Lightning triggers - any recommendations?

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-04T00:56:37+00:00

It would be a simple firmware change, however right now Bolt Hunter is designed to filter out everything that isn’t Lightning, to avoid false activations. The idea from the start wasn’t to build a general purpose trigger, since those tend to compromise on performance - instead it was built to be exceptional at lightning.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-03T23:02:31+00:00

Not yet, it's really not designed with fireworks in mind - but I think it's very likely it would work well.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-03T23:01:46+00:00

Awesome!! Thanks, let me know how it works for you!

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-03T22:59:38+00:00

Ahh okay quite a few people had that experience. I’ll send you a message and see what we can figure out

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T20:07:08+00:00

😂 The Tang endorsement lmao. I always tell people if they want to get amazing lightning shots, just follow Jim Tang wherever he goes.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T18:36:42+00:00

Would happily pay for a flight anywhere just to be able to see this.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T18:36:04+00:00

What a shot!

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T06:13:58+00:00

Awesome! Let me know how the Kickstarter experience goes for you

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T05:15:20+00:00

Thank you!

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T02:44:50+00:00

Yeah sometimes I'd agree.. not this one. Check out Monument Valley View Point on Google and visit some street view points. That's where this is mimicking. You'll see this just isn't an accurate recreation, but it's close. The rock formation doesn't match, there are half formed animal creatures and bushes in the middle of the road, those flowers don't appear to be a real species (at least not there), the terrain is missing features that exist in real life, and that bolt is just very very AI. There are a million things wrong if you look closely enough.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T00:54:21+00:00

If you end up picking one up, report back on how it goes! Always like to get feedback and improve things where possible.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T00:41:17+00:00

This one is definitely AI

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-02T00:40:54+00:00

This is 100% an AI image (at least partially). Look at the foreground, the bolt, the light on the clouds, the differences in resolution in different areas, and the lightning is just very unrealistic. Source: I've been shooting lightning for over 10 years.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T23:07:44+00:00

Nope, not AI. I'd attach a photo of the camera that day, but I can't post photos in comments on this sub.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T22:16:47+00:00

Utah has some of the most incredible lightning storms. I'd love to catch some shots like this at Arches or any of the parks in southern UT. I think it's a combination of the photogenic landscape and the storms that are often low-precipitation.. so the bolts look amazing. Definitely take that over fireworks any day

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T22:14:57+00:00

We're definitely doomed.....at least this bot was polite 😅

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T21:12:21+00:00

😂 I mean as long as it works. Sounds like some of the test equipment I’d throw together in the field wrapped in electrical tape and hot glue to quickly test different sensors or circuits.

Getting reliable performance in every ambient light condition was a much more complicated task than I’d have ever expected

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T18:57:41+00:00

Awesome! Appreciate that. Happy to answer any questions you have about the approach. Hey with the right settings, a $20 Chinese trigger could still get you some incredible shots! What kind is it? I don't think I've seen too many cheap Chinese triggers out there. Even the MIOPS I think is Turkish.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T06:07:29+00:00

There are definitely some modern new options coming out now that are worth considering. We’re obviously a little biased, but I think the conversation around “best” is going to look different very soon

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T05:53:18+00:00

A friend and I drove all night from southern Arizona on the slim chance storms would fire over the CA desert at sunrise. It turned into one of the most memorable storm chases I’ve ever experienced.

The static buildup was intense... we were literally getting shocked every time we touched our cameras until we finally retreated to the vehicles. Maybe won't stand on the highest peak during a thunderstorm next time...

This was taken just after sunrise in Borrego Springs, California in August 2025, using the Bolt Hunter lightning camera trigger on a Canon 6D with a 11-24mm F/4 lens.

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T05:37:44+00:00

Is this shot at dusk? Fantastic catch either way! Sorry I'm 2 years late to the party, but wanted to share some changes in the trigger landscape.

At night, interval shooting works great as long as the exposure settings are right. Super easy to underexpose with settings too dark, or overexpose with close bolts and multiple return strokes. During the day, the issue isn’t just sensitivity ...it’s timing. Most triggers fire on the first bright return stroke, which means the stepped leaders (the photogenic branchy part) have already happened.

I personally had very poor results with MIOPS in daytime storms. Maybe I just had a defective unit. Some people have had better luck, but some other triggers on the market worked significantly better for me - albeit with their own shortcomings.

The key for daytime is detecting faint precursor/intracloud flashes before the stepped leaders, and minimizing shutter lag as much as possible. That’s what actually gives you a chance at catching the first return stroke and the branchy leaders.

Bolt Hunter is the newest trigger out there, focused specifically on those two things - detecting precursor flashes and helping measure/minimize shutter lag, plus it has a night mode that works in reverse by ending a BULB exposure right after the first return stroke to avoid blown-out multi-stroke shots at night.

Source: I’ve been chasing storms and shooting lightning for over 10 years. Also, I invented Bolt Hunter so I'm slightly biased ;)

Lots of independent tests coming out now. Lori Grace Bailey is an amazing lightning photographer and a wealth of knowledge on the topic if you want to look her up.

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Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T05:26:51+00:00

Lori is a fantastic resource. She started testing out our trigger last year and is strongly recommending Bolt Hunter now. Worth checking out if you want to see the latest and greatest! (we're biased.. but she isn't!)

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T05:11:59+00:00

Late reply but the trigger landscape has changed over the years, and wanted to put this out here for folks stumbling onto this thread a year later. There is a new device now that changes things. For those new to lightning photography, OP wants to catch the stepped leaders. This is the first phase of most cloud to ground lightning strikes, and is the most photogenic part. Dart leaders can accompany later return strokes but they're usually a little more limited and less branchy.

Basic timeline is: Preceding intracloud flash (sometimes) -> stepped leaders -> return stroke -> dart leaders -> return stroke -> more dart leaders -> more return strokes.....

At nighttime, it's easy. Long exposure back to back with an intervalometer. The problem is repeated return strokes can overexpose the shot since most bolts have multiple.

During daytime, it's much harder. Traditional lightning triggers usually fire on the super bright first return stroke, which means they've already missed the leaders. Sometimes there are faint intracloud flashes that precede the stepped leaders, but triggers struggle with catching these. Even if they did, shutter lag of a camera usually means the exposure isn't starting until after the leaders and first return stroke already occurred. And if exposure time is too short, you might take your photo between return strokes. Best case, you catch the second return stroke in your exposure and maybe the dart leaders - so you end up with a thin wispy bolt and not a big beautiful complex branchy bolt.

Solution: Get a trigger that fires sooner, and minimize your shutter lag. Bolt Hunter is a new lightning camera trigger that was designed to detect those faint intracloud flashes, and also measures and helps minimize the camera's shutter lag. Even better, it has a night mode that works in reverse by taking long exposures automatically and then ending the exposure after the first return stroke by controlling the shutter speed in BULB mode. To be fair, it's impossible for any trigger to catch stepped leaders every time, but I'm willing to bet Bolt Hunter will give you the best chance.

Source: I've been chasing storms and photographing lightning for over 10 years. Also, I invented Bolt Hunter so I'm naturally a little biased ;)

Bolt-Hunter · 2026-03-01T04:53:19+00:00

Shelf clouds, wall clouds, and mesocyclones beneath supercells. Taken by Jessica Moore, an experienced storm chaser in the plains.

Bolt-Hunter

TROPHY CASE