Custom Self-Timer Settings on D5200

Hi, I'm Andrew, a newbie on the site and I'm looking at purchasing a D5200. I have a question specifically to users of this camera model because I can't seem to find it eslewhere online.

My question relates to setting up the self-timer to take multiple shots at set intervals. I have noticed reviewers state that when the flash is used in self-timer mode, it will only take a single shot, regardless of how many shots have been programmed in the custom settings. My question is: Does this also apply to the built-in camera flash, or just when using a hot shoe flash? i.e. can I take mulitple self-timer shots in one go, at night, with the built-in flash on the D5200?

The reason I ask is that I am an angler and I will mostly be using the self-timer to take photographs of me holding fish, around 3-4 feet in front of the camera. I wish to take multiple shots at 2-5 second intervals, but many of them will be taken at night and the built-in flash on the majority of cameras is powerful enough for this use. The pivoting screen on the D5200 is perfect as I can ensure both me and the fish are in frame and I can also adjust angles, etc. between shots. For this purpose I currently use a Canon Powershot S5is bridge camera, which has a similar custom self-timer which works even with the built-in flash (although the interval between shots is extended to how long the flash takes to charge up, rather than what I have set).

I used to love my vintage Nikon SLR and I've wanted to invest in a DSLR for a while. The D5200 seems perfect for my needs, but if it cannot take multiple shots on a self-timer at night, I may have to look at another model or even another manufacturer (I really want a Nikon though!)

If anyone has tried using the self-timer with the built-in flash, or if anyone has a D5200 and could try it out for me, it would be a tremendous help.

Thanks in advance.

What you're looking for is the Intervalometer feature, not the shutter delay.... Google "D5200 Intervalometer" on YouTude... There are dozens of videos that explain and demonstrate this feature... I don't know if it triggers the flash or not... but should only take you 3 minutes to test and find out for yourself...

Not every model has the Interval Timer, but the D5200 manual says it does. It works well. Takes N pictures, one every X amount of time.

Yes, the flash works fine, at every shutter activation. Any flash, internal, hot shoe, PC sync cord, whatever. Normal camera operation, just repeated many times (and must be interrupted to do anything else).

I cannot understand the reference to "self timer". The Nikon feature that does this is the Interval Timer.

The D5200 user manual can be obtained at
http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D5200RM_NT(11)01.pdf

Shutter activation may have the same "wait for the internal flash to become ready" problem. You could use a larger hot shoe flash, which has more power, so will use lower power level, so will recycle much faster. Also the hot shoe flash will not wait for ready (but it helps to be ready).

Here is one taken with D300 Interval Timer, with flash, about every 20 minutes for a couple of days. This used a studio flash on a PC cord. The two flashes of light across the background are two instances of morning sunlight through an overhead window.

http://www.scantips.com/g2/orchid.wmv

WayneF said:

Not every model has the Interval Timer, but the D5200 manual says it does. It works well. Takes N pictures, one every X amount of time.

Yes, the flash works fine, at every shutter activation.

Here is one taken with D300 Interval Timer, with flash, about every 20 seconds. The two flashes of light across the background are two instances of morning sunlight through an overhead window.

http://www.scantips.com/g2/orchid.wmv

Click to expand...

That was outstanding. Best use of that feature I have seen in a while.

Thanks for your responses. Certainly the interval timer gives me another option to consider but I think you may have slightly misunderstood me, I don't know if I explained as well as I could have.

Because these shots will be self portraits, I don't think that the interval timer will work for me. This is because, from what I understand from the owner manual, one has to take a shot of the intended subject first to ensure that all settings are correct, before triggering the interval timer. As I am the subject, and I can't be in position for the shot and in a position to edit camera settings at the same time, I don't think this will be a suitable function for my requirements. Could anyone enlighten me whether this will work for self-portrait photography (bearing in mind the difficulties of setting up a shot in the dark and the fact that I'm trying to return the fish to the water in the shortest possible time)?

I DID mean "self-timer". If you take a look on page 177 of the user manual at the above link, you'll see that in the custom settings menu of the self-timer, up to 9 shots can be taken at 4 second intervals. This is what I want to do. But I've read that the self-timer only works with a flash if it is set to take a single shot, not multiple ones. So my original question still remains unanswered, does this apply when using the built-in flash, or only when using external flashes? If I have the "number of shots" in the self-timer custom settings menu set to "9", will I end up with 9 shots if I'm using the built-in flash, or will it stop after a single shot, as I'm lead to believe it will?

