AEO Photo MT Pro 2.0 User Manual

AEO MultiTrigger Pro Nature Photography Camera Shutter Trigger

The AEO MultiTrigger Pro is a dual mode Lightning Shutter Trigger / Motion Sensing Trigger
combination. Mode selection can be made by setting the Mode Slide Switch to either “Lightning” or
“Motion”. Enhancements in our “Pro” series triggers include both a sensitivity over ride adjustment, as
well as a locking hot shoe / tripod mount.

Lightning Mode: Test your new device right out of the box: Place the device in a room with no light
source which might be flickering (computer screens, fluorescent lights, etc). Ambient daylight through
the windows is OK. Make sure there’s a 9 Volt battery in the battery compartment. Set the mode
switch to “Lightning”. Turn the power on. The red LED will flash every time the device triggers. It’s
normal for it to trigger once on power up. If it continues to trigger, check for light sources leaking into
the room. (If you cover the window of the device with your hand, it should not trigger). Set off a
camera flash (using another camera or a flash attachment). The flash should trigger the device. Note:
Many household lighting appliances will continuously trigger the device. A computer monitor will set it
off continuously. Make sure when you’re testing the device no lights or computer screens are on.
Ambient daytime (indoor) light is ok.
Manual adjustment of the sensitivity is accomplished by adjusting the “trim screw” accessible on the left
side of the device (looking from above). The port in the most forward position is the sensitivity
adjustment. (The “aft port” is your cable connection). The Sensitivity Trim is a SINGLE TURN
adjustment. CAUTION: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FORCE THE ADJUSTMENT BEYOND IT’S MECHANICAL
STOPS. DOING SO MAY DAMAGE THE SENSITIVITY ADJUSTMENT. Use a small jewelers screwdriver
standard or Phillips) to make the adjustments. Full CLOCKWISE sets the sensitivity at 120% of the
factory set point. Full COUNTER CLOCKWISE sets the sensitivity at 20% of the factory set point. We
recommend for most situations to use the normal set point which is approximately ¼ turn CCW from the
full sensitivity point. Other photography scenarios may dictate different settings at the professional
photographer’s discretion.

Theory of Operation: The device triggers on the first bolt it detects. Your camera shutter mechanism is
not fast enough to catch that first bolt, but fortunately, most bolts are followed by many more. Thus,
you want to have the camera shutter open for a fairly long time to capture those subsequent bolts
(we’ve used 10 seconds with good results).
Photographing Lightning is as much Art as it is Science. Getting the right conditions and settings can be
challenging, and some folks have a better knack for it than others. But to get you started, here are some
basic “recommendations”:
The camera should be mounted on a tripod. You want it stable during the exposure.
Mount the device in your camera’s hot shoe mount with the red semi-clear window facing the direction
you are photographing. Insert the supplied plug into your camera remote shutter interface.
Point the camera at the storm or in the direction you see lightning activity.
Set your Auto Focus feature to OFF or Disable.
Set the focus to infinity. (If the lightning is closer than that, you’re too close to it!!!)
We’ve found that when photographing lightning at night, an f-stop of 5.6 works well.
Shutter speed should be long, example around 10 seconds. (This won’t work during the day. For
daytime shots, don’t exceed 1 second and you’ll need a smaller aperture/ larger f-stop as well).

Turn the lightning trigger device power on FIRST before you power up the camera. (When the trigger is
first tuned on, it will trigger once on power up . . . not a big deal for digital photography, but if you use
film, you’ll lose one frame.)

Avoid using your cell phone near the device while it’s operating. Your lightning shutter trigger is a
sensitive device and can be triggered inadvertently by strong, nearby RF transmissions.
Grab your favorite refreshing beverage and wait for the show to start!

Motion Mode: Your AEO MultiTrigger Pro is equipped with a passive PIR 10 meter motion detector.
Motion is detected via changes in the Infrared within the field of view of the device. The spectrum of
the detector is in the LWIR, meaning that it will only detect movement of IR sources that generate heat,
such as an animal or a human. Since LWIR is NOT transmissive through materials such as glass and
acrylic, your trigger will NOT sense motion through a window. At the sensors limits of 10 meters, larger
object such as humans, deer and bear should be detectable. Up closer, the sensor will detect movement
of smaller objects. The field of view is approximately 35 degrees, so you may need to position the
sensor carefully so as to detect motion in the area you wish to photograph.
The Hot Shoe mount on your trigger also includes a standard ¼-20 female thread for mounting on a
tripod. This free’s up your hot shoe for other accessories such as a flash.
To operate in “Motion Detection Mode”, simply place the Mode Switch in the “Motion” Position. To
test your device, connect your camera as outlined previously in the “Lightning Detection” Mode. Wave
your hand in front of the detector to ensure it triggers properly. Experiment with walking in front of the
trigger to establish your effective field of view at various distances.

If you have questions, or if you wouldn’t mind sending us some of your photographs, contact us at

[e-mail] or by mail at 1435 Tally Ho Lane, Norco, CA 92860

HAVE FUN!