[joefru]

I wanted an IR remote for my K10D, but I didn't want to pay $25 for the official one. I saw this Pentax-branded one at Amazon for $4, and this Jianisi brand universal remote at DealExtreme for $5. Inadvertently, I bought both.

When I got the first one (the Pentax brand), I tested it out, thought it was cool and would come in handy one day, and threw it in my camera bag. When I got the other one weeks later (shipping from Hong Kong and whatnot), I tested it once but left it on my desk.

Saturday, my sister graduated, and I wanted a group shot of everyone who was there. Remote + 3sec delay was perfect. Embarassingly enough, it didn't work.I could only get the camera to fire if I was within about three feet of it. I was aware that sunlight reduced the effectiveness of the remote, but it was pretty overcast that day. I ended up giving up and just doing a traditional self-timer shot.

When I got home, I wanted to compare the range of the remotes. Indoors, I could get about 15 feet out of the Pentax remote, but the Jianisi went out at least to 30. Outdoors, with the camera in direct sunlight, I was still able to pull 12-15 feet out of the Jianisi remote, which would have worked perfectly for that group shot. Alas.

One possibility is the battery, but I'm pretty sure I had to pull one of those little plastic tabs when the remote arrived, implying that there was a fresh battery installed. I haven't gotten to where I feel like dealing with those tiny screws.

So that's the Pentax Remote C. What are your experiences with the Pentax Remote F?

[tybeck]

I've had my F remote for about 7 months now, maybe used it about 60-100 times. I mostly use it as a trigger when I'm worried about excess shake from a shutter button repress (macro, low light etc). I'm still on the battery that came with it new in the box and I've had no problems with it. As for range, indoors I get about 20ft of triggered distance if things are lined up right.