So I was trying to do a couple things with my camera over the weekend and I realized that I really can’t do them without a remote control. So to the fabulous World Wide Web I went to seek out just the right remote for what I needed, or possibly not that I needed, but might be really cool to have.
I had a feeling it wasn’t going to go well and I figured I would just look around and probably not buy anything.
That didn’t work so well for me. I ended up finding a couple of different remotes for my Canon 40D.
I had 2 main options, wired or wireless.
I came across one accessory that was really really cool, it was a Canon WFT-E3A. This is an attachment that goes onto the bottom of the camera. It has a whole bunch of features, the most obvious is that it gives you the ability to grip the camera vertically without needing to hold your hand strange. Then it’s other features include adding GPS information to the EXIF data with a Garmin or other external GPS, it also allows for wireless transmission of photos to the computer, as well as USB transfer directly to a hard drive, or even transfer through a standard RJ-45 network cable. You are also able to control the shutter from a computer externally from the camera. This accessory has it’s own battery which is identical to the battery in my camera, and it doesn’t share power with the camera, but on the downside it does cover the battery door on the camera, so it can be a pain in the ass to remove and put back on if you need to change your camera battery.
While this is probably one of the coolest toys, it isn’t really what I was looking for since I want a remote shutter button, and well, the $900 price tag isn’t exactly something I can afford for a hobby right now. Maybe when I will that Mega Millions jackpot though.
On to my other options…
I am slightly picky with my choices for camera accessories as well as with most accessories with almost anything I buy. If I can buy OEM, I will normally go with that just because I figure anything made by the same company who made the camera is probably going to work better than anything made by a third party company. Whether this is actually true or not is irrelevant, this is how I think, and I really don’t want to get into re-wiring my brain right now, or anytime for that matter.
So in looking at Canon’s products, they do make 1 wireless remote that will work with the 40D. The Wireless Controller LC-5 but it runs about $600, so yeah, that’s not going to happen.
On to the wired remote switches!
The first one I came across was the Remote Switch 60-T3. It’s a simple remote switch which controls the shutter of the camera. It ranges from $20 on ebay to $65 on the Canon site. This would totally work and suit my needs with no problem, but it does require an adapter. Hmm, an adapter, another piece of equipment to keep track of. I think I need to look further for what I want.
The next one I came across was the Remote Switch RS-80N3. This is a simple remote as well, and the reviews I was reading about it were quite good. It works exactly the same as the actual shutter button, but it’s at the end of a 2.6 foot cord. It runs for anywhere from $45 to $70 depending on where you buy it from. Definitely within the range I was looking to spend, the cord was a little short, but I am sure I can buy an extension cord without too much trouble.
I was all set to buy the RS-80N3 when I stumbled onto another remote while Googling the RS-80N3, the TC-80N3. Now this was an additional toy for the camera that I fell in love with immediately upon reading about the features it has.
First and foremost, it is a remote shutter which is what I was looking for, and it has the same cord length as the RS-80N3. It is a tad more expensive running from $110 to $160 depending where you buy it, but I found it for $120 at newegg.com, and I trust them so I went with it.
Some of the other features of this remote control.
All of these are customizable at 1 second increments from 0:0:1 up to 99:99:99(H:M:S).
Self Timer: How much time will pass between clicking the shutter button and the picture being taken.
Interval Timer: How long in between multiple shots.
Long Exposure Timer: How long the shutter will be open for a photo.
Then there is the option to set the number of photos to take, from 1-99.
Now just having these options is nice, but you can combine these options as well, so if I wanted to, I can take 15 photos at 10 second increments with an exposure of 3 seconds each; or I can set the timer to wait 15 seconds while I go run in front of it and then take 10 photos at 3 second intervals so I could change poses or facial expressions in between shots.
Also, you don’t have to put a time or frame limit on how long it will shoot, it can run indefinitely until it either runs out of battery, or there is no more storage space on the card in the camera.
So if I wanted to, I could set up this camera pointing out a window or someplace and just let it take a time lapse photo scene all day long, every 5 minutes or some other time frame.
Pretty cool if you ask me, now I just need to make some use of it, maybe the next lunar eclipse or just some night shots in general.