Shutter Release Options for 7D

[neuroanatomist]

Hi Denise,


If vibration reduction for standard tripod exposures (landscapes, etc.) is your goal, you can use your current RC-1. Enable mirror lockup and use the 2-second setting on the IR remote, then stick your hand in front of the camera to trigger it, removing your hand from the field of view during the 2 second delay. I like the Canon RS-80N3 for long tripod exposures (daytime with a 10-stop ND + CPL) - the RC-1 does support Bulb mode, but you must press once to start and again to stop, and even though logically I know that sticking my hand into the frame for part of a second during a 30+ second exposure won't show up, I'd know it had been there!).


If your goal is to pre-aim, then wait until something comes into the field of view then focus/shoot or just shoot, one of the three remotes seems like a good idea. The Canon RS-80N3 works just fine. The others offer wireless and thus longer-distance triggering, which if you need/want that would be nice - especially if you're shooting something skittish, where you want to set up the camera on the tripod then step out of sight to trigger it.


The Canon RS-80N3 behaves exactly like your on-camera shutter button, with a half-press for focus and full press for the shot. I can tell you that it also respects your customization settings (so for me, I use the AF-ON button for AF and the shutter button for metering only, so a half-press of the shutter button does nothing - that's true with theRS-80N3 as well, unless I change the custom function setting).The Satechi WR-A100 has separate buttons for focus and shot (maybe a nice feature). It's not immediately clear to me if the SDMV SM-610 supports the half-press or not, so I'd probably avoid that one.


I like Braden's recommendation of the TC-80N3 - I'd like to shoot some time-lapses down the line, and it also offers the same basic functionality as the RS-80N3. Personally, I wouldn't have spent $40-45 on the CanonRS-80N3 - if I hadn't run across one on Craigslist for $5, I'd have just kept on using the RC-1 with 2-sec mirror lockup, and put the $45 towards a TC-80N3 if I wanted a wired remote.


--John

[ddt0725]

I like Braden's recommendation of the TC-80N3 - I'd like to shoot some time-lapses down the line, and it also offers the same basic functionality as the RS-80N3. Personally, I wouldn't have spent $40-45 on the CanonRS-80N3 - if I hadn't run across one on Craigslist for $5, I'd have just kept on using the RC-1 with 2-sec mirror lockup, and put the $45 towards a TC-80N3 if I wanted a wired remote.


--John

Since I don't have as terrific a craigslist in my area, I am going to going to go straight for the TC-80N3. The RS-80N3 meets my needs at the moment but down the line, I think I willwant the added features of the other. It's a mind game...I feel like I just saved myself $50 instead of spending an extra $95! [:P]

Denise