Remote Shutter Release problems

tteeddd

New member
Hi everyone,


My problem is that I used a cheap cable remote for time lapse and it worked great the past two weeks but today I wanted to do a time lapse again but the shutter doesn't respond when the timer triggers it or when i press the shutter on the remote. Could it be that i changed some settings on the camere ? Because the remote seems to work just fine. I have a Nikon D3300 and the cable remote is the, mmlite CR-TR3N.

I would be grateful for any help.


 

nickt

Senior Member
Hi, welcome. I can't think of what you could have changed on the camera. If the camera is in a condition where you can snap a picture normally, it should work with the remote when its plugged in. You could try doing a reset on the camera. Maybe try taking the remote's battery out and put it back in to possibly reset it. Make sure the remote is plugged in all the way, they can be a tight fit.
 

tteeddd

New member
I could press the shutter button without the batteries i nedded them only when i did the time lapse , and the batteries are new i also made sure to insert the connector properly, i also reset the camera but nothing seems to work.

Thanks for the response.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
I did a Google search on mmlite CR-TR3N, mmlite, and CR-TR3N and came up basically empty. I did find one listing for a Commlite CR-TR3N from newfrog.com, so perhaps this is the unit. However, after this search, one can only conclude it is some kind of cheap Chinese made remote. Best case, it failed after two weeks. Worse case, it failed and took your camera with it. If you are going to buy cheap Chinese made stuff, at least buy from a reliable dealer (like B&H, Adorama, etc.) with hopefully some user reviews.
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
First off, Welcome to the forum.

1. Will the shutter work on the camera without the remote cable connected?
2. What mode do you have the camera in? M (manual), P (program), Auto... etc.?
3. Do you have an SD card installed in the camera?
4. Is camera set so that the shutter will not work if it is out of focus? Focus lock
IOW, give us a little more info on what your camera settings are and if the cable makes any difference on the operation of the camera.
 

tteeddd

New member
Yes the camera works normal when the remote is not attached, i have it in Manual mode also the focus is on manual,
the SD card is installed but i have Focus lock.

The only strange thing i noticed is , when i press the shutter on the remote and hold it, i can take one picture if i press the shutter on the camera but only one, so if the shutter on the remote is still active i can't take any more pictures , but after i release the shutter on the remote i can't take pictures normally.

And yes it's a cheap chinese remote for 35€
 

cwgrizz

Senior Member
Challenge Team
I'm guessing that your remote is messed up. About the only way I can think to check that out would be to get another one to try. Maybe borrow one from a friend or a camera shop.
 

tteeddd

New member
Thanks everyone again for helping, and yes the remote just stopped triggering the shutter , i went to the shop where i buyed the remote and i got a new one, now it works just fine.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Thanks everyone again for helping, and yes the remote just stopped triggering the shutter , i went to the shop where i buyed the remote and i got a new one, now it works just fine.

Glad you got it working and that your local shop stood behind their products. At times, all is good in the world.
 

Slipperman

Senior Member
i have a Vello remote and it worked fine until yesterday. even then it worked fine during the first half of the shoot but suddenly didn't at the end. it focuses ok but just refuses to take the picture. and it was just working a half-hour before. what the heck? this particular model doesn't use a battery (at least there's no obvious place to put one) so it's not that. is Vello considered cheap?

anybody try some of those new wireless remotes? maybe that's the way to go..
 

Slipperman

Senior Member
Which model of Vello? They make several different remotes, some requiring batteries some not.
will have to get back to you on that.. should have put it in my signature..
i'm gonna try it on my old 5100 just to see if it's the remote or the connection in the camera.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
looks like it is the remote.. it doesn't work with the D5100 either.

can anybody recommend a replacement? i'd prefer a wireless that is well made but not too expensive..
If all you want to do is trip the shutter remotely you can get a Nikon ML-L3 for about $20 or a knockoff version for probably $5. If you want to do multiple exposure, interval timing and all that, Vello makes various ShutterBoss releases starting at around $40, going up to around $100 for the fancy version.
 

Slipperman

Senior Member
If all you want to do is trip the shutter remotely you can get a Nikon ML-L3 for about $20 or a knockoff version for probably $5. If you want to do multiple exposure, interval timing and all that, Vello makes various ShutterBoss releases starting at around $40, going up to around $100 for the fancy version.
ML-L3 ordered. should have it tomorrow.
 

Slipperman

Senior Member
ML-L3 ordered. should have it tomorrow.
well i got it but of course the friggin thing doesn't work. i found the ML-L3 remote release setting in the camera (shooting menu) and set it to immediate response but nothing. made sure the battery was installed. it was. though i'm not sure if it's fully charged. is there a setting i'm still missing? should i take a chance on buying a new battery?
 

Slipperman

Senior Member
i figured it out thanx to this forum thread..

ML L3

but i do still have questions on how to use this thing. the button can only be pressed once at a time - first for focus, second for release (no half way down, just all the way down). what if i want to do what i did with the old one which was focus first (holding release just like regular shutter) then rip off a series of shots without refocusing?
 

nickt

Senior Member
If you have a cell phone camera, it should see the light from the remote. It will just be a brief flash even if you hold the button down. The cell phone is a good test for any IR remote control. Make sure the battery is in correctly. I'm not sure if it will insert wrong, but give it a check. I think the battery case is + rather than the smaller side.
 
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