The Sports Photo Guy

Here’s a neat radio remote that won’t break the bank – and is even cheaper than just the Nikon pre-trigger release cable for the Pocket Wizard system.

I’d seen the “Adorama Wireless Radio Remote Release” on eBay, marketed generically and often from resellers based in China or Hong Kong, but shied away from them.  But when Adorama began selling them about a year ago–albeit at a higher price ($99)–I figured there must be enough to the quality and effectiveness (not to mention a reliable warranty).

And in general, they do work pretty well, though they have limitations.

The unit consists of the three items shown at left: a transmitter with retractable antenna, a receiver, and a small carrying case.  The transmitter uses a simple pushbutton to trigger the remote camera, and it is sensitive to a “half press” to focus and a full press to release, just like your camera’s shutter release.  The receiver has a small on/off switch and a cable that fits your camera’s release socket.  There are versions for Nikon’s 10-pin “pro” release as well as the single-pin remote release of the D80 and D70s, as well as a 3-pin version for Canon’s pro bodies and a 2.5mm sub-mini plug for the Canon Rebels and several other cameras.

Each unit has a small LED to indicate operational status, and 4 DIP switches with which to select from among 16 available channels.  Adorama advertises a range of “over 100 feet” outdoors.  That’s an interesting specification.  Oddly enough, when I first used the release during baseball season, I had trouble triggering the remote from more than 25 or 30 feet.  Fast forward to basketball season, and I can trigger the remote easily across the width of the court and almost lengthwise.

As a complement to my baseline shooting, it’s nice, however.  I’ve had some nice shots with it mounted as a “post cam” and have even tried it once as a backboard remote (the latter needs some work so no samples from that experiment yet).  And despite the none-too-ergonomic design of the release, I’ve quickly managed a technique that allows me to use both hands on the camera and still be able to reliably trigger the remote with my left hand as it cradles the lens.  This has resulted in some nice near-simultaneous captures such as this one:

And since keeping the transmitter button depressed allows for continuous shooting, I’ve gotten some nice action sequences from multiple angles, like this shot of a pass being deflected from behind:

It works great four outdoor sports as well.  Here’s a shot from a lacrosse game, where I used the remote on a D2H + 500/f8 mirror rig trained on the goal:

For $100, it provides some flexibility and creative options that are nice to have.  During baseball season, it made it easy for me to have a camera always trained on home plate, while I was free to follow the action out in the field.  You won’t achieve precision in the timing of your shots, but it’s a great way to get started in remote camera operation.

Buy the Adorama Wireless Radio Remote Release and support this site:

For Nikon cameras with 10-pin remote release socket
For the Nikon D80/D70s
For Canon cameras with 3-pin remote release socket
For Canon Rebel XT/XTI, Pentax K10D/K100D