Nikon 5100 Pre-Sales Question

[acatalano]

I have been using a Nikon 5100 for AP via a Sateechi wireless shutter control system. It can be programmed for multiple exposures using the bulb setting. Of course Backyard Nikon has much more capability than the Sateechi and I'd like to take advantage of that!  I noticed that in the BYN supported camera list for the Nikon 5100 under the "Bulb" column it says Yes(Serial). What does that mean? I have ordered a Nikon USB cable as well as the cable to output the display signal. Is there anything else I need? Some proprietary cable?? Thanks in advance for your help.

[admin]

You need serial cable for that feature.  BYN has been tested with Shoestring DSUSB cable. 

[astroman133]

BYN does not use the display output port, only the USB port and the remote shutter port.

[acatalano]

How does the Shoestring DSUSB Cable differ from the Nikon USB cable?

[admin]

NIKON = USB CABLE.

DSUSB = Serial Cable.

Apples and oranges.

[acatalano]

Looking at the Shoestring website I see it's not just a cable it's really an interface box that separates the remote control signal and sends it to the separate input on the DS5100. So if I want to use that feature on the software I must have this. Alternatively I suppose I could continue to use the Sateechi I presume???

[astroman133]

Actually for full functionality of BYN and the D5100 you need both the DSUSB shutter shutter control cable for BULB exposures and the USB cable for short exposures, setting shooting parameters, downloading LiveView frames and captured images. That is both cables connected at the same time between the camera and the PC.

Or you could just continue to use an interval timer.

If you look at the BYN camera support table you can see that newer camera models support BULB over USB and so only require a single USB cable. You may want to put the cost of the DSUSB cable toward a new camera. You could also sell the D5100 to help reduce the cost of the new camera.

[acatalano]

astroman133:

Many thanks for this explanation. What I have found confusing is the exclusive reference to cables, when as best I can tell it's really this interface box that has a USB cable hardwired to it that is the heart of the system. The 5100 has a separate port for shutter control and USB, so I presume the interface box separates that via two cables. Putting together the order from Shoestring  that helpfully contains photos, seems to suggest this. I want to make sure when I place an order I get the correct items. It appears that there aren't too many choices, thankfully. I'm not inclined to buy another Nikon. I have a large amount of now obsolete Nikon gear with the changes that have occurred via the migration to digital (including a D1X) I'm using micro four-thirds Lumix gear for terrestrial photos as it is lightweight  and compact, and Panasonic gear seems very reliable.