Hi All,

Not sure this is the right section for this so apologies if it isn't...

I'm going to be doing a lot of fishing solo this year and want to master the self take, are there any camera/lens or kit suggestions? Any other tips are more than welcome!

In reply to Post #1
Do you have a decent smart phone?
I now use my iPhone 11 for self takes as it's voice activated so really easy, and they take very good pictures in portrait mode

In reply to Post #1
Smart phone, small tripod and whistle app oh and a light on a bank stick behind your tripod. Take some practise shots and you'll be an expert in no time. Good luck.

In reply to Post #1
Really depends completely on what you want to spend mate.

In reply to Post #4
Not opposed to spending the money for a half decent DSLR.

I've tried self takes with my phone previously by shooting a video and screenshotting and by using a timer but the images never seem as good as when someone does it for me so wanted something that will shoot at like 2 second intervals so I can pick the best ones

In reply to Post #3
For a smart phone you can get Bluetooth remotes off ebay for just a few quid someone on here recommended them and it works a treat

In reply to Post #5
Get a half decent DSLR with an intervalometer then mate. It'll be LOTS better than a phone.

In reply to Post #5
If you weren't looking to invest, then WhistleCam is the one you need. Great app, takes decent photos too if your phone camera is good and you can set from instant up to 10 second timer.

In reply to Post #7
Is there anything similar to an intervalometer that can be used on a compact or bridge camera?

I use a bulb release kit on my dslr

In reply to Post #9
It's entirely dependant on the camera, whether it has Bluetooth or a port to connect one

In reply to Post #9
if your phone or camera has timelapse setting thats the same.

In reply to Post #6
Cheers buddy just had a look, great stuff

In reply to Post #1
I've got the dslr, intervalometer and tripod set up but getting a bit threaders at times lugging it all about. Decided this year to try something a bit different for venues and swims where it's a bit of a push to get to. iPhone 12pro, Joby griptight pro phone holder and a Jag self take stick. The phone is running ProCamera which has intervalometer. Going to give it a go and see how it pans out

In reply to Post #14
I've got the 12 pro max and was just reading up about that app too!

Let me know how you get on!

In reply to Post #15

In reply to Post #16
Photo timer + app has self timer built in where you can space out the interval of the shots.

I use a iPhone 11 Pro Max, on a tripod with a trakker nitelife floodlight on a separate bank stick for my camera work it's takes amazing pictures in portrait mode and with the whistle app very easy to take pictures

I use the hey camera app on my iPhone 11. The thing I like about It is you can line the picture up on the front facing camera then say reverse and use the portrait mode on the better camera to actually take the picture. You then just say photo to take the picture. As I don't catch a lot the last time I used it I was screaming picture at it rather than photo and wondered why it wasn't working. Luckily there was no one to witness my incompetence.
Undoubtedly SLR pics are of a better quality though if you are happy to carry it and the extra faff in setting it all up.

Sony a5000 with an intervalometer got mine for under 100 quid all in.

In reply to Post #19
I've found the best app for self takes with an iPhone is 'Photo Timer+', no whistling or shouting required

In reply to Post #21
Photo Timer + works well in conjunction with the built in iPhone voice control

Does anyone use a timer app on iPhone but use the better rear camera? I struggle to get photos lined up this way?

I know a previous poster mentioned saying “flip” but can't get my head around how that would work without physically moving the camera as if the front camera is on you and the fish and you say flip it would then be facing away (or I could just be having a moment...)

In reply to Post #23
I use the rear camera on my iPhone 11, in portrait mode it takes good pictures
There's a build in voice control you can use to press the button.

Set the phone up on the tripod and frame the picture so your unhooking mat is at the bottom of the screen and then kneel down as if holding a fish and take a test shot, repeat until happy the picture is framed properly then snap away

In reply to Post #1
. . .I've gone the way of Glen B for barbel fishing as I can never be arsed to take my carpy camera kit (Bridge camera / Flash / Intervalometer / Tripod) . . .simple Android intervalometer app and phone on a bankstick with bracket. Only done days shots though so not sure about photos in the dark . . .

And on that basis whatever set up you shoot with, the best bits of kit are the cheap LED video lights. I use two of these at 45 degrees to the unhooking mat on banksticks (to remove shadowing) and and sometimes also a Ridgemonkey multi light in flood mode . . .this way the scene is well lit, you can remove your headtorch and self take away.

Not very stealth though and annoys the swim next door as he'll know you've caught and will invariably come over to have a nose . . . . . .at which point he could probably take the graffs for you . . .

Has anyone tried them brackets which attach to the tripod thread, with an air release to press the shutter? Think Johnson Ross sell them. Are they any good? Seem a bit expensive for what they are.....

One quick tip that works for me. To get consistent self takes you need the two variables of height and distance from the fish to be the same every time. The height one is easily taken care of by always extending the tripod to the same height, or making a mark on your bank stick, or using a jag camera stick.

The distance from the mat is simple as well. Very handily, your landing net pole is the same length every time. Get into the habit of putting the spreader block on the edge of the mat, place the tripod at the other end. Now your distance is set the same every time you set up.

If you have a set system like this that you use every time. Then in the dark or in a panic you won't be faffing about setting up.

In reply to Post #26
I used to use one of those for years in the old days of film cameras. They are a bit het and miss to be honest. But cameras were manual then and it's all we had. Having now used an intervalometer id never go back to one. Trying to position the bulb under your knee was always fun with a fish misbehaving

In reply to Post #1
As some have said if you are happy to invest spend £300 on a used canon or nikon preferably a flip screen model with each brands respective 50mm canon or 35mm nikon budget primes. Cheap tripod and or intervelometer and your away. Have a good read up and practice shooting in manual as once you understand photography you will get so much more from your shots. I am really surprised in the amount of people saying phones are good for the job. Even with the latest tech phones its all smoke and mirrors, as the sensor is far too small to capture true sharp images. What I mean is the images appear sharp on a small screen but if you zoom in or blow the image up you will soon see the quality is lacking!

