[walsh]

I want to photograph wildlife using the infra red remote on my K10. However, the unit will not stay 'live' for more than 5 minutes so if my chosen shot hasn't happened then I have to go out, scare the wildlife away and reset the unit....not very satisfacory. Can anyone help???

[nulla]

I want to photograph wildlife using the infra red remote on my K10. However, the unit will not stay 'live' for more than 5 minutes so if my chosen shot hasn't happened then I have to go out, scare the wildlife away and reset the unit....not very satisfacory. Can anyone help???

I would like help to but I live in Australia... I hope for the sake of whoever puts their handup that the wildife is not dangerous.

[jlaubza]

Probably best bet would be a wired remote control with extra long lead - you might have to have this made up but it is a solution. If you do this, the extra length electrical cord will have to be much thicker than normal to counteract electrical resistance.

[figmental1978]

My Pentax remote setting lasts until I turn it offm, even if the camera goes idle I just wake it up and it's ready to go with the previous setting.

[Lowell Goudge]

If you purchase a 2.5mm male sterio plug, (which is the same as on the pentax cable release, the connections are as follows.

the tip is the shutter release, the next part of the plug is the metering and focus (I assume you have focus set and in manual)

the last and longest section of the plug is the common.

connect the metering and focus part to the common, and plug this into the camera. it will remain "active" 100% of the time, just like holding your finger on the shutter release part way down

[Canada_Rockies]

I want to photograph wildlife using the infra red remote on my K10. However, the unit will not stay 'live' for more than 5 minutes so if my chosen shot hasn't happened then I have to go out, scare the wildlife away and reset the unit....not very satisfacory. Can anyone help???

One solution is to take a photo every 4 minutes and 59 seconds. This resets the timer. It is also a severe PITA. Go with the long cabled release.

[Gooneybird]

My Pentax remote setting lasts until I turn it offm, even if the camera goes idle I just wake it up and it's ready to go with the previous setting.

Would you share with us the method you use to "wake it up". On my camera, I have to get up and go to the camera to wake it up. That movement and its effect on the wildlife you're trying to get has already been mentioned earlier on here.

Olin

[Gooneybird]

If you purchase a 2.5mm male sterio plug, (which is the same as on the pentax cable release, the connections are as follows.

the tip is the shutter release, the next part of the plug is the metering and focus (I assume you have focus set and in manual)

the last and longest section of the plug is the common.

connect the metering and focus part to the common, and plug this into the camera. it will remain "active" 100% of the time, just like holding your finger on the shutter release part way down

Very interesting info. When I first got my K10D about 14 months ago, I tried wiring up my own cable release, using telephone wire (3 conductor). I was not aware of the multi-function (metering, focus and shutter release) that you describe, so I used a mono (not stereo) plug which I happened to have. And it has worked well for me for over a year now, but only to trip the shutter. And yes most of the time I am in Manual or Av for the exposure. But I am in AFS or AFC for focusing. That's the bad part, for me. I've wished all this time that I could utilize the AFC with this cable remote. Maybe, now that I know this trick, I can figure out a way - after locating a stereo plug, of course.

Incidentally, I have two sections of cable I can connect in series, and can sit back either 15 feet or over 30 feet, and it works fine. I rigged the pushbutton into a small pill bottle so it would be more comfortable to hold and press the button as quickly as the subject appeared.

Thanks,
Olin

[Ex Finn.]

Would you share with us the method you use to "wake it up".

Olin

If you go with a wired remote, pressing the focus button (on the remote), has the same effect as pressing the shutter button down half way, thus waking up the camera.

Cheers.
Mike.

[Lowell Goudge]

Very interesting info. When I first got my K10D about 14 months ago, I tried wiring up my own cable release, using telephone wire (3 conductor). I was not aware of the multi-function (metering, focus and shutter release) that you describe, so I used a mono (not stereo) plug which I happened to have. And it has worked well for me for over a year now, but only to trip the shutter. And yes most of the time I am in Manual or Av for the exposure. But I am in AFS or AFC for focusing. That's the bad part, for me. I've wished all this time that I could utilize the AFC with this cable remote. Maybe, now that I know this trick, I can figure out a way - after locating a stereo plug, of course.

Incidentally, I have two sections of cable I can connect in series, and can sit back either 15 feet or over 30 feet, and it works fine. I rigged the pushbutton into a small pill bottle so it would be more comfortable to hold and press the button as quickly as the subject appeared.

Thanks,
Olin

glad the explanation helped. I have played a little with the interface, as I have made a lighting trigger by using a flash slave unit, and am considering making a radio triggered one, using FRS radios, which have a range of 3 Km.

This really belongs in a DIY forum, which I am waiting for Adam to launch.

[pw-pix]

For what it's worth; the parts of the connector are referred to as Tip, Ring and Sleeve.
As noted, connecting ring and sleeve gives focus/metering, then connecting the tip and sleeve (maintining the ring and sleev connection) gives shutter.

[Gooneybird]

If you go with a wired remote, pressing the focus button (on the remote), has the same effect as pressing the shutter button down half way, thus waking up the camera.

Cheers.
Mike.

Maybe this got confused by the intermingling of posts re the IR remote and the wired remotes. I asked how he woke up his camera, based on the subject being discussed as the IR remote.

In another set of posts, I also was discussing the wired remote and how it's wired up. There is a followup post to that, which will help me re-make my wired remote.

But, it still doesn't answer the question (if the poster really was talking about the IR remote) as to how to wake up the camera without getting up to the camera itself. If anyone knows how to do this, I'm still interested.

Thanks,

Olin

[Ex Finn.]

Maybe this got confused

Olin

I get confused all the time, my kids will vouch for that.