Mastering the Intervalometer: Time-lapse & Long Exposure Photography with Vello Shutterboss

[@NathanFostr]

I just got an Intervalometer for my birthday! I was able to shoot one time laps that I'm pretty pleased with. After viewing this though.... I have a Million gears turning! Thank you. Extremely informative and well presented!

[@MattHill]

Awesomesauce. Happy we could help feed your creativity.

[@jamesgordonpatterson1753]

This is a keeper. Very well done. I have the ShutterBoss II wired. I'm always leery of wireless with their multiple points of failure. I think I will get good at the wired version before taking a wireless plunge.

[@omeysamaroo]

You explained this extremely well. I just opened the box of my intervalometer and you confirmed all the reasons to have one. Amazing tutorial, thank you.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Thank you so much! Matt Hill is a night photography AND intervalometer superhero!!

[@MattHill]

It was my pleasure!

[@rblomarda]

Thank you very much for this INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO ON. The BEST I have ever seen on this topic regarding Time-Lapse & Long Exposure Photography. I own a Viltrox JY - 710RX and the main features are very similar except for the bluetooth feature of the Intervalometer. This video is however more beneficial for persons who had already some experience on using DSLR camera as some terms on camera or technical features maybe unfamiliar to novices on digital photography, nevertheless this will be a very good reference for beginners or longtime users of DSLR cameras but hadn`t explored the extensive features of their camera. The instruction is very much clear, especially, with the accompanying pictures and the written instructions or informations on the left. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED +++ Edited this comment after reading all the previous comments. I forgot to say: EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE +++

[@maxandersen4571]

What a joy to watch. You are an excellent expositor. Just the facts and yet your charm shows through. Thank you.

[@bcrigg9388]

Thank You Mr. Hill. A very well organised and very clear explanation. I NOW understand... God Bless, BC

[@MattHill]

Aw, shucks. Glad to help!

[@bloodsthicker5651]

Its actually the stars/sky moving, earth does not, as it is not a spinning and flying waterball. Hope people get this soon. Awesome review btw ✌🏻

[@sewhidbey]

Thank you; your explanations are very clear and nicely paced. I now know how to use this device that came with my used camera body.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Awesome. Happy shooting!

[@teristallsmith1264]

Thanks. Very informative and easy to understand. Just got my Vello ShutterBoss II and your video answered a lot of questions I had. Plan to use it today and tonight.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi, Teri. Thanks so much for taking time to comment. Happy shooting :-) Enjoy your Shutterboss.

[@nicholaskincaid2975]

Extremely informative. How you simply broke the information down is brilliant. I learn a lot.

[@MattHill]

And thank you taking time to reply. Hope to share more stuff that is useful :-)

[@keith2599]

EXELANT INFORMATION, A CLEAR CONCISE VIDEO WITH A MAN FULL OF GREAT KNOWLEDGE...

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Thank you, Keith! We appreciate that.

[@hankblack783]

Thank you. Haven't used my intervalometer in some time and forgot how to use it. Explanation couldn't be any clearer.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Thank you, Hank. We're glad you found it helpful.

[@darkblue1421]

you're a wonderful teacher! thank you so much :)

[@PsycoVega]

Thank you for this video. I understand my timer so much better

[@MattHill]

My pleasure! I love sharing the knowledge. Enjoy, and be creative!

[@PhyllisMiller2]

Excellent video with very good explanations and image examples.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Thanks Phyllis!

[@jimratter5561]

Thank you for doing this video. Excellent explanation.

[@MattHill]

Thanks, Jim!

[@thenomadicjames3086]

Thanks Forrest! You were a little kid when I graduated in 2001! Lol

[@jamesgordonpatterson1753]

Yes, very nicely done! Thanks.

[@BernardVideo]

You described everything, now understand my timer, thanks

[@MattHill]

My pleasure! Happy Shooting :-)

[@damianbutterworth2434]

I`m just making one with an Arduino. Google search must of suggested this vid lol. I`m adding a light sensor to turn the camera on when there is a lighting strike. Hopefully it will be fast enough.

