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I shoot with a Canon 1Ds2. It uses an electronic cable release - surprise surprise. The way it plugs in to the camera, it's forever coming loose and the cable itself gets angled backwards which can't be good for it - I reguarly find it doesn't work and it's because the plug has come loose.
The other day I picked up a digicam for my holiday (backup and fun) and it comes with a remote control. It works from 40 feet infront of the camera and 15 feet behind. How come my $10,000 camera can't do that - remotes have been around for years. Never to step on the cable release again when the camera is low - or dip it in mud or water. No cords to fail, no need to replace it or carry a spare as I do now, it would actually work most of the time. Guaranteed no vibration transmitted from the device to camera or problems of it swinging in the wind, or getting wrapped round the legs of the tripod or caught between the legs and the head, hell, the remotes a lot smaller and does more too. Get with the programme, Canon!
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6 comments:
The thing that surprises me most on this line of thought is that the Rebel line works with the Canon wireles remotes and the higher spec cameras don't. And yet, I've barely seen a Rebel near a tripod.
It's all about marketing. Sad enaugh...
That's funny, I've thought many of those same thoughts myself, then I think that if I had a wireless remote, I'd probably loose it! It happens all of the time at home with the remote controls for the television! ;-)
After market remotes are available, but they are big, bulky attachments that don't seem to work well. Oh well, I guess that I'll have to stay attached to the camera via a cord.
I couldn't agree more. If I had a dollar for every time I stepped on my cable release and crunched it while making low angle shots, I'd ... well, be able to afford a new cable release.
I'm thankful that I now use a camera (Pentax K10D) that does have a remote. Which is small, black, and going to be easily lost in tall grass or a slough one day soon. I'm thinking of gluing a keychain ring on one end, or at least wrapping it in day-glow orange tape in the hopes I might find it when the inevitable happens.
I was thinking about this recently myself when I was out shooting and trying to hold up a a large diffusion disk in the right spot while stretching out the cable and thinking how much easier this would be if there was no cable.
I also hate the rubber protector that you have to try to move back out of the way to insert the release.
I have also, at a workshop far from home, found my release hanging from the camera with the release portion in a stream. Initally, the camera was totally non-functional. It took me a few minutes to figure out that it wasn't actually the camera but the release. It worked again once it dried out. So I had to go out and buy a spare...so Canon got me double!
Most of the inexpensive remote solutions are IR based and not extremely reliable as they usually rely on line of sight.
The problem with wireless solutions are that the "radiations" are gov't controlled (FCC in USA) which require certifications by the gov't bodies....in EVERY country in which it is to be sold. More than likely one of the major costs of PocketWizards is this certification.
There are a number of offerings out of China on ebay which work quite well. However, I suspect that they have not bothered to be certified...anywhere. Which is why you will not find them for sale in normal channels.
Searching ebay turned up:
http://cgi.ebay.com/PRO-Wireless-Remote-for-Canon-20D-30D-1D-as-RS-80N3-R7B_W0QQitemZ200109489585QQihZ010QQcategoryZ64345QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I have one of these and found it acceptable (particularly for the price) and it was reviewed by NK Guy here: http://photonotes.org/reviews/radio-remotes/
Another I have, which shows up from time to time on ebay is the Adidt R3. I did not see it currently listed.
John
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