Remote shutter release: Wired or Wireless?

[ThurlFan]

I know everyone has their own preference. Would you be willing to share the pros/cons of your choice? I have a Canon XSi, and would be interested in OEM vs. off brand thoughts also.

 

[YesDear]

While I shoot Nikon not Canon, I have both and use the wireless 99% of the time. I have a Phottix wireless that I got from a vendor on ebay. It was about $45 and one of the better photo buys I have ever bought.

It works great. It has never failed me. and it is cool to be at Disney taking shots of fireworks and someone will say to you, "Aren't you going to take a picture?" They do not see the remote in my hand and think I have set up this camera and I am not taking any pictures!

I know they have one for Canon as well!

Except for lenses for which I am pretty much a brand snob, I love finding off brand stuff that works!

 

[SrisonS]

I have an off brand wired one, and it works great so far. Plus it was only like $11 or something. It was one of the cheaper ones from amazon.

 

[mom2rtk]

I have the wired and wireless versions, but haven't used the wireless one much yet. It is the canon brand, but it seemed to me that I had to be out in front of the camera aiming pretty much toward the camera, when I tried it out. That would be great if I set up the tripod on the beach trying to get myself in a family photo, but not so great if I was standing behind my tripod taking fireworks photos.

 

[ssanders79]

I like the wireless as it allows me to be farther from
the camera and sometimes included in a family picture. The downside is that it requires line of sight lime your TV remote. I had a wired remote back when I had a film slr and always wanted a longer cord.

 

[mom2rtk]

They really aren't too expensive. I'd plan on eventually having both for the different shooting situations.

 

[spinetnglr]

I also am a wireless remote user as well. I have had both Nikon brand and third party brand (Promaster) and have been happy with both. I had the Nikon brand with my D40 and loved it. When I upgraded to the D300 I bought the Promaster brand on a recommendation from Suburbanmom here on DIS. The only complaint I had with the ML-L3 (Nikon brand) was the sensor was on the front of the camera and I had to be fairly close and towards the front of the camera for it to fire. I have seen some on here post that the remote had to be almost directly in front of the camera pointing it right at the sensor for it to fire. I guess I lucked out that mine was actually functional while being semi behind the camera. I think I read where some models of camera have sensors front and back now to avoid that issue but not sure what models or brands it might be. With the Promaster I dont have that issue. The sensor slides into the hot shoe for the flash and then plugs into a 10 pin port on the front of the camera. It has excellent range as far as distance from the camera and also since the sensor sits on top of the camera like a flash I can be anywhere in relation to the camera and it will trigger. I havent used a wired remote since my last film camera.

 

[ssanders79]

I've been quite fortunate that I have been able to use the ML-L3 remote with the D40 from strange angles and even just behind the camera.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I have a Pentax F remote for each of our cameras (mine and the DW's). I have a wired one laying around someplace, but never use it. It has several options on our cameras, straight shoot, 3s delayed shoot, AF straight and AF with delay. I love the wireless. The only downside is the F remote is very small and I keep misplacing it!

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm guessing this varies quite a bit by camera make and model. I have the Xsi like the OP, and my own experience was that the wireless didn't work as well from odd angles.

 

[ThurlFan]

Thanks for all the input. I'll probably go with wired to start, since the vast majority of pictures I'll want to use it for won't have me in them. And for the group photos that I want to be seen in I can still use the 10 second delay


But I'll probably get a wireless too, eventually.

 

[Groucho]

Canon and Pentax use the same wired remote - it's just a 2.5'' headphone jack (like cell phone headsets). Short one side and it focuses, short the other and it trips the shutter. It's pretty trivial to make your own, but you can buy made-in-China ones for almost nothing. Check Meritline or Dealextreme for a wide variety. You can also get wireless ones from them. You could probably get both for $5-10 shipped. (Probably a lot closer to $5!)

I picked up a cheap Dealextreme wireless and it works fine (also works with any manufacturer), but I've never used it in a real-life shooting situation. The wired one is better for things like fireworks shooting.

Whether or not your remote works in the back depends on whether or not you have an iR sensor on the back. Generally, entry-level DSLRs don't and high-end ones do.

I have a Pentax F remote for each of our cameras (mine and the DW's). I have a wired one laying around someplace, but never use it. It has several options on our cameras, straight shoot, 3s delayed shoot, AF straight and AF with delay. I love the wireless. The only downside is the F remote is very small and I keep misplacing it!

You can always pick up the factory battery grip, which includes a spot to stash the F remote.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Canon and Pentax use the same wired remote - it's just a 2.5'' headphone jack (like cell phone headsets). Short one side and it focuses, short the other and it trips the shutter. It's pretty trivial to make your own, but you can buy made-in-China ones for almost nothing. Check Meritline or Dealextreme for a wide variety. You can also get wireless ones from them. You could probably get both for $5-10 shipped. (Probably a lot closer to $5!)

I picked up a cheap Dealextreme wireless and it works fine (also works with any manufacturer), but I've never used it in a real-life shooting situation. The wired one is better for things like fireworks shooting.

Whether or not your remote works in the back depends on whether or not you have an iR sensor on the back. Generally, entry-level DSLRs don't and high-end ones do.


You can always pick up the factory battery grip, which includes a spot to stash the F remote.

There's not much help for absentmindedness!!

I do have the battery grip! That's where I keep it when I'm not using it. When its in use, I will set it down or put it someplace and I can't find it, usually in a pocket where it gets mixed up with all the rest of the junk there. I then can't readily find it.