How to use the Bulb setting on my Nikon D3100?
I've had my Nikon since the past Christmas, and I love photography. I'm, however, wanting to try star trails. I get the focus, but when my camera is on the bulb setting, I have to hold the shutter release button for the duration. I have a wireless remote that came with a DigiPower battery pack I also got for Christmas. The shutter still won't stay open? Any help would be phenomenal, I just want to open the shutter and leave it be, hands-free, until I'm ready to close it.
Time to read the manual.
Surprisingly Nikon did not make the D3100 compatible with the ML-L3 wireless remote that is compatible with its other DSLR's. There should be a wired remote that is compatible. You may have to set the shooting mode to work with the remote. If set up right, the first button push should open the shutter, and the second would close it. If there's no second button push it would close by itself in 30 minutes.
You'll need a locking cable release (Nikon MC-DC2 or 3rd party equivalent) if you want to use the bulb setting without needing to stay close to the camera; the IR remote will not work
Option #1: For those Nikon DSLRs that do support the ML-L3 remote, you set both the camera's shutter speed to BULB and set the IR remote active.
Depending on the camera, when you have set both shutter speed and IR remote correctly, the display will change from "BULB" to "TIME", or "- - ".
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The first depression of the ML-L3 will open the shutter. The shutter will stay open until you depress it the second time.
Option #2: For those Nikon DSLRs that support the MC-DC2 wired remote, you again set the shutter to BULB, but then you depress the shutter button on the remote to open the shutter. It will remain open only as long as you keep the shutter button depressed.
However, most of these wired remotes have a lock mechanism on the button so you can depress the shutter button, then lock it into the open position. The shutter will remain open until you unlock the button.
The D3100 has a wired remote (MC-DC2) but not IR remote (ML-L3) capability, so you have to use Option 2.
Http://keerok-potd.blogspot.com/2012/02/polaris.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/...witch.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Remote-shutter-trigger-for-Canon-Cameras/