Remote shutter app?

[Jaykayg]

Apologies if I've missed a thread on this, in which case happy to be pointed to it.

But has anyone got a recommended app they use for a remote shutter release? I use a D750, and an Android phone.

I'm thinking of being able to set the camera up say pointing to a busy wildlife area, and then retreating to a better distance so as not to disturb things too much, and being able to take the shot remotely. Even better if it relays the viewfinder to the mobile?

 

[Beadley]

I've used qDSLRdashboard on my Pixel 2 android phone to good effect when shooting time lapse sequences with my D750. It also relays the Live View image from the camera to the phone, and allows you to change exposure via shutter speed, ISO or aperture. This bit is particularly handy for day/night timelapses but might also be useful in your scenario if the light changes.

As for distance, it'll work for as far as the wifi signal of your D750 reaches.

Good luck with your shooting.

 

[Jaykayg]

That sounds just what I'm looking for - thank you

 

[Mark S Abeln]

But has anyone got a recommended app they use for a remote shutter release?

You can use Nikon's own WMU:

Cameras and photography equipment from Nikon

Find high quality cameras and photography accessories at Nikon

www.nikonusa.com

The wireless range of the camera is going to be poor. I was able to take a photo with my camera from my iPhone SE (2020) at 175 feet away, but that was with a clear line of sight and with the signal strength very low. My WiFi connection disconnected as soon as a bush got in the way of the signal. I tried this again with the camera inside of my wood-frame house and I lost the signal at about 50 feet.

The wireless quality of your mobile device is going to matter as well. My Samsung Galaxy A 8 tablet (2017) would only take photos from about 50 feet away with a direct line of sight, and much beyond that it would quickly disconnect. Inside of the house, the tablet would disconnect when I took it into another room. However, this is far better performance than I got from an old EyeFi device—a memory card with WiFi built into it—where my tablet would only have a good connection within about a ten foot radius from the camera.

A noisy radio spectrum, like you'll find in densely populated urban areas, may reduce your range considerably, but you may find much better performance in a park or rural area away from WiFi, Bluetooth, and other devices that use the same spectrum.

There are other problems as well. The camera will quickly go to sleep—turning off the WiFi as well—if you aren't connected to it. I think the camera sleep timeout period is adjustable in the camera menus.

Mobile devices have complicated algorithms for determining which WiFi to connect to, and when to disconnect from a weak signal, and because the Nikon camera does not have an Internet connection, it is ranked rather low by some algorithms, particularly the Android one. So you may find it hard to connect to and easy for the connection to be dropped. Be sure you have "autoconnect" temporarily turned off for any other WiFi hotspots you normally connect to, such as your home WiFi, if you are shooting within close range of them; this would be important to do if you are shooting just outside of your home. It might be helpful to turn autoconnect on for your Nikon's hotspot, due to frequent disconnects.

If you want to spend a lot of money, Nikon does sell an advanced wireless device with lots of professional options giving you the option of having an arbitrarily long range:

Nikon WT-7A Wireless Transmitter | DSLR Camera Accessories | Nikon USA

The WT-7A is a wireless transmitter that allows certain Nikon DSLRs to connect via a wired Ethernet cable or via wireless LAN.

www.nikonusa.com

There are cheaper third party devices, or if you are comfortable with configuring computers, you can get a battery powered portable wireless router with custom programming to extend your camera's WiFi reach.

 

[Jaykayg]

But has anyone got a recommended app they use for a remote shutter release?

You can use Nikon's own WMU:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/wireless-mobile-utility-app.page

The wireless range of the camera is going to be poor. I was able to take a photo with my camera from my iPhone SE (2020) at 175 feet away, but that was with a clear line of sight and with the signal strength very low. My WiFi connection disconnected as soon as a bush got in the way of the signal. I tried this again with the camera inside of my wood-frame house and I lost the signal at about 50 feet.

The wireless quality of your mobile device is going to matter as well. My Samsung Galaxy A 8 tablet (2017) would only take photos from about 50 feet away with a direct line of sight, and much beyond that it would quickly disconnect. Inside of the house, the tablet would disconnect when I took it into another room. However, this is far better performance than I got from an old EyeFi device—a memory card with WiFi built into it—where my tablet would only have a good connection within about a ten foot radius from the camera.

A noisy radio spectrum, like you'll find in densely populated urban areas, may reduce your range considerably, but you may find much better performance in a park or rural area away from WiFi, Bluetooth, and other devices that use the same spectrum.

There are other problems as well. The camera will quickly go to sleep—turning off the WiFi as well—if you aren't connected to it. I think the camera sleep timeout period is adjustable in the camera menus.

Mobile devices have complicated algorithms for determining which WiFi to connect to, and when to disconnect from a weak signal, and because the Nikon camera does not have an Internet connection, it is ranked rather low by some algorithms, particularly the Android one. So you may find it hard to connect to and easy for the connection to be dropped. Be sure you have "autoconnect" temporarily turned off for any other WiFi hotspots you normally connect to, such as your home WiFi, if you are shooting within close range of them; this would be important to do if you are shooting just outside of your home. It might be helpful to turn autoconnect on for your Nikon's hotspot, due to frequent disconnects.

If you want to spend a lot of money, Nikon does sell an advanced wireless device with lots of professional options giving you the option of having an arbitrarily long range:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/wireless/wt-7a-wireless-transmitter.html

There are cheaper third party devices, or if you are comfortable with configuring computers, you can get a battery powered portable wireless router with custom programming to extend your camera's WiFi reach.

Thank you!

No, not looking to spend loads-a-money, it was just for occasional use. I'm out in the sticks, so interference shouldn't be an issue. Will look into things going to sleep, and reconnecting to other networks unbidden, thanks for the heads-up.