Off-camera cords

Ratmagiclady · 01-02-2011, 10:55 AM

Just thought I'd ask if anyone's found any particuarly decent off-camera cords for the TTL and all: I mostly see the same kind of generics out there for the most part: might possibly jump for something a little nicer.

Ideally, comfortably to arm's length, (I always use the 3'coiley with my old Vivitar, but it's not a tragedy if it's a bit shorter.) and it'd be nice if I could find one that'd clip to itself on the camera shoe, so it'll be convenient to freehand it. They seem to be scarcer than I expected so far.

Thought I'd do a bit of Net shopping today, since I'd seem to be fighting off or coming down with some bug or other. Not a huge rush, since I haven't locked down a budget for this month and am thus not in a hurry to spend yet. (If I've saved enough, it's finally monitor time! That'll about eat any doodads budget, though.

)

Parallax · 01-03-2011, 09:00 AM

Originally posted by Ratmagiclady

.................. Not a huge rush, since I haven't locked down a budget for this month and am thus not in a hurry to spend yet. ........

That's the best time to spend! You can't go over budget if there isn't one.

newarts · 01-03-2011, 09:40 AM

Originally posted by Ratmagiclady

Just thought I'd ask if anyone's found any particuarly decent off-camera cords for the TTL and all: I mostly see the same kind of generics out there for the most part: might possibly jump for something a little nicer.

Ideally, comfortably to arm's length, (I always use the 3'coiley with my old Vivitar, but it's not a tragedy if it's a bit shorter.) and it'd be nice if I could find one that'd clip to itself on the camera shoe, so it'll be convenient to freehand it. They seem to be scarcer than I expected so far.

Thought I'd do a bit of Net shopping today, since I'd seem to be fighting off or coming down with some bug or other. Not a huge rush, since I haven't locked down a budget for this month and am thus not in a hurry to spend yet. (If I've saved enough, it's finally monitor time! That'll about eat any doodads budget, though.

)

I use a "Bell & Howell" 1 meter "coiley" P-TTL cord I got at Amazon. It has worked reliably with my Rokinon P-TTL flash. It cost about $27 I think.

The camera end secures to the camera hot shoe, but once secured the flash cannot also be stacked on top the shoe (which would be a nice feature as a place to park the flash at least.)

Dave

PS just gluing a dummy hot shoe bracket atop the extension cord's hot shoe end would create a nice place to park the Flash when the cord is attached to the camera. I think I'll do it!

Ratmagiclady · 01-03-2011, 11:56 AM

Originally posted by Parallax

That's the best time to spend! You can't go over budget if there isn't one.

Heehee. That's not how it works, I'm afraid. Cash-on-the-barrelhead month-to-month life, remember? Everything comes out of something else, money is time, all that. I'm past-tired of cooling my heels for want of a monitor, it's true, but not having a plan doesn't mean I can spend freely without that last twenty bucks having bad effects on what a month of rent and bills is supposed to be paying for. A month of off-camera flash won't make up for another month of 'I can't see my photos for want of a decent monitor.'

I think I'm going to have to wait a while longer at least, actually, I'd forgotten there's something smallish but non-negligible I've got to take care of, which I think is going to eat enough of my reserve that to have monitor this month is getting toward struggling-to-cheap out-that may waste a couple hundred-to-save-thirty-or-end-up-costing-more money-thus-time-in-workarounds. Possibly, I can short myself on something healthy that's been eating the discretionary budget all year and just make it happen already.

As in so many things, it's not so much the hundreds digit as trying to shave too much off the tens that gets ya. Penny-wise, pound-foolish, pay for what you need or pay twice, yadda yadda.

I don't get to make big purchases (well, what's big to *me*) very frequently, so I gotta make em count.

