Canon Remote Controller RC-1
See it at Amazon.co.uk for £14.49Average Customer Rating
(4.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Loverly bit of kit
Just bought one of these for an eos 300D. This remote control is tiny! it has a bracket that fits it to the camera strap so you need never forget it.
The remote will take an immediate shot, a 2 second delayed shot, or work the bulb setting (one click open one click to shut). This remote will NOT as far as I know - operate the multiple shooting (burst) mode or give you the half pressed exposure button info on an eos 300D.
But I love this gadget its soooo small, its actual size fitted to the strap bracket is; 16mm D x 60mm L x 23mm W, in use the unit is only 10mm Deep, and uses 2x CR1220 watch type batteries
(5 out of 5)tobias provides a succinct guide
I think I want it but I'm not sure, what cameras can I use it with?
Canon EOS 10, 100, 30, 50, 50E 300D, 350D and 400D
Ok I have one of those. What batteries does it use? I bet they're a pain.
2 x 3V CR1220 and they are packaged with the item.
What does it do?
Allows you to take pictures without pressing the shutter button.
Allows a 2 second shutter delay remotely. Works at a distance of up to 16ft (5m)
Anything else?
Yes, you can attach it to your camera strap, keeping it safe and accessible.
Right, I've done a bit of remote shooting and I'm bored what else can I use it for?
Ok, so you've had some fun but you want more. The reason I bought mine has nothing to do with shooting portraits or group shots (although I do use it for that too). First of all, on a practical note the remote can be used when you want the camera to be absolutely still when you activate the shutter which sometimes doesn't occur when you actually depress the shutter yourself. This can be when you're shooting, say, macro work where camera shake is very obvious. The best use for this remote however, is due to the in-camera exposure limit of 30 seconds. Try to go beyond that and you see "bulb" in the camera display. Exposures of a length beyond 30 seconds require a remote. Why would I want to achieve such long exposures? Well, for instance (using a tripod) try shooting traffic passing by at night. You'll like the effects. Try shooting the stars for an extended exposure and see the results. The opportunities are endless and that's when this tiny yet perfect bit of kit comes into its own...
(4 out of 5)Works fine with Canon 300d (also called Digital Rebel)
I could not find the usual recommended remote for my 300d, then saw this one in the small print of the Canon leaflet. It works just fine with my Canon 300d.
It has a switch to allow instant photography or a delay of 2 seconds before the camera reacts. I am not sure if this facility is available on the remote (RC5?) usually recommended for this camera, but it can be useful.
(5 out of 5)Perfectly Functional
I find this device extremely useful.
The basic idea is that it allows you to operate the shutter of the camera without touching the camera itself thus eliminating camera shake. It opens up a whole world of possibilities for taking available light still life shots in low light which I like to do or being able to set up your camera rig for insects say and then move away so you don't spook them but set the camera off remotely to capture the shots.
When you have your camera set up with the mirror lock up function enabled there is a two second delay from pressing the remote shutter release to the shot being taken enabling any vibrations induced by the motion of the mirror flicking up to die off. I was dubious but I have to admit there is a slight increase in image quality doing things this way. You'll likely only notice it above 100% crop and again only if you're looking for it but for the sticklers out there (me included) you'll be happy in the knowledge you're doing the best thing to achieve maximum quality with your camera.
The device itself is small and possibly prone to get lost so make sure you look after it. There's a clip so you can clip it to your camera strap for safe keeping. I've had mine ages and used it lots and the batteries are still going strong. I usually find myself behind the camera at fairly close range using the thing and the signal emmitted is strong enough to bounce of nearby walls and objects into the camera's sensor and I never have a problem setting my camera off with it.
Works with my 400D but NOT my 5D.
Highly recommended.
(4 out of 5)Great for self-portraits
The reason why I wanted one of these was to make the taking of self-portraits easier (yes, I love me!).
Other reviews I read didn't give details of how the remote works with auto-focusing but I ordered one anyway and can now confirm that:-
the shutter release on the remote is not the same as on the camera i.e. it's just a single-click rather than "press halfway to focus" then "fully depress to take the shot". However, if you leave the lens set on Autofocus, and press the remote, the camera does autofocus then take the shot.
This is important because I don't think the camera will focus again before taking a shot if you just use the camera's self-timer.
Also, if you've got something like an f1.4 lens and want your eyes to be the only things in focus, you could set the lens on manual focus, keep moving closer and further from the camera and keep taking snaps until you get a winner. In the time it takes to wait for the camera's self-timer to countdown to take one shot, you could probably take 20 shots with the remote control.