Best way to bracket with the D810?

[Cayman]

Hi All.  (Long time lurker)

I just picked up a D810 (my first Nikon) and am trying to figure the best way to do bracketed shots for exposure blending.

Without using a remote, I can't figure a way to kick off the bracket sequence without holding the shutter down for the duration of the sequence.  Is this correct?

I also have the CamRanger which seems to have two ways to kick off bracketed shots.  Using the HDR mode you have a lot of control but the Camera takes the shots at a very slow pace.  Alternatively, you can click the exposure bar and do up to 3 shots and those seem to operate at full speed.

In many cases, I would like a simpler solution than the CamRanger.  Is there a recommended wired/wireless remote that will make bracketing simple?

[Paul2660]

If I do bracket with the D810, which is rare, I use the remote. I believe you have to hold the shutter down on the the camera for the entire series if you don't have the remote. 

For 95% of the landscape work I shoot with Nikon I no longer bracket. Instead I use 1 or 2 frames as the shadow recovery at base ISO is excellent @ around 2.5 stops.  I have yet to be disappointed.

The Camranger is another good route which I am using now.

Paul

[Cayman]

Paul, thanks for that.  I haven't had the chance to do much real world shooting with it yet, but yes the shadow recovery is pretty amazing.   A seemingly endless number of remote choices...thinking of going for the wired Nikon MC-30A.

[dwswager]

Hi All.  (Long time lurker)

I just picked up a D810 (my first Nikon) and am trying to figure the best way to do bracketed shots for exposure blending.

Without using a remote, I can't figure a way to kick off the bracket sequence without holding the shutter down for the duration of the sequence.  Is this correct?

I also have the CamRanger which seems to have two ways to kick off bracketed shots.  Using the HDR mode you have a lot of control but the Camera takes the shots at a very slow pace.  Alternatively, you can click the exposure bar and do up to 3 shots and those seem to operate at full speed.

In many cases, I would like a simpler solution than the CamRanger.  Is there a recommended wired/wireless remote that will make bracketing simple?

The way my D810 works is if you set bracket mode and the shooting mode to anything other than continuous Low or continuous high, you must press the shutter button each time for each frame.   In either continuous mode, holding the shutter button down will shoot the whole bracket.

I certainly recommend a remote release of some sort.  I use an old MC-20.  There is the MC-30 or MC-36.  Also the wireless  SMDV RFN-4s Slim Wireless Remote Shutter Cable Release.  But you still have to hold the shutter button down or press it for each frame.

Oh, and Paul is correct.  Between the shadow quality, dynamic range and ISO performance, it is fairly rare that a scene is not within the range of the D810 to capture.  Though I do use bracketing still.

[Cayman]

Yes I was just noticing that RFN-4s, is a review of 4 of them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHgZwuMFCaU

[Cayman]

One other option, if you set the self timer to something like 2 sec, the interval to .5 sec, and the number of timed shots equal to the number of bracket shots it will do a bracket with one shutter press.   Too bad you can't set the interval between shots to 0 sec.

[Jan K.]

Did they change anything from D800 to D810?

On the D800, I just set self-timer and set number of brackets, click shutter once and it fires off all shots...


*) actually, the D800 has an firmware error, that's still not fixed. I need to set number of shots to anything but 1, and it will the fire away...

[dwswager]

One other option, if you set the self timer to something like 2 sec, the interval to .5 sec, and the number of timed shots equal to the number of bracket shots it will do a bracket with one shutter press.   Too bad you can't set the interval between shots to 0 sec.

There are a few ways to skin the cat, but some are better than others. For the best, most stable shots, you want the mirror locked up, use electronic first curtain shutter and remove human induced vibration using a remote release. Two seconds isn't long enough of a delay to damp pressing the shutter button.  Better than 0 or 1 seconds, but generally not long enough.  

I use a remote most of the time so I just can't list all the options because I have not tried them.

The Vello Shutterboss Wireless looks interesting.  It appears to have a reciever that mounts in the hotshoe with wire to the 10 pin connector.  It says it can take multiple shots with 1 click of the button.  

I do wish Nikon would include a custom control in the firmware that allowed you to choose whether to require a shutter press for each image in a bracket set or a single shutter press to shoot the whole bracket set.

[dwswager]

Did they change anything from D800 to D810?

On the D800, I just set self-timer and set number of brackets, click shutter once and it fires off all shots...


*) actually, the D800 has an firmware error, that's still not fixed. I need to set number of shots to anything but 1, and it will the fire away...

The D810 you set the timer delay, the number of shots to 1 and the interval and it will shoot the bracket in one shutter push.  I just confirmed that on my camera.

Again, you would want to be in Live View doing this to keep the mirror up between shots otherwise mirror slap is going to get you.

[Cayman]

The D810 you set the timer delay, the number of shots to 1 and the interval and it will shoot the bracket in one shutter push.  I just confirmed that on my camera.

Again, you would want to be in Live View doing this to keep the mirror up between shots otherwise mirror slap is going to get you.

Hah.. That is the first thing that I tried, but obviously some user error on my part.   This is working for me as well now.   Fantastic camera, but also a very complicated one!

[dwswager]

Fantastic camera, but also a very complicated one!

Not really complicated, just fully featured which means there are multiple ways to do most things so 5 different people give you 5 different answers to the same damn question and they all can be correct!  Of course, my way is always best!