LCD turns off completely like this, and what I can do about it. It's something to do with the camera itself, because I plugged in the cable into the port without it being connected to a receiver, and the LCD still shut off. Just it sensing that something has been plugged into that port makes this happen. Is this normal? I've googled and searched but haven't found a single mention of it. Thanks to anyone for any help

12-04-2012, 04:10 AM	#11
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by JesterPrime Right in what sense Every time I hear someone mention electrical tape, I think of people twisting wires together and taping them, instead of proper soldering and heat-shrinking. If you prefer not to alter the original plug, then make an adapter. You can`t hurt anything as long you stick with passive (non powered) components.

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11-24-2012, 08:25 AM	#2
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	From the looks of it, the plug is a mono plug with tip and sleeve, not tip, ring, sleeve. Therefore causing a continuous half-press of the shutter. You could change the plug to TRS type and just connect wire to the sleeve and tip. You would not have half-press obviously.

11-24-2012, 12:23 PM	#3
Ponosby Britt Closed Account Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 227	Ex Finn is correct. The cable shipped with Cowboy Studio / NPT-04's is for an X-Sync socket. The Pentax Wired Remote and this Wireless Remote both use the tip, ring , sleeve as described by Ex Finn. I use CS / NPT-04s to trigger off camera flashes (hot shoe) and Alien Bees with the PC to plug cable sold by PCB. One caveat. When I use the Wireless Remote to trigger the camera shutter and the CS / NPT-04s to trigger lights, the wireless remote signal interferes with the flash receivers. Use the 2 sec delay and lights are triggered normally. BTW, I've used the Cowboy Studio Triggers for a few years now and I much prefer the 1/4 20 mount of the receiver base to the cold shoe mounts. As long as the batteries are okay, they are very reliable, as in hundreds of exposures reliable. They are so cheap, having spares is a no brainer and affordable. Get a Morris Softbox with the wonderful bracket & speedring, add a QR Plate to the Receiver and with your tripod, you have a very portable and stable main or fill light, great for outdoors sessions.

12-03-2012, 03:59 AM	#4
JesterPrime New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 15 Original Poster	Whoops, sorry it took me so long to reply! I see, thank you both for the info and help. I think I'll look into TS to TRS connectors, do you guys think that would work? And why does this cause a half press of the shutter anyway? Ponosby, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by the 1/4 20 mount of the receiver base, would you mind elaborating?

12-03-2012, 02:12 PM	#5
Ponosby Britt Closed Account Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 227	Originally posted by JesterPrime Whoops, sorry it took me so long to reply! I see, thank you both for the info and help. I think I'll look into TS to TRS connectors, do you guys think that would work? And why does this cause a half press of the shutter anyway? Ponosby, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by the 1/4 20 mount of the receiver base, would you mind elaborating? It means a threaded hole of 1/4 " diameter and 20 Threads Per Inch, identical to the one on the bottom of your flash. Put the flash in the hot shoe of wireless receiver and screw it on the light stand or tripod ( I use quick release plates om my tripod)

12-03-2012, 02:32 PM	#6
JesterPrime New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 15 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ponosby Britt It means a threaded hole of 1/4 " diameter and 20 Threads Per Inch, identical to the one on the bottom of your flash. Put the flash in the hot shoe of wireless receiver and screw it on the light stand or tripod ( I use quick release plates om my tripod) Ah, I see. And the cold shoe mount being a mount for the flash whose only purpose is to hold it up? Yeah, I have a yongnuo flash and I like to stick it on the receiver, and then the receiver on the stand included with the flash (which itself has a threaded hole at the bottom for tripods and such). Haven't had any trouble with it yet, though I don't have a studio set-up, just experimenting with my one (first) flash.

12-03-2012, 03:55 PM	#7
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by JesterPrime I think I'll look into TS to TRS connectors, do you guys think that would work? And why does this cause a half press of the shutter anyway? Adapter will not work. It will just mimic the connection in the camera AFAIK. The ring connection on a wired remote is for activating focus, the tip is for firing the shutter. In a Mono (tip-sleeve) connector the sleeve is longer, resulting in a continuous short / activation of the focus circuit.

12-04-2012, 01:11 AM	#8
JesterPrime New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 15 Original Poster	Ah, so only solution is connecting the wires like you said? I guess with some black electrical tape, I can put together something that works and looks alright.

12-04-2012, 03:43 AM	#9
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by JesterPrime Ah, so only solution is connecting the wires like you said? I guess with some black electrical tape, I can put together something that works and looks alright. Just get a 2.5mm TRS connector and do it right.

12-04-2012, 03:49 AM	#10
JesterPrime New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 15 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ex Finn. Just get a 2.5mm TRS connector and do it right. Right in what sense, get a different wire that is TRS on one end and whatever it is that plugs into the receiver? Couldn't that potentially create other problems, given that a TS connector was included with the receivers? When I said connecting the wires, I meant what you suggested earlier: "You could change the plug to TRS type and just connect wire to the sleeve and tip"

12-04-2012, 04:37 AM	#12
JesterPrime New Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 15 Original Poster	Hehehe, well I can understand that I suppose, I'm not too handy when it comes to soldering stuff. I'll promise not to do such terrible deeds on larger scales, but perhaps for these lowly TS/TRS cable issues, I can get away with it? You said that using a TS to TRS adapter wouldn't work because it'd just mimic what's in the camera. Does an adapter like that not just wire the T and S to the T and S of the TRS and leave the R blank/separate? If not, then what would be the point?

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12-04-2012, 09:42 AM	#13
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Come to think of it, the adapter might work fine. It could just convert the "stereo" TRS to "mono " and that should be ok. Possibly worth a try, they are pretty cheap.

12-04-2012, 08:52 PM	#14
eastman Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Chicagoland Photos: Gallery Posts: 83	I use this cable from FlashZebra to connect a radio trigger to my K20D - FlashZebra.com: Shutter Release for Cameras with Subminiphone Plug (Canon E3, Pentax, etc.) to Pocket Wizard (Item #0092) I'm guessing the K-30 uses the same connection since it is common to a lot of Pentax SLR cameras (film and digital).