I know it would be easier to just try it out for myself, but I don't know anyone with a D5200 and I live in a rural location which no longer has any camera shops nearby, so your feedback is very helpful in potentially stopping me wasting my money on a camera which won't fit my needs.

Well... I can tell you, on the D7000, the delay works as you want without the on-board flash... but only fires a single time when the on-board flash is active/open/up... Sorry... I'm gonna guess... the D5200 is going to have the same functionality...(In the absence of someone actually testing this for you)

​I did NOT test a wireless trigger firing a remote speedlight using the self-timer as you want... and that may be a solution... for someone else to test for you...

kenokeno said:

I DID mean "self-timer". If you take a look on page 177 of the user manual at the above link, you'll see that in the custom settings menu of the self-timer, up to 9 shots can be taken at 4 second intervals. This is what I want to do. But I've read that the self-timer only works with a flash if it is set to take a single shot, not multiple ones. So my original question still remains unanswered, does this apply when using the built-in flash, or only when using external flashes? If I have the "number of shots" in the self-timer custom settings menu set to "9", will I end up with 9 shots if I'm using the built-in flash, or will it stop after a single shot, as I'm lead to believe it will?

Click to expand...

Ah so.. Sorry, that multiple shutter is a new feature and menu with the self timer, and I did not know about it. It is page 160, menu C3 (in English version linked anyway). I don't know about the flash operation with it. I really would have expected flash to trigger with any shutter operation, but cannot dispute those that say it does not on this.

I am reminded that the general case is that neither shutter nor flash will work if the camera does not think it has focus at the moment (AF-S mode). Some people report this as "flash won't work", when they don't yet realize that the shutter did not work either.

I read that its duration between shots is always 4 seconds. The programmable number is the self timer delay before the first shutter. Be aware that the self timer always has had an odd property that it focuses and meters when you first press the shutter button, then it waits X seconds and opens the shutter (and the flash does work, at least on that first one). But the point is, that focus can be a problem if you are not already standing in front of camera at focus distance when you press the shutter button, something it can focus on. It will try to focus on whatever it can find, wherever it is, if at all. But it works fine if others in the group are standing there at focus distance.

The Interval Timer is certainly not mainstream for self portraits, but it does take repeated multiple pictures, at whatever interval you specify, so it would do the same thing, and it would focus each time, and the flash will work each time. Only real difference I see is that it would do what you want. And my belief is that it is always normal camera function repeated at each shot, auto exposure, focus, flash, whatever. Couldn't be better. Certainly you have choices.

Okay... I tested it... it works... here's what I did....

I used a D7000, an SB-600, and an SC-29, which is a 9' coiled cord used to get the flash off the camera... It worked as you want... I was able to set the delay, and dial in from 1-9 shots and the SB-600 fired with each of the camera's shots...

I would expect that you could accomplish the same using any combination of external flash systems... You would probably have to adjust the delay between shots to accomodate your flash's recovery time...

Why not just use a remote? Or would both your hands be far to busy to handle one?

This is all good information and by the sounds of it, one way or another I will be able to get the camera to do what I want it to do.

Fred, thank you very much for going to the trouble of testing that out for me! The less photographic kit I have to carry with me the better, but if an off-camera flash with some decent batteries to get a fast recharge time is the best solution, then I shall do that.

My hands are usually full holding the fish in position to use a remote, I used to have an Olympus compact with a remote self-timer trigger. That worked okay but I ended up with some awkward poses due to trying to get the remote out of shot, line the fish up and get a natural smile within the two second delay! But having said that I think with the Nikon I could use a remote to trigger the interval timer. That way, I can be roughly in position with the fish, press the remote, drop the remote, adjust my pose and voila, my sequence of shots will be activated.

These are all solutions I hadn't considered before which makes me glad I posed the question to the Nikonites!

I'm already pretty sold on the idea of a D5200 anyway, but I didn't want to invest in one only to find that it couldn't do a better job of self-portraits than my Canon bridge can. Now I just have to save my pennies!

Great question and following debate - I too am a fisherman and struggle with self portraits on the sense of requiring a number of quick shots to be taken in succession, preferably via remote with one button press. Kenokeno are you still out there and did this solve your needs?