In reply to Post #1
I just use my phone, shoot a video and take out some decent images afterwards.

In reply to Post #29
You are missing the point. Some of us don't want to carry all that stuff all the time

In reply to Post #31
For day trips that's a fair point, but a small camera fitted to a bankstick vs a phone in a cradle plus a light source and it's not so valid.

Up to the individual tho, if your happy with phone pics then great, but I want a proper camera, not just for image quality either

In reply to Post #32
A good photographer with a poor camera will still take a better photo than a bad 1 with all the bells and whistles😂

In reply to Post #33
Very true Glenn

The other point I would add, not valid for self takes but, asking someone else to take a picture,
Hand them a DSLR and you often get crap pictures, but most people can do a half decent job with a phone, because nearly everyone these days is used to using them.

I got the NGT tripod set for my phone for Christmas - haven't used it yet as I haven't caught but I'm pretty happy with it.

Also Dave Lane did a pretty long video on self takes on his Patreon channel. Goes into a lot of detail and made me think of things that I wouldn't have otherwise so you might want to subscribe and have a watch of that for some tips.

In reply to Post #34
That's true, I love that a proper camera has the buttons/dials under your finger tips to change settings instantly, but that's not so good if you put it into someone's hands that doesn't know what they're doing.

If you are taking photos deliberately, get a camera.
By that I mean, if you are pointing a phone and just press the button crack on, but if you're carefully framing a shot, looking for the right light, thinking about how to blur out a background or how to highlight a particular detail, even just waiting for the right moment which is my biggest issue with phones with that irritating delay when you press the button, then a proper camera is the right tool for you

In reply to Post #36
Spot on. That's why I'm playing with the ProCamera app. Even does RAW
If I'm not happy with the results then I'll have to change to a compact👍

In reply to Post #37
I find raw a waste of time on my p20 Pro. 40mp raw sounds great on a spec sheet but the files don't have anywhere near that level of information which is why the phone resizes them to 8mpix with fancy enhancement algorithms. My attempts at improving the shots in lightroom ended up worse than what the phone did automatically

In reply to Post #38
I don't tend to use RAW anyway. Photos are for my memory. As long as it's in focus with a good perspective that will do me😂

In reply to Post #39
Again, Raw is something for when it's deliberate, it is a nice safety net, but at the end of the day, you can't polish a turd(although phones seem to manage it)
I use raw because I know the limits of the sensor are better than the limits of a jpeg. If you were to look through the shots on the card in my camera now most will be either underexposed or overexposed, and that's not (usually) by mistake, its so I have the right amount of information to push shadows or pull highlights to achieve what I wanted when I pressed the shutter (a catch shot in shadow with an interesting but Bright sky in the background for example) It may be underexposed because I know I can shoot at base iso and lift it 5 stops on the computer and it'll look the same as a shot at iso 3200(night sky scenic) , I just have to get the other settings right.

This is where you get the arguments about phone vs camera, for those who just want a half decent shot of a fish with something idiot proof the phone will be as good as a camera, for those of us who want better, know what we want and how to achieve it, a phone camera is crap

In reply to Post #40
Whistle camera app and a phone tripod. I picked one up on Facebook for £3 works perfectly

In reply to Post #40
And why I have both. Not that I go into the detail you do with the camera👍

Has anybody tried with a P20 pro?

In reply to Post #43
Yes. Works fine on a cheap tripod using voice control. Same problem with all touchscreen phones. Water, mud, slime etc and on dark wet nights. Do prefer a camera.

But the selfie or forward facing cameras on most phones are rubbish, certainly in comparison to the rear facing ones....I tried this last season and they were so crap that i ended up framing with the forward facing camera then turning it around and using the rear with the whistle app, bit of guess work as you can't obviously see yourself but not too bad with a bit of editing.

Not a patch on my Canon 60D with an intervalometor though..

In reply to Post #1
Hi, without reading other posts, I use nikon D5100 with rhino beam for night. Has built in intervalometer absolutely perfect. There are loads of cheap tripods to chose from on eBay to fix to. If u go this route PM me and I'll help u out. My profile pic was a nighttime pic taken on my own. I prefer to TAKEAWAY ics myself as font tryst the camera skills of a random, even my mates lol

In reply to Post #34
I always set the aperture, iso and shutter speed before passing over to someone, then as they are taking the shots I say check the image if it's too light move the little wheel right if to dark move it left. Pretty fool proof then if you ask me.

In reply to Post #8
This has just revolutionised my self takes!! Thank you!

I recall reading an article in carpology ages back about self takes after struggling to get my camera to focus properly on night shots - was easily fixed with a head torch pointing my way to give a lit focus point.

I decided to try out some of their suggested shutter speeds/iso/F stops while I was at it. They actually produced really good pictures, I did adjust them a little to taste but they'll give you a decent starting point. Particuarly useful if you can save settings - have a bright, dim, night mode saved to get you in the ball park. Otherwise, if anything like me you'll spend ages playing around every time.

In reply to Post #49
That's where the rhino beams have been popular, acting as a swim floodlight. They only really help with focussing, having very little impact lighting the shot if the flash is used. Personally I don't feel you can have one setting to cover a multitude of shots, things change too much, and there will be times when you want to balance artificial and ambient light, and others when it's total artificial. It's quite rare for me to not use a flash now, just the short Windows in the morning or evening

If you use a set lens, a set distance then you can pick an aperture but the other two will vary a lot, and even the aperture will need stopping down in harsh light to allow you to use the flash