shutter cable on stackshot

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donpirhana
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:09 pm

Post by donpirhana »

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the heads up.

I am not there yet. I am still using my D700 with a Velmex slide (manual labour and all that!).

However, I am seriously considering the Stackshot and this site has been a gold mine!

What did we do in the era of darkness, before there was light? Oh, yes... A very large building where people sat in reverential silence comes vaguely to mind!!

Chris S.
Site Admin
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Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

donpirhana wrote:. . . I am still using my D700 with a Velmex slide (manual labour and all that!).

However, I am seriously considering the Stackshot. . . .
Don, Cognisys Stackshot equipment is excellent. This said, so is Velmex. A nice thing is that items from the two companies can play very nicely together. If you like, you could motorize your Velmex and purchase a StackShot controller to run it, rather than buying both the StackShot controller and StackShot macro rail.

I'm currently outfitting one of my unmotorized Velmex stages with a bipolar stepper motor, and am finding it pretty easy with a bit of DIY (on the other hand, Velmex will of course do this for you as well). Since you've apparently modified a Velmex stage to carry your camera, odds are that your bricolage is pretty good.

If you went this route, you could purchase a NEMA 17 bipolar stepper motor from Cognisys ($50), already terminated to attach to the StackShot controller. Then you would remove the crank from your Velmex (loosen a set screw and pull it off); measure the Velmex drive shaft (probably 1/4 inch) and motor drive shaft and purchase an appropriate flexible shaft coupler to match ($5) and NEMA 17 motor mount ($5) off the Internet; and you'd be almost there. The bit of bricolage would come in attaching the motor mount to your Velmex stage; exactly how depends on your stage, and should not be difficult. (Using a drill, maybe a bit of hardware-store aluminum stock, a hacksaw, and perhaps a tap.)

Cognisys was very helpful when I hooked up a StackShot controller to the motorized microscope focus block in my rig. I've been delighted with it.

--Chris S.

Macro_Cosmos
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Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:23 pm
Contact:

Post by Macro_Cosmos »

I asked Cognisys about the cables. For stackshot 3x, no diode is needed for 3.5mm shutter cables.

Person did not comment on the RCA types, so I assume a diode would be required.

mawyatt
Posts: 2497
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Clearwater, Florida

Post by mawyatt »

Macro_Cosmos wrote:I asked Cognisys about the cables. For stackshot 3x, no diode is needed for 3.5mm shutter cables.

Person did not comment on the RCA types, so I assume a diode would be required.
Don't think the diode is required anymore for modern Nikon bodies. Just a simple NO contact since the Nikon bodies I have (D850, 500 & 800) all have internal pull up (~3K) and 3V source. Stackshot provides it's own 3.5V and pull up thru the RCA connector, so it can control something that doesn't have a pull up and voltage source (like an sensitive LED optocoupler), at least the old Stackshot controller I have does.

Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

donpirhana
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:09 pm

Post by donpirhana »

Hello Mike,

If I understand you correctly, since the the Nikon connector (be it 10pin or the DC2 type) provides three wires:

1/2 press
shutter
ground

Make the connection as:

1) 1/2 press and shutter wires to be connected to the center pin of the RCA male

and

2) connect the ground wire to the body or the barrel of the RCA male.

Am I correct or am I going to see a puff of smoke followed by copious amounts of foul language!

Cheers, Don

mawyatt
Posts: 2497
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 6:54 pm
Location: Clearwater, Florida

Post by mawyatt »

Don,

The shutter release is a one of the two wires that get shorted to the ground wire to activate. Long ago I simply got a cheap eBay Nikon compatible Remote and soldered a another cable (audio cable) with the RCA connector on the other end. You can kinda see this here, please disregard the diode, this was done long ago when Stackshot was recommending the diode which is not required with modern Nikon bodies. Also this shows another set of cables added per the topic of EFCS & flash enablement with LV.

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=36194

Anyway, if you look closely you will notice the Nikon cable comes into the remote box from one end, and has 3 wires, Black (ground), Red and Grey. I recall the Nikon cable Red wire is the shutter release. So the shutter release wire should be connected to the RCA center contact and of course ground to the RCA flange.

Hope this helps,

Best
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

donpirhana
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:09 pm

Post by donpirhana »

Hello Mike,

Yes, this really helps.

I really appreciate all the help.

Cheers... don

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