Why does my Nikon stop after 100 continuous 30-second exposures?
Asked 6/11/2012
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On Nikon DSLRs like the D7000/D3000/D200, I’m trying to shoot long star-trail sequences of about 180 frames at 30 seconds each. If I use Continuous mode with a locked remote shutter, or set the Interval Timer, the camera stops after about 100 shots / roughly an hour. Is there a camera limit causing this, and is there a reliable way to shoot more than 100 consecutive 30-second exposures?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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I've encountered the same issue with my D7000.
To get more than 100 I have to intervene just before it hits the 100 mark. When doing star trails I set the mode to Continuous Low and lock the shutter button down with the corded remote.
Just before 50 minutes are up I come back to the camera and release the shutter button. When the 30 second exposure is over I lock the shutter button down again and it is good for another 100 shots. I've done up to 600 shots this way.
Originally by user39932. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user39932
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. In Continuous release, you’re likely hitting Nikon’s maximum continuous-release limit of 100 frames. That’s why the camera stops after about 100 exposures when the shutter is held down with a remote.
For interval shooting, 30-second exposures usually need a little extra time beyond the nominal 30 seconds for shutter timing and possible processing. If long-exposure noise reduction is enabled, each shot can take much longer before the next one can start. So a 30-second interval may be too short.
What to do:
- For Continuous mode: release and re-engage the remote just before the 100-shot limit to continue the sequence.
- For Interval Timer: set the interval slightly longer than the exposure time (for 30-second shots, try about 33 seconds).
- Make sure long-exposure noise reduction is off if you want back-to-back frames.
That should let you capture more than 100 exposures reliably.
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