Canon 814 Electronic Super 8 Camera - Compatibility with modern Intervalometer/Interval Timers?

Mason Tobias Hood · October 14, 2013

Hello,

Does anyone know whether any modern interval timers are compatible with the Canon 814 electronic auto zoom super 8 camera, or is interval timing reliant on the elusive Interval Timer 'E'?

Any help is appreciated!

Mark Dunn · October 14, 2013

The remote input looks like a plain 2-pole jack plug, probably 2.5mm but possibly 3.5mm so that's what you need on your unit.

On my DSLR the remote input requires a simple push-to- make switch to operate. I assume others are the same.

This for example

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/?_nkw=remote%20release%202.5%20jack&clk_rvr_id=531313699643&mfe=search

would work as a remote release.

Edited October 14, 2013 by Mark Dunn

Mark Dunn · October 14, 2013

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Time-lapse-intervalometer-remote-timer-shutter-for-Canon-DSLR-650D-600D-Camera-/370797649931?pt=UK_Photography_DigitalCamAccess_RL&hash=item565543200b

assuming that is a 2.5mm. jack. I don't know which country you are in but I'm sure you could find one locally.

Mason Tobias Hood · October 14, 2013

Yeah. It's a 2.5mm jack...And i'm in Australia.

I'm trying to figure out if anyone has had any success with modern timers, and can recommend a brand. There isn't much literature on the topic on forums etcetera....My main concern is, whether the way the intervalometer communicates with the camera has changed in the last few decades?

I'd assume it's a more sophisticated clock, which sends an electrical impulse telling the camera to activate the shutter. I have a feeling i'm going to need to visit a camera shop and test a lot of timers.

Simon Lucas · October 15, 2013

There are two Canon timers on this site:

http://super8exchange.com/

Another option is to could also find a remote for the 814E and build your own timer.

Mark Dunn · October 15, 2013

Yeah. It's a 2.5mm jack...And i'm in Australia.

I'm trying to figure out if anyone has had any success with modern timers, and can recommend a brand. There isn't much literature on the topic on forums etcetera....My main concern is, whether the way the intervalometer communicates with the camera has changed in the last few decades?

I'd assume it's a more sophisticated clock, which sends an electrical impulse telling the camera to activate the shutter. I have a feeling i'm going to need to visit a camera shop and test a lot of timers.

No, it hasn't changed, it just completes a circuit, like closing a switch. There's no impulse.

Andries Molenaar · October 16, 2013

OP needs a simple remote controle with a switch which is open and closes to start the camera.

Very much a standard thing on Super-8 cameras.

These EOS things are NOT suitable. The mini jack has three contacts and it uses a serial protocol to drive the camera.

The same suppliers usually have NIKON and other brand versions with a different connector and protocol.

The handheld part is then still the same.

Check if they have something simple too. Or find a vintage one. It needs not be Canon.

Mark Dunn · October 16, 2013

Sorry, wasn't aware of that.

Units for Sony DSLRs just use a switch- I built my own with three contacts, one pair actuates autofocus, the other pair trips the shutter- so I assumed they were the same.

So do a lot of websites, this one for example.

http://www.doc-diy.net/photo/eos_wired_remote/

Zac Fettig · October 16, 2013

Mark, you are correct. EOS cameras do not use a serial protocol. One pin is ground, one is for autofocus, and one is for trigger. Same is true for Pentax. Not sure about Nikon, but I think it's the same just focus and trigger are reversed, I think. All of them work by shorting the pin to ground.

The 814AZE has a 2 pin connector. Just ground and trigger. I can't see any reason why a remote trigger wouldn't work. If you have a fancy remote trigger, that triggers focus first, it would cause the camera to trigger during focus.

Mark Dunn · October 16, 2013

Yes, both positions would trigger it, so there's no problem.

Zac Fettig · October 16, 2013

There is a slight problem that a prefocus could cause 2 shots (two quick pictures in order making the time lapse non-linear), or one overly long exposure; depending on how it's set up. I'm pretty sure that the shutter in the 814 AZE stays open as long as it has a connection (or until the batteries die), so exposure could be an issue. It has a magnetic shutter, and I think they tried to get it to emulate a cable release.

Andries Molenaar · October 16, 2013

Mark, you are correct. EOS cameras do not use a serial protocol. One pin is ground, one is for autofocus, and one is for trigger. Same is true for Pentax. Not sure about Nikon, but I think it's the same just focus and trigger are reversed, I think. All of them work by shorting the pin to ground.

The 814AZE has a 2 pin connector. Just ground and trigger. I can't see any reason why a remote trigger wouldn't work. If you have a fancy remote trigger, that triggers focus first, it would cause the camera to trigger during focus.

You might care to explain how shutter speed and aperture can be displayed on the remote.

Or how it can display the numbers of frames left. Or how the control can set shutter and aperture...

OP is best off with a classic remote or a suitable simple modern one with a make-contact-switch across the two contacts of the 2.5mm jack. It is a Euro 5 thing at best.

My digital NIKON doesn't have a 2.5mm remote and I suppose few have. None of the 35mm or R10 or R8 had one either. Late 35mm ones had a 10 pin serial with a switch line for trigger. Digital ones have mini multi-contacts.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Andries Molenaar

Zac Fettig · October 17, 2013

You might care to explain how shutter speed and aperture can be displayed on the remote.

Or how it can display the numbers of frames left. Or how the control can set shutter and aperture...

OP is best off with a classic remote or a suitable simple modern one with a make-contact-switch across the two contacts of the 2.5mm jack. It is a Euro 5 thing at best.

My digital NIKON doesn't have a 2.5mm remote and I suppose few have. None of the 35mm or R10 or R8 had one either. Late 35mm ones had a 10 pin serial with a switch line for trigger. Digital ones have mini multi-contacts.

My guess is that it would have to be PWM over the autofocus connection. It pulses the connection to talk to the camera (just like IR remotes, but dropping the connection to ground, instead of light). There definitely aren't enough pins for a serial connection (it would have to have at least 2 more, a dedicated TX and RX signal pin). It's not too hard to have a connection do double duty. Kind of like how Apple manages to get a headphone jack do double as a charging jack on the iPod Shuffle, without releasing the magic smoke.

Canon has used only 3 pin triggers for all of it's EOS cameras (film, digital). Either T3 (the old one), N3 (the new one) or E3 (2.5mm). I wouldn't be surprised if Canon added that functionality when they switched from T3 to N3.

This ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/70561-REG/Canon_2469A002_RS_60E3_Remote_Switch.html ) is the only remote shutter Canon currently sells for 2.5mm jacks (all the others are for N3 jacks). It's just a simple switch.