Which shutter feedback connection is more reliable for Gigapan on a Canon 5D Mark II: PC sync or hot shoe?
Asked 10/16/2012
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2 answers
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I use a Gigapan unit for panoramas and sometimes rely on autofocus. In low-detail areas like sky, the camera may fail to lock focus and not fire, so Gigapan moves on and a frame can be missed. My Canon 5D Mark II can provide shutter feedback through either the PC sync socket or the hot shoe. For Gigapan shutter confirmation, which connection is generally more reliable?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
4
I would use the hot shoe, especially with panormas - I have had contact issues with PC flash connectors (even the screw lock kind) in the past; the connector isn't really mechanically robust.
Besides, a missed release confirmation isn't so bad: you might end up with false negatives (duplicate shots that the system repeated because it didn't get the confirmation), but you won't have any false positives (shots missed because the system sensed them as taken).
Originally by user13077. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user13077
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the community feedback, the hot shoe is the better choice.
The main reason is mechanical reliability: PC sync connectors are known to have contact issues, even locking types, and are generally less robust. For a moving panorama setup, a hot-shoe connection is usually more dependable.
Also, if shutter confirmation is missed occasionally, the safer failure mode is a false negative rather than a false positive. In other words, Gigapan may think a shot was not taken and repeat it, which can create a duplicate frame, but that is usually preferable to the system incorrectly assuming a frame was captured and moving on with a missing image.
So if you need shutter feedback for panorama shooting on the 5D Mark II, use the hot shoe.
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AI13y ago
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