But what do I know, I may be a walking consumer confidence rating, but at least I'm not in credit debt. Not that they think that makes a good credit rating. (quite the contrary, for some reason. )

Anyway, I like to have the little details worked out, mostly. (I'm a little at sea with computer details and planned obsolescence, but I think I'm fairly good at surfing a little behind the cost-benefit curve there.) Once the logjam's clear, little things like, 'OK, we need a fancy cord,' and 'Backup drive will mean you can stop buying all these little cards so you can shoot without deleting secondary backup,' can be taken care of. Mandatory capital investments are a struggle, is all.

Regarding the general accessories industry, shame, shame that a *cord* needs a recommendation, anyway. All I want's a little AF light so this machine can focus for my tired eyes, anyway. It's a bunch of wires. Probably wouldn't be here if Pentax hadn't put an old-fashioned X terminal on a K10d, anyway. I just want the little light, till I can afford a K-5, mostly.

Anyway, I do ramble. Just seems some things are often way too much about 'What the market will bear' and lost touch with "It's a *wire.* I'd like a wire, please. One used to expect that it would start out as a wire and continue to be a wire until subjected to undue stress, undue being according to how heavy-duty it was made. "

Anyway, Newarts, yeah, the attaching a cold shoe to the top of one end of the cord's an idea that I've thought of. Seems like it should be pretty obvious, really, I don't know why they don't just cast the things that way to begin with. Probably because they aren't made strong enough for the leverage, I assume. Which leads back to why does a wire cost thirty dollars in cheapest form, anyway.

jolepp · 01-03-2011, 12:33 PM

A flash extension cord would seem like a thing where knowing exactly which to buy could be worthwhile as the quality of the connectors, how that wire is attached and even the quality of the wire itself might be factors as to whether this works reliably, especially in the long run. One variety of outwardly similar El-Cheapos might work just fine while another might be just the ticket to annoy one silly with an occasional misfire; sometimes a manufacturer is happy to make something that looks similar enough to the real thing to sell with no regard to whether the product is actually fit for purpose, sometimes an El-Cheapo is in fact perfectly adequate.

01-02-2011, 10:55 AM	#1
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Off-camera cords Just thought I'd ask if anyone's found any particuarly decent off-camera cords for the TTL and all: I mostly see the same kind of generics out there for the most part: might possibly jump for something a little nicer. Ideally, comfortably to arm's length, (I always use the 3'coiley with my old Vivitar, but it's not a tragedy if it's a bit shorter.) and it'd be nice if I could find one that'd clip to itself on the camera shoe, so it'll be convenient to freehand it. They seem to be scarcer than I expected so far. Thought I'd do a bit of Net shopping today, since I'd seem to be fighting off or coming down with some bug or other. Not a huge rush, since I haven't locked down a budget for this month and am thus not in a hurry to spend yet. (If I've saved enough, it's finally monitor time! That'll about eat any doodads budget, though. )

01-03-2011, 09:40 AM	#3
newarts Inactive Account Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Ames, Iowa, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 2,965	Originally posted by Ratmagiclady Just thought I'd ask if anyone's found any particuarly decent off-camera cords for the TTL and all: I mostly see the same kind of generics out there for the most part: might possibly jump for something a little nicer. Ideally, comfortably to arm's length, (I always use the 3'coiley with my old Vivitar, but it's not a tragedy if it's a bit shorter.) and it'd be nice if I could find one that'd clip to itself on the camera shoe, so it'll be convenient to freehand it. They seem to be scarcer than I expected so far. Thought I'd do a bit of Net shopping today, since I'd seem to be fighting off or coming down with some bug or other. Not a huge rush, since I haven't locked down a budget for this month and am thus not in a hurry to spend yet. (If I've saved enough, it's finally monitor time! That'll about eat any doodads budget, though. ) I use a "Bell & Howell" 1 meter "coiley" P-TTL cord I got at Amazon. It has worked reliably with my Rokinon P-TTL flash. It cost about $27 I think. The camera end secures to the camera hot shoe, but once secured the flash cannot also be stacked on top the shoe (which would be a nice feature as a place to park the flash at least.) Dave PS just gluing a dummy hot shoe bracket atop the extension cord's hot shoe end would create a nice place to park the Flash when the cord is attached to the camera. I think I'll do it! Last edited by newarts; 01-03-2011 at 09:47 AM.

