Shutter release from Android phone

Racer X 69 · 01-28-2014, 04:28 PM

Originally posted by schnitzer79

i have a wireless remote but u need to be in the front for that one.

I have that tiny little Pentax remote and it works from both the front or the rear of my K10.

schnitzer79 · 01-28-2014, 11:32 PM

Originally posted by JimJohnson

Triggertrap Mobile | Triggertrap

I have it and it works with both my Samsung Galaxy S3 and my Nexus 7. The Android app is free, but the dongle is approximately US$30.
Triggertrap supports straight cable release (press the button on the phone) as well as using other device sensors to trigger the camera (like sound), and a wide variety of intervalometer options. Something also possible, but I haven't tried it yet, is to establish a direct Wi-Fi connection between two Android devices and use one to trigger the other wirelessly (and therefore the camera).

If your camera doesn't have a wired cable release port (for example, the K-r or K-x, or one of the Pentax P&S cameras), you can still use Triggertrap following my (and follow-on) instructions by Roy Weidig to trigger the camera via a simple modification to an IR release:
Make a wired release for any Pentax IR camera - PentaxForums.com

thanks but if the dongle costs $30 might as well buy a wired remote.

**JimJohnson** · 01-29-2014, 03:43 AM

Originally posted by schnitzer79

thanks but if the dongle costs $30 might as well buy a wired remote. i will try it to see if it works with my 3.5mm to 2.5mm jack, although i dont think so.

The camera's jack is looking for a switch. The phone's jack is meant for outputting sound. The only commonality is they are mini jacks. The Triggertrap dongle listens to the sound based commands from the app and performs a switching function.

There are no promises you won't damage either or both the phone and camera hooking them directly together. If you won't buy the signal converting dongle, then yes buy a mechanical release meant to be used with your camera.

sprint113 · 01-29-2014, 09:09 AM

Pentax (and Canon) use a 2.5mm TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) connector. On 3.5mm TRS connectors used in audio devices, the Tip is the L channel, Ring is the R channel and the Sleeve is the ground. For the wired remotes, shorting the ring and the sleeve (R and ground) causes a half shutter press and shorting the tip and sleeve (L and ground) causes a full shutter press.

I don't think the audio circuitry on any MP3 player or smartphone was designed to intentionally short out either of these connections, so I'm going to guess that there is no way to use your device to directly control the shutter.

The cable release is an extremely simple design and should be a very easy DIY project if you just need a reliable remote shutter button. The cheap remote I got off ebay for a couple bucks just uses three leaf springs stacked in a way that they short when pressed together, which is probably the commonly used design in the cheaper remotes. However, I would think a proper switch would be a more robust design for a DIY project.

AFAIK, the Remote Release app you might have been referencing to for Canon cameras uses USB to control the camera similar to PKTether and allows for much more control of the camera. The author of PKTether mentioned he was stating to look into making an android app, but has yet to publish anything.

01-28-2014, 11:32 PM	#17
schnitzer79 Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,248 Original Poster	Originally posted by JimJohnson Triggertrap Mobile \| Triggertrap I have it and it works with both my Samsung Galaxy S3 and my Nexus 7. The Android app is free, but the dongle is approximately US$30. Triggertrap supports straight cable release (press the button on the phone) as well as using other device sensors to trigger the camera (like sound), and a wide variety of intervalometer options. Something also possible, but I haven't tried it yet, is to establish a direct Wi-Fi connection between two Android devices and use one to trigger the other wirelessly (and therefore the camera). If your camera doesn't have a wired cable release port (for example, the K-r or K-x, or one of the Pentax P&S cameras), you can still use Triggertrap following my (and follow-on) instructions by Roy Weidig to trigger the camera via a simple modification to an IR release: Make a wired release for any Pentax IR camera - PentaxForums.com thanks but if the dongle costs $30 might as well buy a wired remote. Last edited by schnitzer79; 02-01-2014 at 11:16 AM.

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01-28-2014, 04:28 PM	#16
Racer X 69 Moderator Man With A Camera Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: The Great Pacific Northwet, in the Land Between Canada and Mexico Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,073	Originally posted by schnitzer79 i have a wireless remote but u need to be in the front for that one. I have that tiny little Pentax remote and it works from both the front or the rear of my K10.

01-29-2014, 03:43 AM	#18
JimJohnson Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Summer:Lake Superior - Michigan Winter:Texas Hill Country Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,774	Originally posted by schnitzer79 thanks but if the dongle costs $30 might as well buy a wired remote. i will try it to see if it works with my 3.5mm to 2.5mm jack, although i dont think so. The camera's jack is looking for a switch. The phone's jack is meant for outputting sound. The only commonality is they are mini jacks. The Triggertrap dongle listens to the sound based commands from the app and performs a switching function. There are no promises you won't damage either or both the phone and camera hooking them directly together. If you won't buy the signal converting dongle, then yes buy a mechanical release meant to be used with your camera.

01-29-2014, 09:09 AM	#19
sprint113 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 62	Pentax (and Canon) use a 2.5mm TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) connector. On 3.5mm TRS connectors used in audio devices, the Tip is the L channel, Ring is the R channel and the Sleeve is the ground. For the wired remotes, shorting the ring and the sleeve (R and ground) causes a half shutter press and shorting the tip and sleeve (L and ground) causes a full shutter press. I don't think the audio circuitry on any MP3 player or smartphone was designed to intentionally short out either of these connections, so I'm going to guess that there is no way to use your device to directly control the shutter. The cable release is an extremely simple design and should be a very easy DIY project if you just need a reliable remote shutter button. The cheap remote I got off ebay for a couple bucks just uses three leaf springs stacked in a way that they short when pressed together, which is probably the commonly used design in the cheaper remotes. However, I would think a proper switch would be a more robust design for a DIY project. AFAIK, the Remote Release app you might have been referencing to for Canon cameras uses USB to control the camera similar to PKTether and allows for much more control of the camera. The author of PKTether mentioned he was stating to look into making an android app, but has yet to publish anything.