Canon TC-80N3 (intervalometer) conversion successful!

A while back, Mark² and I had a discussion about possibility of
converting a TC-80N3 intervalometer to work with the Canon cameras that
*don't* use the proprietary remote jack/plug setup (see discussion
below, which is why this is top-posted, as that discussion is old and
only referenced here).


I decided to take a risk and buy one and try a conversion to the
sub-mini stero plug that the *other* Canons use. I got it yesterday
(off of eBay for about $115 plus a couple of bucks shipping). This is
a followup to that discussion.

Today I went for the conversion. It was remarkably easy. Here's a
picture of the completed conversion (with the additional adapter I was
forced to use, see below):

http://www.kenluckephotography.com/TC-80N3.jpg

I now have a remote shutter release that also incorporates an
intervalometer which can do any combination of: self timer up to
99:59:59; and/or intervalometer up to 99:59:59 between shots; and/or
long exposure timer up to 99:59:59 for each shot; and/or from 0-99
shots (0 being an "unlimited" number of shots, until manually stopped.



One of the reasons that I'm following up like this is so that others
can benefit from my trial. Instructions follow for anyone who might
want to try their hand at duplicating this:

First I determined which connections handed which operations on the
camers on my previously used remote (i.e., focus vs. shutter release).
I found that on the sub-mini plug type remotes, the barrel was "ground"
(so to speak) and the tip was the shutter release, the middle of the
three sections was the focusing.

I then cut the proprietary plug off of the end of the cord, leaving
about 4" so I could put a jack on that end and reconnect the parts when
I get my 1DS Mark III (budgeted for later this year, and when it comes
out).

Stripping back about 1" of the outer insulation from the intervalometer
side of the cut revealed 2 conductors (red, white) wire plus a bare,
unbraided shield. Doing some testing, I determined that the red wire
tripped the shutter and the white wire controlled the autofocus, with
the bare shield being the "ground".

I bought a Radio Shack 3/32" ("sub-mini") gold-plated stereo plug to
put on the end, but found that there was not enough room to allow the
thick wire in and still close it up when finished (the wire entry hole
was too small), so I ended up going back and buying a 1/8" ("mini")
gold-plated stereo plug (damn them, they always sell them in pairs, and
I always only need one at a time!) and using that.

This additional adapter was not a problem for me, because I already had
a 1/8" to 3/32" stereo adapter plug which I had used with my previous
remote when I wannted to use a 20 foot (or longer) headphone extension
cable to run the remote from further away (I could never find a
sub-mini extension). If you do the conversion yourself, you will also
have to buy the adapter, unless you can find a more suitable 3/32" plug
elsewhere than Radio Shack.

I connected the red wire to the tip of the new plug, the white to the
center barrel connection, and the braid to the largest (rear) barrel
connection, and plugged it into the camera (with the adapter) to test.
Worked perfectly, so I soldered the connections, filled the plug with
silicone (I always do this with connectors that I put on anything that
might be used outdoors) and screwed the housing/strain relief back on.
That was it.

It functions beautifully, so now I can automatically take time lapse
pictures of various things, have a remote, have full bulb control
(manual) - everything, all in one little unit.


[Hope this helps someone else who has always wanted an intervalometer
for the non-supported cameras that Canon makes (heck, it probably would
even work for other cameras that use different plugs, as long as it's a
three-wire system - and even if it's a proprietary plug, you could
always just splice the wires from the TC-80N3 and whatever remote you
have together and use a little heat-shrink tubing.]






Ken Lucke wrote:
In article <YR8wh.8675$4W5.2...@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Mark©? < here)@cox..net>
wrote:
My Canon Timer remote was easily the best $135 I've spent related
to photogarphy.
Nikon likely makes a similar remote... With it, I can not only
trip the shutter (and prefocus if preferred), but I can tell it
how many frames to take...at what interval of time...and after
waiting for a time I specify-- and how long to hold the shutter
open (without having to hold it myself) up to many hours(!) if
necessary--though I would only suggest using film for such an
exposure. This is great for group shots where you are part of
the group, for example, because it means you can tell it to take 5
or 6 (or 99) shots without having to walk back over the the the
camera each time. It's also got an illuminated LCD, which makes
an awful lot of sense considering that you'd often use it in dark
settings.

Settings/controls include:
-Time until first frame
-Number of frames
-Time between each frame (interval)
-Shutter open time (up to 99 hours+)
-Start/Stop
-Shutter with half/full press
-Lock shutter switch (so you don't have to actually HOLD it down
during extremely long exposures)
-Adjustment wheel
-Ilumination button

Not bad for the $135. Surely Nikon has something simlar.

I've drooled over one of those for some time (I just use the
standard RS-60E3 one), but they have a different connector than my
400D uses... however, I was just looking over eBay and found a
picture of one

(<http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260078686399&fromMa

keTrack=true>) that appears to have a mini or sub-mini stereo
plug/jack built right inline to the cable - and as my 400D/RS-60E3
combo uses a standard stereo mini jack/plug, I could easily build
an adapter to plu into the 400D, as all it does via cable is act
like a switch between the various wires (nothing needed from the
camera internals to function) .... hmmmmm.....

Does yours have that jack/plug in the cable?

No it doesn't. That picture looks like some sort of mock-up to me,
but perhaps someone is cobling these together.

The photo looked legit to me, but I didn't examine it with any great
detail, so it's entirely possible.

I don't see why it couldn't
work... Canon definitely doesn't sell one like that.

That's what I thought, as I've looked into them before and they've
never had a picture of one like that. I thought that this was maybe a
new version. There's an idea for themm - make the controller, with
various adapters for the tip, like the universal 120V/DC power
supplies you can buy!

The control unit
pictured is identical, but I've never seen one with a female
sub-mini jack like that. It's acually a pretty good idea if it's
legitimate, though something seems fishy...

Yeah, the response I got from the seller said that the photo was wrong
("Dear Customer, This is a wrong picture, this plug is not divided in
two pieces.")
"

However, it got me thinking that there's no reason I shouldn't be able
to cut off the funky proprietary connector on the end (saving it to
reattach later when I get a 1Ds Mark 47), strip the wires, and solder
on a mini-stero connector, once I've figured out the wire-->pin
pattern (which, with only 3 leads, should be a snap, considering I
already know the camera side's requirements). I'd reverse the way
that it was/is shown in that picture, though - the plug would go on
the remote's end and the jack would go on the end with the
proprietary connector - to allow the jury-rigged setup to plug
directly into the camera without an additional adapter.

By yumpin' yimminies, I think I'll give it a go. I'll let you know
how it turns out.

Please do...though I don't personally have a use for one. Others would.
I really don't see why Canon keeps the sub-mini design. All of their
other
DSLRs use the diffent style...
-It's probably just a carry-over thing... but they've used the other
disign
since at least the EOS 3. I don't know about before that. Perhaps
they
want people like you to see it as another rationale for upgrading to
another
body... Who knows...

Maybe I could sell the damn things :^).

:)
--
Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark©? at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

--
You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a
reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating
the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for
independence.
-- Charles A. Beard
.