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01-03-2011, 09:00 AM	#2
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,332	Originally posted by Ratmagiclady .................. Not a huge rush, since I haven't locked down a budget for this month and am thus not in a hurry to spend yet. ........ That's the best time to spend! You can't go over budget if there isn't one.

01-03-2011, 11:56 AM	#4
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563 Original Poster	Originally posted by Parallax That's the best time to spend! You can't go over budget if there isn't one. Heehee. That's not how it works, I'm afraid. Cash-on-the-barrelhead month-to-month life, remember? Everything comes out of something else, money is time, all that. I'm past-tired of cooling my heels for want of a monitor, it's true, but not having a plan doesn't mean I can spend freely without that last twenty bucks having bad effects on what a month of rent and bills is supposed to be paying for. A month of off-camera flash won't make up for another month of 'I can't see my photos for want of a decent monitor.' I think I'm going to have to wait a while longer at least, actually, I'd forgotten there's something smallish but non-negligible I've got to take care of, which I think is going to eat enough of my reserve that to have monitor this month is getting toward struggling-to-cheap out-that may waste a couple hundred-to-save-thirty-or-end-up-costing-more money-thus-time-in-workarounds. Possibly, I can short myself on something healthy that's been eating the discretionary budget all year and just make it happen already. As in so many things, it's not so much the hundreds digit as trying to shave too much off the tens that gets ya. Penny-wise, pound-foolish, pay for what you need or pay twice, yadda yadda. I don't get to make big purchases (well, what's big to me) very frequently, so I gotta make em count. But what do I know, I may be a walking consumer confidence rating, but at least I'm not in credit debt. Not that they think that makes a good credit rating. (quite the contrary, for some reason. ) Anyway, I like to have the little details worked out, mostly. (I'm a little at sea with computer details and planned obsolescence, but I think I'm fairly good at surfing a little behind the cost-benefit curve there.) Once the logjam's clear, little things like, 'OK, we need a fancy cord,' and 'Backup drive will mean you can stop buying all these little cards so you can shoot without deleting secondary backup,' can be taken care of. Mandatory capital investments are a struggle, is all. Regarding the general accessories industry, shame, shame that a cord needs a recommendation, anyway. All I want's a little AF light so this machine can focus for my tired eyes, anyway. It's a bunch of wires. Probably wouldn't be here if Pentax hadn't put an old-fashioned X terminal on a K10d, anyway. I just want the little light, till I can afford a K-5, mostly. Anyway, I do ramble. Just seems some things are often way too much about 'What the market will bear' and lost touch with "It's a wire. I'd like a wire, please. One used to expect that it would start out as a wire and continue to be a wire until subjected to undue stress, undue being according to how heavy-duty it was made. " Anyway, Newarts, yeah, the attaching a cold shoe to the top of one end of the cord's an idea that I've thought of. Seems like it should be pretty obvious, really, I don't know why they don't just cast the things that way to begin with. Probably because they aren't made strong enough for the leverage, I assume. Which leads back to why does a wire cost thirty dollars in cheapest form, anyway.

01-03-2011, 12:33 PM	#5
jolepp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Finland Photos: Albums Posts: 3,196	A flash extension cord would seem like a thing where knowing exactly which to buy could be worthwhile as the quality of the connectors, how that wire is attached and even the quality of the wire itself might be factors as to whether this works reliably, especially in the long run. One variety of outwardly similar El-Cheapos might work just fine while another might be just the ticket to annoy one silly with an occasional misfire; sometimes a manufacturer is happy to make something that looks similar enough to the real thing to sell with no regard to whether the product is actually fit for purpose, sometimes an El-Cheapo is in fact perfectly adequate.