[@dotpoint05]

Im a recent photo taking enthusiast. Often wondering how shots like this were done. Watching this vid has swayed me into getting one. Thank you

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi George, Glad we could help. Enjoy your new Intervalometer!

[@margaretcortez1642]

Thank you!!! You described everything perfectly!

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Our pleasure :-) Thanks for taking time to leave a comment!

[@CATATONYC]

Great video, much thanks!

[@levelhorizons397]

Funny you messed up saying it's the sky moving and not the earth but corrected quick..... you said it right the first time

[@jvusa]

Excellent and clear explanation....

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Thanks, Jayala. We're glad you found it helpful.

[@sendalunar2974]

Amazing I'll be using this .

[@michebre]

Great tutorial Matt. Thanks so much.

[@vikonwheels2016]

Very informative. Thanks ...

[@chuknorth]

Nice vid. Thanks!

[@curtisbeckett4764]

Just brought a vello shutterboss 4.0 can you please make a video on how to set-up. Thanks

[@dantrimble4425]

The ShutterBoss Bluetooth for Canon (RCB-TC, I presume) is discontinued. What is the current Vello product for Bluetooth and iOS app controlled intervalometer on a Canon? (5D Mark IV)

[@rcsparks39042]

Great explanation. I have a couple of questions. With the new Shutterboss III, is it possible to have two receivers each controlling a separate camera? If so, what is the part number for the second receiver. In other words, is the Shutterboss II receiver compatible with the Shutterboss III transmitter? Thanks in advance for answering my questions.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Dear rcsparks39042, Thanks for reaching out. The two Shutterbosses are definitely compatible with each other. Unfortunately, we don’t sell the Shutterboss III receivers separately, but you can definitely buy the Shutterboss III kit to pair with your Shutterboss II receiver if you have one, or a Shutterboss II receiver to pair with your Shutterboss III kit. Hope this helps.

[@arbull7264]

Think you could go over the method to set up Camera with the wireless intervalometer for long xposure and selfies

[@ThatIndianBlader]

Hello friend, i wanted to get an intervalometer for my Canon 200D. Can you recommend one ? I tried searching the net.. but couldn't find anything :( Thanks in advance

[@TheTrumanZoo]

great vid!

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Thanks!

[@Pete_R63]

Can the Shutterboss 3 turn the video on and off on a Canon 80D?

[@thadvsoske8087]

*** QUESTION: Can you set the wired Vello Shutterboss INTERVAL to ZERO seconds, thereby allowing the shortest possible interval between exposures, resulting in contiguous sequential frames with absolute minimal (sub-1-sec) interval time gaps? Background: The Canon EOS 30D can shoot sub-1-sec intervals IN-CAMERA when using set timed exposures (i.e. 20-sec) while continuously holding the shutter button down (or using a wired shutter release to do the same), providing you have a super-fast memory card to handle the quick and consecutive writing of image file sequences.

[@johnwheeler5271]

Very useful info Thankyou.

[@ELPistoffo]

Great video. One question though. The "Intv" setting is total time between shutter activations as opposed to time between end of an exposure and start of next? For instance shooting 15 second exposures with a 2 second delay between each exposure would require a "Long" setting of 15" and "Intv" of 17"? Thx

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi, Orlando! Thanks for the question. No, actually, it is much simpler than that. The Interval value shoudl be only how many seconds you want in between each exposure. No need to calculate total exposure duration + interval. Some other companies require you to do that, we do not.

[@MohamedShamsUlHaq]

@@vellogearphotoaccessories8772 I think Orlando Diaz is right, I seem to be experiencing the same behavior. So, when I set a "long" of 5 secs, and a "intv" of 5 secs, the shutter opens soon after it closes from the previous release. However if i increase the "intv" to 10, i notice that there is a 5 sec delay between the shutter closing and opening for the next cycle. Please confirm the behavior. Note : I am using the shutterboss II wired model. Also, i believe that the "long" duration includes shutter open time and the time taken to autofocus (if autofocus is enabled). Which means that "long" time will not always be the exposure time. Is this understanding correct?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

@@MohamedShamsUlHaq This is true in reference to the Wired ShutterBoss Only. For the wired ShutterBoss the Interval = Exposure time + interval time. Using the example you gave, the interval =15 sec (exposure) + 2 sec (interval time) therefore 17 seconds is should be entered in the Wireless ShutterBoss. The reason is that the Wired ShutterBoss starts the countdown for both the interval and exposure simultaneously. For the Wireless ShutterBoss, exposure time and interval are processed separately. Therefore you only need to enter the interval that is desired between each exposure. Hope this helps

[@alessandromachi1010]

Can I use an older Sony HD camera circa 2012 with your product?

