Sky-Watcher Shutter Release Cable for Nikon D90 / D5000

Product Overview

This is Sky-Watcher's shutter release cable for the Nikon D90 and Nikon D5000. It starts the exposure without a hand on the camera, which is the entire job of the part: at astrophotography focal lengths, the nudge from pressing a shutter button lands in the frame as trailed stars. Sky-Watcher publishes it against two bodies — the D90 and the D5000 — and those are the cameras named on it.

Who It's For

This is for D90 and D5000 owners shooting long exposures on a tracker or a driven mount who want the shutter tripped from something other than the camera body. We stock it alongside our Star Adventurer range, where the whole rig is light enough that any contact with the camera shows up in the stars.

Key Features & Design

• Two published bodies: Sky-Watcher names the Nikon D90 and the Nikon D5000 for this cable. It is one of three camera-specific releases in their catalogue, alongside a Nikon D300/D700 version and a Canon 5D version.
• Hands-off shutter actuation: the exposure begins with no contact on the camera, so nothing is transmitted into the optical train at the moment the shutter opens.
• Fitment is by camera, not by plug: Sky-Watcher sells these per body rather than as one universal cable, because remote terminals differ between camera generations.
• One part, no configuration: the cable plugs in and works. There is no battery, no pairing and no software.

Recommended Uses

• Long-exposure astrophotography: triggering a D90 or D5000 on a tracked mount without touching it.
• Star-tracker imaging: wide-field work where the payload is light and a finger on the shutter is the largest disturbance in the system.
• Piggyback and prime-focus shooting: anywhere the camera rides on the mount and the shutter needs to fire cleanly.
• Terrestrial long exposures: the same hands-off benefit applies to landscape and night work on a tripod.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

• Cameras: Sky-Watcher publishes this cable for the Nikon D90 and Nikon D5000. They list no other bodies against it, so neither do we.
• Other bodies: Sky-Watcher publishes separate cables for the Nikon D300/D700 and for the Canon 5D. Send us the exact model on your camera and we will tell you which one fits — or tell you if Sky-Watcher does not make one for it.
• Mount side: Sky-Watcher publishes a built-in SNAP port for camera control on the Star Adventurer 2i and states that the mount can trigger a DSLR using the auxiliary shutter release cable. They do not publish a mount-by-mount list against this particular cable, so tell us your mount along with your camera and we will confirm the pairing end to end.
• Nothing else required: it is a standalone cable and does not depend on any other Sky-Watcher accessory to function.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Camera fitment is exactly what Sky-Watcher names: the D90 and the D5000. Nikon has used more than one remote terminal across its DSLR range, and Sky-Watcher publishes no wider compatibility list. Send us your body and we will check it against the cable before you order.
• Cable length is not published: Sky-Watcher states no length figure, so we are not quoting one.
• Connector type is not published: the vendor names the camera rather than the plug standard.
• The listed weight is a shipping figure: Sky-Watcher's product record carries 1361 g, which reads as a default shipping weight rather than the mass of a cable. We report it as published and it is on our list to verify by scale.
• Box contents are not published: the vendor lists the cable itself with no additional parts stated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to set up?

No. It plugs into the camera's remote terminal at one end and into the device doing the triggering at the other. There is no power, no pairing and nothing to configure.

Which cameras does it fit?

Sky-Watcher publishes it for the Nikon D90 and the Nikon D5000. Those are the only bodies they name for this cable.

I have a different Nikon — will it work?

Nikon changed remote terminals across body generations and Sky-Watcher publishes no broader list. Send us your exact model and we will tell you whether this is the right cable or point you at the D300/D700 version.

How long is the cable?

Sky-Watcher does not publish a length. If the run matters for how your rig is laid out, ask us and we will measure a unit from stock before it ships.

Does it do intervalometer timing?

Sky-Watcher publishes it as a shutter release. No timer or intervalometer function is stated for it — the timing comes from whatever is on the other end of the cable.

Bottom Line

Sky-Watcher's shutter release cable for the Nikon D90 and D5000 — a single-purpose part that starts the exposure without a hand on the camera. If your body is something else, send us the model and the mount you are triggering from and we will work out the right cable with you.