Canon remote shutter control and filter recommendations

MoRT489

MoRT489

MoRT489

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Joined
21 Aug 2006
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Hi guys

I want to get my bro a remote shutter for his EOS 500D. He likes to do long exposure night shots using fire (often that he is in himself) so it would be useful if the trigger could also do BULB (and be wireless).

Any recommendations would be very welcome, need to order tuesday latest. He is just starting out so under £70 preferably unless it's something he's going to benefit from in the future.

Also, I was wondering if there were some must have or cool filters that he might need/like (he already has a Hoya skylight filter).

TIA
 
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Neutral density filters might be worth looking into, these reduce the amount of light coming into the camera so you can do longer exposures in brighter conditions.
 
I use a hahnel remote trigger but it was £50 so maybe a little high for your friends budget. As KC mentions take a look at some ND filters. The cheap option is a Cokin filter system. There is an issue of colour casting when using more than one filter but its a decent place to start and wont cost the earth.
 
The only filters worth buying are neutral density as above or a circular polariser.

As for remotes, the canon ones are pretty expensive IIRC, I think a good present would be a nice ND filter (prob £50 or so depending on size of lens etc, go for one which will cut down a lot of light, allows you to take long exposure shots like this in bright daylight, note the streaky clouds) and a cheap ebay cable release like this which will allow him to lock the exposure in bulb mode for as long as he wants (a great combination with the ND filter). Remote releases are really only useful for self/family portraits...
 
I bought an ebay jobby wireless remote shutter and it works perfect. Has the bulb feature, and can also be used as a wired remote shutter. Was only ~£15 iirc.
 
Thanks for the suggestions chaps. Which would you say he is more likely to benefit from a NDF for his 50mm (size 52mm) or his kit lens or 75-300mm (both 58mm)? and can u point me towards a reliable seller?

Thanks
 
IMO the best option for ND is to buy the biggest you need and a step up ring for the smaller sizes. The step up ring will prevent a hood from going on a smaller lens but it's largely unimportant because you need to keep taking the filter on and off anyway.

For example I initially got a hoya ND400 (about 8 and 2/3 stops) 67mm for my tamron 28-75, but after getting the sigma 10-20 needed a bigger one.
Managed to find a b+w 77mm 110 (10 stop) on the bay imported from germany, and got a 67-77mm step up ring to attach it to the smaller lens. I already have a 58-67 for my other lenses, only thing I can't attach either to is the 50mm because I don't have a step up ring that small, but that focal length is covered by the tamron so not too bothered.

After all that though I'm probably going to keep both the hoya and the B+W because the cast on the B+W filter is quite strong (although correctable), whereas the hoya is practically the same as without. If I can find a 77mm one I'd be tempted to buy it...

I find my long exposures tend to be toward the wider angle, but once you start to look for moving things you realise the range of subjects for long exposures becomes potentially huge. Got some goldfish in a pond around guildford castle the other day using a polarizer combined with the nd filter. Interesting effect so I might upload the results later...
 
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Would these be suitable:

B+W 58mm 3.0/1000x (110) Neutral Density Filter £36.99

and a

Hoya 58mm Circular Polarising Filter £30.60

:confused:

Is warehouseexpress decent?
 
creed said:
Would these be suitable:

B+W 58mm 3.0/1000x (110) Neutral Density Filter £36.99

and a

Hoya 58mm Circular Polarising Filter £30.60

:confused:

Is warehouseexpress decent?
Click to expand...

Yep they would be great and give him lots of options to play with. Does he have a tripod? Kind of necesary with an ND filter. I would also recommend chucking in one of those ebay triggers I linked above, only a fiver:)

Warehouse express is the best.
 
Great, thanks for your help. I've gone for a wired remote like the one you said and an IR one, both less than £5 :eek: and will order those two filters in the morning. He already has a tripod or that would have been on the list too :)
 
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