[@shupingyin8082]

Very informative

[@Jawan1984]

You earned a subscriber.

[@driftozphotography]

can i manually adjust exposure time with the remote while recording a timelapse ?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Sorry we missed your question. Yes, you can do that on the camera if there is enough time in between exposures (when one ends and the next begins). So if your interval is 30 seconds and the exposure is 20 seconds long, then you have 10 seconds to make exposure adjustments.

[@metals2546]

You mentioned the '500' rule, which I use when doing milky way shots. I use a nikon 14-24 f2.8, but I find that even when taking 10 second exposures, I find that I still get slightly elongated stars especially on the edges of the frame (which I know is generally an issue with most wide angle lenses). Is this a particular problem with this lens? Thank you for the informative video.

[@MattHill]

Hi metals! Thanks for watching-and your question. You have two things happening. First, since the time of this recording, my friends and I at Naitonal Parks at Night have revised the "500 rule" to the "400 Rule" because we observed that the star points were blurring a little too much for our taste. so, dividing 400 by your focal legnth (instead of 500) shoudl do the trick. Second, the super-wide lenses like a 14-24mm f/2.8 Nikon lens (which is superb), do cover a very wide angle of view. Depending on the direction which you face, the stars may be moving faster. For instancem when facing due north, you will see the least amount of travel at the corners of your lens at east and west. But if you face south, where the stars travel the fastest (from our point of view standing on Earth), you may see less points and more tiny, tiny star trails. After you take your test shot, zoom in to 100% and check those corners. You may have to drop you exposure time a little just to keep that in check. Greta question! Happy shooting.

[@metals2546]

Hello Matt, thank you for the prompt reply and information. Very good to know. I am planning on going out tonight so will try your suggestions. Much appreciated.

[@BuddyBullwinkel]

Watching videos, there is lots of info that covers everything but when we want to produce a specific thing .. don't wanna weed though the smear.. instead.. i.e. guy wants to do a sunrise.. so the video would cover that specific intervalometer Check weather prediction.. then step by step howto get it done That particular youtube channel would include individual videos to achieve each goal.

[@sarafreedman519]

Thanks, the video helped me understand the intervalometer portion of the remote. But I can't seem to get the bulb setting to blink to activate a timed exposure. Any help would be great!

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi Sara, Thanks for reaching out. It’s hard to tell just from that what the issue could be. Please reach out to customer service (available here: www.vellogear.com/contact-us) and they’ll help you figure out what the issue is. -Vello

[@jose2bee2]

Is the Bluetooth work same as the other two vello intervalometers. Kinda torn on which one to get. Was going to get the wireless kit. Like the Bluetooth.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

@jose2bee2 : Thanks for asking. No, the BT Shutterboss works very differently than the standard wired or wireless versions. Jump to 18:21 to see the details.

[@Jwitherow1964]

Thanks very helpful

[@poontank3]

I want to set up a long term time lapse using one of these products. Is there any way to power any of these with external power. As of right now, the intervalometer battery life is limiting my ability to leave a long term time lapse undisturbed for the duration. I want to know if there is any way to make it it so it will run as long as the camera will off an external power source.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi, Marty: Interesting question! *** Sounds like you are running for weeks or months at a time? My intervalometer batteries usually last (deepening on use) 3 months to 1.5 years. Doing some googling, I found "battery to electric converters" like this: www.amazon.com/Battery-Electric-AA-Converter-Convert/dp/B015T7TERI and www.batteryeliminatorstore.com/index.php?id_category=6&controller=category . We cannot voice for their safety, but it seems to be what you're looking for.

