I’ve had many of my students ask about remote shutter releases for their Nikon cameras. B& H Photo sent me one to test: the Vello Freewave Plus wireless remote shutter release. After testing it out, here are my thoughts.
Setting it up
The setup is easy, even if you’re not overly techy. You can use the Freewave both in wired and wireless modes. To use it wired, just connect the receiver to your camera's hot shoe, and place the cord coming from your receiver into your camera's shutter release jack. The receiver doesn’t really have to be on the hot shoe, either. If you prefer, you can tape it to your tripod and it will work just as well. The receiver and the transmitter both use two AAA batteries. The batteries should last over 300 hours of use according to the manufacturer.
Features
The amount of options the Vello Freewave offers is mind lowing. It works as a normal, single-shot shutter release and also for continuous shooting, bulb shooting, and a four-second delay trigger. You can focus with the shutter release button by pressing it halfway. The LED on the transmitter turns green once it’s in focus. The LED flashes green when the shutter is triggered.
Want to let the camera shoot pictures continuously? The Vello remote allows that too.
Bulb mode is ideal for long exposures, letting you determine when you start and finish the exposure by pressing the button each time. Most cameras only allow a 30-second exposure, using the bulb mode you can stretch it 1 or 2-minute exposures.
Conclusion
With a 320 feet wireless range, the Vello Remote for Nikon cameras is a perfect tool for photographing wildlife. The remote has cool feature sets beyond what other remotes offer. The battery life is stable and I love the fact that I can use it even when the camera is out of sight. The Freewave worked flawlessly in all the tests I put it through. I recommend it highly for Nikon shooters who want to capture long exposures, or wildlife, or even get into the shot themselves sometimes.
