Ricoh CA-1 Remote Control Cable

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 The only "proper" way to release the shutter remotely on a Ricoh camera is to buy the CA-1 accessory Cable Switch. Normally hard to find in shops but I found mine at Michaels in Melbourne at Aus$39.95. It has about 0.5 metre rather stiff cable that plugs into the USB port of the camera. It needs one AAA battery in it to make it function. Official Ricoh image here http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/option/other/ca1.html

A technical analysis of what signals it sends to the camera is here ... http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/sdm/ca1.htm

It's main use of course is for when the Ricoh camera is on a tripod and you need to take photos at determined times without introducing shake to the camera.

Martin Setvak on the DPReview forum has found another use for the CA-1, text quoted as is ......
Martin's pages start here.... http://www.setvak.cz/timelapse/timelapse.html

When taking longer sequences in continuous mode, the main problem is how to keep pressed permanently the shutter release button of CA-1. One solution was to use a rubber band around CA-1 (http://www.ricohforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=2641&start=10), or hold the shutter release button by your own finger... Recently (while testing the future external timer for Ricoh cameras) I realized that the problem above has a very simple solution:

Switch your CA-1 on, set the camera to Continuous mode (CONT=ON), press and hold the CA-1 shutter release button, which starts the sequence. Next, while still holding the CA-1 shutter release button pressed, switch the CA-1 off (using its ON-OFF power switch). After switching CA-1 off, you can now release its shutter release button, without stopping the sequence. Everything is related to sequences of pulses the CA-1 sends to the camera, to simulate half-press, full-press and release of the shutter release button, see
(http://forums.dpreview.com/...forums/read.asp?forum=1013&message=32334877).

If needed, you can stop the sequence (before reaching the 999 shots limit) by half-pressing the camera shutter release button and releasing it, or by switching the CA-1 on again and doing the same with the CA-1 shutter release button.

In principle, this should work with any of the recent models, supporting CA-1 (R/CX series, GX and GRD series). Tested with GX100 and R10. [and now also tested with R3 and R4... Guy]

Martin


Forum thread is at  http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1013&message=33569561


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