[@poontank3]

Thank you for your reply. If I can get 3 months of life from the intervalometer shooting 1 frame every 7 1/2 minutes 24 hours a day, I think that would be completely acceptable for my uses. Do you use any specific batteries to achieve this kind of performance?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hello again, Marty. Our pleasure. Buying name-brand, high-quality ALKALINE batteries is your best best. Do some research on what is available where you live by searching or battery buying guides. Keep in mind that extremes in temperature has a lot to do with battery performance. Note - this is from our user manual, "Powered by two AAA batteries, it can take approximately two months of continuous shots with a delay of 5 minutes between exposures and an exposure length of 4"56" "

[@razorree]

Can i use intervalometer to engage continuous shooting (setting continuous on camera instead of bulb) for 20 seconds and delay/timer of few minutes ? (with sony a6000)

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hello! Thanks for your question. Yes, you can use this to create a continuous burst of photos, even with delay. As you guessed, setting your camera to Continuous and then choosing an exposure length a second or longer will acitvate a burst. Keep in mind, you may need a fast memory card to keep up a burst 20 seconds long ;-)

[@razorree]

I heard that some intervalometers works only with bulb mode, as they send one 'press' (signal) at the beginning and one 'press' to end exposure...

[@MattHill]

razorree not in my experience. The signal is continuous with my Vello intervalometer. What you describe sounds like “T” mode. One tap to open shutter. One to close.

[@ammaralsharif4733]

Thank you you helped me a lot

[@MattHill]

Our sincere pleasure :-) Happy shooting!

[@trptgk]

When I use my shutterboss iii for macro photography, it will not fire the shutter. My camera is set to manual focus, lens is also at manual focus. What am I doing wrong?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi Glenn, it's really hard to say on face value. Please reach out to customer service at [e-mail] so we can get to the bottom of it. Thanks

[@oq17]

When you’re doing multiple exposures , does the self timer setting get applied to every shot in the sequence ? Or just the first shot ? Thank you !

[@StevenChou1984]

Will the wireless shutterboss work with a Fuji XT-2?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi Steven, It is compatible with this cable: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=rcc-f1-2.5&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

[@MRBATTISTA1]

when I use the intervalometer do I have to use the live view on ????....

[@elvidcinema4946]

Hi Vincent, thank you for the question. No, you do not have to leave the live view on unless you need to interact with your intervalometer. We hope that helps! Have a great shoot!!

[@DestinedToExplore]

How do you account for mirror lock when using this? or is that not possible?

[@MattHill]

HI! Mirror lock is possible while using an external shutter release, but only usually for manual release (using the large, sliding lock button). If you try and use it with the electronic program functions (Start/Stop button), the signal will send the mirror up first, and NOT open the shutter. Second signal (to close shutter normally) will open the shutter. Confusing, but true. These intervalometers are not equipped to add that extra signal for sending up the mirror. But rest assured - I have tested NOT using mirror lock with modern DLSRs and have found no critical sharpness issues. I used to assiduously use Mirror Up, but after testing, I decided that, seeing no difference while pixel-peeping that it's not essential with the wide angle lenses I often use. Cameras I tested with: Nikon D700 and Nikon D750. I'd advocate using a 3- or 5-second delay instead to allow all vibration from touching the camera to die down. Especially on focal lengths longer than 50mm. Hope that helps!

[@lizashim6]

Got the Shutterboss II and it lighted up once on the receiver & transmitter & that’s it. I can only use the transmitter wired in on that’s it. Tried returning it to B&H but it was over the time limit to return. Suggested i return it to vello. I think it was a closeout sale. Kind of gave me the idea this model was discontinued. Just a great disappointment.

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi Liza, It's hard to tell from your description what the issue could be, and a KZbin comment is not really the best way to figure it out. Please reach out to customer service at [e-mail] for more detailed assistance.

[@videoman77365]

does it have an on-off switch

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

yes

[@kbruff2010]

THANK YOU !!!! ***** !!!!

[@elias38]

Is there one I can use with Sony A7iii?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi, Eli! Yes: the RCW-3-S2 is our wireless version (B&H # VERCW3S2) or RC-S2II is the wired version (B&H # VERCS2II).

