DigiCam with RF shutter release

[Ashton]

I've been looking for a camera that has an RF remote to trigger the shutter (well ok it's not a "shutter" but the point remains) I've been looking at DSLRs because that's all I've seen with this feature, but I'm seeing cameras that are *used* that cost more than my brand-new Evo... and have a worse image sensor on them!!!

So, is there a reasonable-priced digital camera that offers an RF shutter release?

 

[HHunt]

Depends on your "reasonable", of course.
Nikon removed it from their D3100 for no obvious reason, which is a shame (it's got an excellent sensor for the price). You can go back one generation and get a D3000 (with the 18-55mm VR lens) for $474, then add on the standard Nikon remote control for $25.
(I used newegg for the prices; no idea if they're the best choice.)

Oh, and dSLRs do have shutters.

 

[Rix2357]

Try looking for phottix RF remotes for the Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. Maybe the Pentax and other brands are supported too. The phottix RF remote simply uses the wired shutter release line.

 

[madFive]

I've been looking for a camera that has an RF remote to trigger the shutter (well ok it's not a "shutter" but the point remains) I've been looking at DSLRs because that's all I've seen with this feature, but I'm seeing cameras that are *used* that cost more than my brand-new Evo... and have a worse image sensor on them!!!

So, is there a reasonable-priced digital camera that offers an RF shutter release?

Hmm... not sure why you're comparing DSLR camera's to your phone - there are definitely no Nikon or Canon DSLR's that have worse sensors than EVO - the image size and image quality are really not necessarily related, so even an older camera with lower mega-pixels will probably look quite a bit better. I have the HTC Incredible now, and while it does take some very decent snapshots for a phone, it's not comparable to a DSLR camera in any way.

I'm not sure what models are compatible with RF remotes, but my D90 works with both wired and wireless remotes. Depending on how much you want to spend there are probably several lower end models that should work for you. D5000 would be a good one to look at for starters - from what I've heard of the D3000, you might be better off just going with an older model like D40-70. Will just have to check the specs to see if they use remote triggers.

 

[Blue Fox]

If you really think any phone takes better pictures than a DSLR, then you are severely mistaken. A higher megapixel rating alone does not correlate to better pictures. I can assure you that the image sensors on phones are nothing compared to a normal camera. A 10 year old DSLR will produce better images than your brand new phone. As for an RF shutter release, most DSLRs have the option for a wired remote, which means you can find plenty of RF remotes that will utilize that port. If IR will do, most DSLRs have IR built in as well and IR remotes are very cheap.

 

[HHunt]

I'm not sure what models are compatible with RF remotes, but my D90 works with both wired and wireless remotes. Depending on how much you want to spend there are probably several lower end models that should work for you. D5000 would be a good one to look at for starters - from what I've heard of the D3000, you might be better off just going with an older model like D40-70. Will just have to check the specs to see if they use remote triggers.

I think the D3100 is the only Nikon DSLR from the last several years (that is, from the D70 (2004) and onwards, including the D40) to not support the ML-L3 remote. As for the D3000, it's ... very much like the D60/D40x/D40 (except the D40 is 6.1 instead of 10.1MP). The autofocus is supposedly a bit better (I notice it has more autofocus points), and the sensor seems to be much the same.

(I only used the D3000 since it was the cheapest one I could find at the first webshop I checked.)


edit: Oops, I just realized that that remote is IR, not RF, which might perhaps be a problem. If it is, follow the suggestion from Rix2357 - but note that most of the cheap Nikons don't have a cable control socket, only the IR receiver. Incidentally, the D3100 has a remote control cable socket. It's a completely new model, so more expensive (around $700), though in its favour the new (14 MP) sensor is apparently very good, with much improved high-ISO performance. I'll also note that I know very little about non-Nikon DSLRs, so perhaps you can find a cheaper/older model from e.g. Canon with a socket that would let you fit a cheap third-party RF controller - or perhaps they have one integrated? Are there any Canon/Pentax/Olympus/Sony people here that know?

Oh, and what Blue Fox said. A battered D40 will wipe the floor with a good camera phone, both because the optics are way better (obvious if you enlarge it), and because it'll have much less noise.
For a nice contrast, this is the HTC EVO 4G flickr group, and this is a gallery of random stuff from my D40. (The download link gives the original picture.)
Picking two full-size images, compare this (one of mine) and this (from here).
Keep in mind that the D40 is a 6MP camera from 2006, and you can get it used for around $300 now. Also keep in mind that the HTC EVO without a contract would cost you $500.

 

[Ashton]

The only reason I was talking about the EVO is because it's an expensive phone with a very nice camera (for a phone) with a high MP rating. (and FTR I paid $439 for my EVO because something about the way I got it did not allow me the $100 rebate)

Also while I prefer RF (because I dont have to have the remote pointed at the camera, which can sometimes get awkward depending on where your standing) I can live with IR if it's a huge price-break (hell I coudl make do with a wired release but the cable would need to be like 20-40' long (one fun thing I do is set up and photograph lasers, many of which are so powerful that even a SPECULAR reflection can cause blindness (up to 10 watts!), so I like to be in another room when they're fired)

Thank you all for the suggestions, I'll look into them, but also, one that hasnt been mentioned that I've been told is *THE* camera to get is the Nikon D3100. Anyone have any experiance with it?

 

[HHunt]

I haven't used it myself, but it's supposedly a very good buy. It's the cheapest of Nikon's lines, but it's got a nice new sensor (less noise and higher resolution than the old one, which is a rare combination), decent video abilities, and nice enough handling. It only supports cable release, though - but you can get a third-party receiver to plug into it.

Alternatively, the D5000 should cost about the same now: It's one step up, but one generation older. It's got the IR receiver, worse video, supposedly slightly better image quality (but slightly lower resolution), a few more buttons for setting things without diving into the menus, and a few more features (like bracketing [1]). It's also got a fold-out, rotatable, LCD screen (that you can fold towards the body to protect it), while the D3100 is a fixed normal LCD (at the same resolution, though it's a bit bigger). Could be useful if you're mounting the camera at inconvenient angles.

[1] That is, you can make it take series of three pictures at different exposure with one trigger press. Useful in difficult lighting, or if you want to merge all three into an HDR picture later.


As for the Evo and the like - my point was just that while it's got a very nice camera for a cellphone, it's still much weaker than a larger camera at the same resolution. (The smaller sensor will just not capture as much light, and the size limits the optics). I'll agree that we've gotten to the point where a cellphone camera is actually good enough for many uses.