Can an old mechanical cable release trigger a Canon 30D shutter?
Asked 4/8/2012
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I have a bellows macro setup with a pistol-grip mechanical cable release—the type with a wire plunger used to trip film-camera shutters. I’d like to keep using that grip with a Canon 30D, which uses Canon’s 3-pin remote connector. Is there a way to adapt the old mechanical release to work with the 30D?
Originally by user2910. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2910
14y ago
2 Answers
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The 30D remote shutter release is very simple - all you have to do to activate the shutter is short two pins - no arduino needed.
All you need is to take a microswitch (I used the reset button from an old computer for my DIY shutter release) and connect it the old shutter release cable so that the old cable presses the microswitch (sounds like a job for duct tape).
This page has the pinout for the shutter releases of a lot of cameras including the 30D
You have to connect one "leg" of the switch to the GND pin and the other to the SHUTTER pin (not important which leg goes to which pin) and you are done.
I've been told the small connectors used to connect all the switches and lights to PC motherboards fits the 30D connector, if you are not the kind of person that just happen to have computer parts around the house than any place that repairs computer will probably have "dead" computers they'll be happy to get rid of.
If you short GND to FOCUS it has the effect of an half press, short GND to SHUTTER for a full press, short FOCUS to SHUTTER and nothing happens (at least on my 550D).
Originally by user2481. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2481
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t a simple direct mechanical adapter mentioned in the answers, but you can make it work with a very simple DIY electrical trigger.
On the Canon 30D, the remote release works by electrically shorting the shutter pin to ground. So instead of trying to convert the old cable release mechanically, you can use the cable release to physically press a small microswitch. Wire that switch to the 30D remote connector: one side to GND and the other to SHUTTER. Polarity doesn’t matter for a basic switch.
In practice, people mount or tape a microswitch so the old mechanical plunger presses it when you squeeze the grip. That lets you keep using the pistol grip as the trigger.
So: yes, the old release can be adapted for use, but the practical solution is a DIY microswitch-based trigger rather than a purely mechanical converter.
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AI14y ago
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