[@shanecameron6182]

will one of these connect to a Nikon D80

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi, Shane: Thanks for your question. Yes! You can use the VERCW3NCND70: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1354500-REG/vello_wireless_shutterboss_iii_with.html Which contains the DC-1 connection required by your Nikon D80.

[@shanecameron6182]

thank you

[@videoworks7731]

nice thanks

[@am75040]

thank you for the explanation.. no need to read the manual.. do not understand the dislikes...but nevertheless thank you again

[@MattHill]

Very kind - thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@kbruff2010]

IS THE WIRELESS MODEL ANDROID COMPATIBLE?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi Kevin, The Wireless models work via radio, so they're not Bluetooth compatible at all. We *do* have a Bluetooth model, but unfortunately that is only compatible with iOS. Regards, Vello

[@denniskeena5936]

Check out the deer in the headlights at 11:44

[@MattHill]

Good eye, Dennis! They sat there there the whole time we were making photos. Just chillin'

[@Deep-Travel]

I found that my Shutterboss 2 (I have the wireless version) for Sony won't work when doing Autobracketing with the Sony A7II. Sony A7II set to Autobracketing for 3 exposures at 1EV difference. The camera was set to Aperture Priority. When I press the shutter on the camera it will shoot all three exposures (as long as I keep the shutter pressed). Using the Shutterboss II wireless or wired, set to single shot, it will only do the first two shots of the auto-bracketing and then stop. I tried using the multi-hot setting in the Shutterboss II and it will do it as long as I stop after the third shot. However, if one of the exposures happens to be longer than 1 second, it will do the first two exposure in the auto-bracketing but it will stop on the one longer than 1 second and reset the auto bracket Since I bought the Shutterboss specifically for this, what am I doing wrong?. Any suggestion to get the Shutterboss II to work properly with the Sony A7II autobracketing?

[@vellogearphotoaccessories8772]

Hi, David: Thanks for your question! In short, nothing you are doing is wrong. Bracketing on the Sony A7 II is similar to Nikon in that you need to physically release the shutter for each exposure within the set (EG: 1.0EV 3 you press the exposure 1 = 0 EV compensation , 2 = -1 EV compensation, 3 = +1 EV compensation). The ShutterBoss does not have a bracket function therefore will not overcome this limitation. (Canon cameras will shoot the entire set with a single release of the shutter.)

[@gagepeterson8884]

Hey! I'm a Sony shooter as well, and ordering this remote. One thing I might suggest is updating your firmware. Now I'm not sure if this will fix it, BUT the a6500 only requires a tap of the shutter to shoot all 5 of my bracketed shots, unlike the a6000, a7ii etc. If they're smart, sony should have fixed that to help with shake. I'll be getting that remote this week and can do a test for you on my a6500 to tell you if it will do bracketing on that camera, if you like. - I know this is 11 months late, but hey, if you still need the help...

[@Bluequester]

Some would say you are wrong- The earth is still- Motionless.

[@MattHill]

As long as you're out making night photography, it's all good ;-) Happy shooting.

[@TDubsKid]

I just wish It had bulb ramping

[@TheFamilyshow]

What lenses are u useing for taking shooting the stars

[@MattHill]

Hi! I used mostly a Zeiss 15mm f/2.8 Distagon (MF), Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Sigma 35mm ART F/1.8 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8.

[@TheFamilyshow]

Matt Hill oh ok i have a canon t6 so do u think a lenses of 75mm 300mm would work

[@MattHill]

They would work for star trails, but not star points. I say use what you have until you know what it doesn't do. Then go looking for something that fills the gaps where you felt like you couldn't do something. Honestly, I prefer extreme wide angle lenses so I can includes a little landscape and a lot of sky. If you find the lenses for your T6 are not wide enough to include as much os the sky as you want, look for a shorter focal length, like the 24mm f/2.8 STM, the 50mm f/1.4 (f/1.4 f/2 and f/2.8 ar emuch better for star points).

[@TheFamilyshow]

Matt Hill ok thank you 😊