digital shutter cable

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Roland Latour - 16 Dec 2007 04:04 GMT

SLR film cameras have a shooting button that can take a shutter release
cable. I haven't seen this on a digital camera. For production work like
catalogs or yearbooks, you'll want to command the camera to take a picture
and send it back to the computer immediately. This would be the digital
equivalent of the cable. Very handy for repetitive shooting.

Has anyone seen a combination of camera and Linux software that can do
this? Thanks.

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Whiskers - 16 Dec 2007 12:05 GMT

> SLR film cameras have a shooting button that can take a shutter release
> cable. I haven't seen this on a digital camera. For production work like
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Has anyone seen a combination of camera and Linux software that can do
> this? Thanks.

I have seen 'cable release adaptors' for compact cameras that allow you to
use a conventional cable release with a camera that has no cable release
socket of its own. They generally take the form of an elastic band or
clip or clamp that fits around the camera body and places a suitable socket
over the shutter button. You will also of course need a tripod or other
camera support - and not all point-and-shoot cameras have a standard
tripod bush.

I don't know of any point-and-shoot cameras that will function for taking
photographs while connected to a computer via the USB or Firewire cable.
But if you're serious about taking pictures for catalogues you won't want
to use a point-and-shoot camera anyway, will you, nor be tethered to a
computer while taking photographs?

There are of course 'web cams' which pipe an image to the computer all the
time - in fact that is /all/ they do - and you can capture a 'frame' from
that to use as a snapshot. But I've never seen a web cam image that I'd
consider good enough for a catalogue, although you might get away with it
for passport-style 'portraits' if you can arrange for a neutral plain
background and soft lighting.

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-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

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ChrisM - 18 Dec 2007 17:13 GMT

<Snip!>

> ...But if you're serious about taking pictures for
> catalogues you won't want to use a point-and-shoot camera anyway,
> will you, ...

Why not? A decent P&S camera could give perfectly adequate pictures for a
catalogue.

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Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

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Whiskers - 18 Dec 2007 18:34 GMT

> <Snip!>
>> ...But if you're serious about taking pictures for
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Why not? A decent P&S camera could give perfectly adequate pictures for a
> catalogue.

I suppose it depends on what you want the catalogue to tell prospective
customers; if it's 'this lot don't spend much on their catalogue' then
perhaps you'll get away with it.

Commercial photographers don't spend thousands of pounds setting up studios
and getting really good cameras and lenses and years gaining experience
and building up a clientel, just for the heck of it; but an experienced
skillful photographer might manage to get a picture from a point and shoot
digital camera that would pass muster for a 'thumbnail' in a catalogue.

(No, I'm not a pro).

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-- ^^^^^^^^^^
-- Whiskers
-- ~~~~~~~~~~

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ChrisM - 19 Dec 2007 10:17 GMT

>> In message
>> 20071216120515.1CF8.2.NOFFLE@ID-107770.user.individual.net, Whiskers
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> (No, I'm not a pro).

Depends on the catalogue though really, doesn't it. Ok, if it was some
glamerous fashion thing, with professional models, fancy backgrounds and
sophisticated lighting, you would probably need professional equipment and
photographer.
If you were making an aircraft hardware catalogue, and just needed some
pictures of some bolts and screws to illustrate the part numbers, a £150
point and shoot would probably be good enough.
When the OP mentioned catalogue was used in the same sentence as Year Book,
I made the assumption it was not a huge expensive glossy fashion catalogue
that they were talking about. Maybe I was wrong...(?)

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Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

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ChrisM - 19 Dec 2007 10:26 GMT

> SLR film cameras have a shooting button that can take a shutter
> release cable. I haven't seen this on a digital camera. For
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Has anyone seen a combination of camera and Linux software that can do
> this? Thanks.

I'm sure I've seen some of the more expensive 'Point and Shoot' cameras with
remote shutter release, though having a quick look just now, couldn't find
anything.

What advantage do you see in sending the images directly to the computer?
Why can't you just save all the pics to a memory card, then transfer them to
your computer at the end of the session?

Can I suggest you try asking the same question in rec.photo.digital, there
is a lot more traffic in that group including fans of both P&S and DSLR
cameras, and you're more likely to get a better answer than in here, as long
as you don't mind the constant bickering that seems to go on in there...

:-)

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Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

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Mark B. - 21 Dec 2007 16:23 GMT

Most Canon compact cameras come with remote capture software that allows
direct transfer immediately after the picture is taken (and will also allow
a live view while it's being taken), but very few if any have a remote
release anymore. For the most part, the software is PC and Mac compatible -
I'm not sure if Linux versions are available, but I doubt it.

Mark

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Mac Lynch - 22 Dec 2007 05:43 GMT

>SLR film cameras have a shooting button that can take a shutter release
>cable. I haven't seen this on a digital camera. For production work like
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>Has anyone seen a combination of camera and Linux software that can do
>this? Thanks.

My Ricoh RDC-5300 Digital Camera Has a remote control that would provide
this. Suppose it must be infra red!
Mac

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