Harbortronics (Digisnap 2000) (1 Viewer)

I've been using a Harbortronics (Digisnap 2000) device for three months now and am well pleased. One key advantage it has for Digibirding is that you can extend the cable for hundreds of feet. I've only tried it to about 10 m but their literature claims over 200 m. I set the camera next to a feeder and just wait for a bird to show up. With the Nikon 4500 you can see what's in the view screen remotely via an inexpensive extension cable hooked up to a TV set, again at least to 10 m.

The Digisnap works as advertised right out of the box, however, it is programmable and you can extend its usefulness. One function of interest is that it can access the Nikon's half shutter position. By pressing the button the camera goes to half shutter and only snaps the picture immediately after you release the button. This could be especially useful if you are having trouble with shutter lag.

I also have digital video software and have used it for making time lapse movies. It can be preprogrammed via computer or field programmed out of the box.

In the bulb position, the Digisnap will hold the shutter open for up to 5 minutes. This might come in handy for nesting birds at night or in getting some really different landscape shots by moonlight. This feature must be programmed using a computer or handheld.

You can also zoom with it.

Bad features:

1 It can fall out of the serial socket too easily.
2 Occasionally the camera will lock up for no good reason and you might have to pull the battery out and start camera over (rare).
3 It has its own battery, which is good because it doesn't draw down on the camera but bad because its one more thing to go wrong.
4 Its one more thing you get to keep track of.
5 It requires it's own startup sequence.
a First you plug in the Digisnap.
b then turn on the camera
c press any button in the Digisnap so it can introduce itself to the camera after which the camera finally comes on.
This is very time consuming and makes an external battery a virtual necessity. After setting my camera on the scope I turn it on and leave it on.

Just the report we all want to hear, thanks.
The guy who makes them is always open to suggestions for improving the digisnap. It seems reasonably priced as well.
Regards,
Andy

Chuck,
Thanks for the information on the Harbortronics (Digisnap 2000) device. I have suffered too long with all the stated problems, using the Nikon MC-EU1 release cable. When it was new it worked pretty good, I've used it weekly for over 12 months, then it started locking-up, and I would have to shut off the CP4500 and turn it back on and repress the remote button and wait. Then it got worst, I too learned that if I shut off the camera and removed the battery and restarted the camera it would come back on and work. Then finally it just stopped working, and I found it was shutting off when I moved the cord to press the button, as if there was a short in the wires. So what does one do; send it in to be repaired or buy another. I hope the Harbortronics (Digisnap 2000) device is the answer to this problem.

GL Aspenall

Nikon has released a firmware fix 1.3 for the cp4500 which is specifically for the MC remote. Has anyone found that this has solved the problem?

Hi Gary,

I started having the same problem with the Nikon remote. I found you can momentarily release the battery from the remote, instead of the 4500, and accomplish the same thing; ie, undoing the lockup. And it's a lot easier than removing the camera battery, especially if the camera's on a tripod.

But my remote started working again after I:

1. Changed the battery in the remote. I change it every 6 months. (A cr2032 is cheap.)
2. Take the cable out of the camera when not in use. If you leave it plugged into the camera, even though the camera's off the remote battery will still drain.
3. Hang the cable over the scope, right to left, so there is no weight on the connection.

Hope this helps,

Joe

Gary Aspenall said:

Chuck,
Thanks for the information on the Harbortronics (Digisnap 2000) device. I have suffered too long with all the stated problems, using the Nikon MC-EU1 release cable. When it was new it worked pretty good, I've used it weekly for over 12 months, then it started locking-up, and I would have to shut off the CP4500 and turn it back on and repress the remote button and wait. Then it got worst, I too learned that if I shut off the camera and removed the battery and restarted the camera it would come back on and work. Then finally it just stopped working, and I found it was shutting off when I moved the cord to press the button, as if there was a short in the wires. So what does one do; send it in to be repaired or buy another. I hope the Harbortronics (Digisnap 2000) device is the answer to this problem.

GL Aspenall

Click to expand...

Problems with the Nikon remote!

Joe A. said:

Hi Gary,

I started having the same problem with the Nikon remote. I found you can momentarily release the battery from the remote, instead of the 4500, and accomplish the same thing; ie, undoing the lockup. And it's a lot easier than removing the camera battery, especially if the camera's on a tripod.

But my remote started working again after I:

1. Changed the battery in the remote. I change it every 6 months. (A cr2032 is cheap.)
2. Take the cable out of the camera when not in use. If you leave it plugged into the camera, even though the camera's off the remote battery will still drain.
3. Hang the cable over the scope, right to left, so there is no weight on the connection.

Hope this helps,

Joe

Click to expand...

Hi, Joe Thanks for the reply..............

I'll have to try changing the CR2032 battery more often. Has anyone noticed if these problems occur more often with a camera battery that is not so new? or not fully charged?

Gary

I got my Digisnap 2000 from the states - just 3 days from order to arrival - Oh if the UK postal service were as good as that!

Anyway, works very well. I opted for the 'Fast snap' configuration to be added. This means that each time you press the shutter release, the cmaer 'recycles' to the 'half shutter pressed' position. The great thing about this is that there is only 0.1 second delay between pressing the trigger and the camera shutter being activated, which means much less chance of the object you are trying to photograph moving. It also gives you a free hand with which to fine focus your scope. With the Nikon MC-EU1 I found I was forever struggling between half pressing the cable release button and fine focussing the scope. With the Digisnap, I can forget about keeping one hand pressed on the shutter release button.

So far, all works very well - looking forward to using it more in the next few weeks.

I would agree with other correspondents that the service from Harbortronics has been exemplary - highly recommended.

Kevin

Digisnap 2000

birder said:

I got my Digisnap 2000 from the states - just 3 days from order to arrival - Oh if the UK postal service were as good as that!

Anyway, works very well. I opted for the 'Fast snap' configuration to be added. This means that each time you press the shutter release, the cmaer 'recycles' to the 'half shutter pressed' position. The great thing about this is that there is only 0.1 second delay between pressing the trigger and the camera shutter being activated, which means much less chance of the object you are trying to photograph moving. It also gives you a free hand with which to fine focus your scope. With the Nikon MC-EU1 I found I was forever struggling between half pressing the cable release button and fine focussing the scope. With the Digisnap, I can forget about keeping one hand pressed on the shutter release button.

So far, all works very well - looking forward to using it more in the next few weeks.

I would agree with other correspondents that the service from Harbortronics has been exemplary - highly recommended.

Kevin

Click to expand...

Hey Kevin,

Thanks for the reply, it sounds encouraging as a replacement for the Nikon MC-EU1. How did you opt for the 'Fast snap' configuration to be added. Is this something you do when you order it or when you set it up initially? Please keep us informed as you use it more.

You can specify the Fast Snap option when you order (check out the Harbortronics web site - www.Harbortronics.com.) It costs an extra $25, and they configure the Digisnap before shipping, then you cnnect it to your PC (or Mac??) on arrival, and download the electonics to allow the buttons to perform the fast snap function.

Sounds complicated, I know, but in reality it's simplicity itself. All you need is a computer to attach the lead (supplied with the Digisnap) to connect the Digisnap to the PC.

Hope this helps.
Kevin

dahyon said:

Nikon has released a firmware fix 1.3 for the cp4500 which is specifically for the MC remote. Has anyone found that this has solved the problem?

Click to expand...

Here's the info on 1.3:

"What is this? (scroll down for download)
Coolpix 4500 Firmware update 1.3 for Windows
What is new/Content Description
An issue which caused corrupted images to be captured when shooting using the MC-EU1 remote cord at an image-quality setting of HI (no compression, TIFF) has been corrected. (changed in Firmware 1.2)
An issue which caused incorrect flash exposures when shooting using the MC-EU1 remote cord has been corrected. (changed in Firmware 1."

Apparently 1.3 doesn't address the issue of the MC-EU1 locking up.

FYI: If you want to know which firmware version you have, press the Menu button and then turn on the camera. The firmware version will appear in the monitor. The latest version is 1.3.