Phottix Cleon Remote Release: Thumbs Up

Remote Shutter Releases Opens Up New Possibilities for Photographers

Photographers face a simple problem: How to be in the photographs they are taking. How many special occasions' images are sans one family member due to his or her duties behind the lens? What about vacation photos? Are there photos of your husband and kids standing in front of famous landmarks, without you?

In the distant past photographs used shutter release cables to be part of the shot. They were bulky contraptions that used a mechanical push button or squeeze ball to trigger a shot. Luckily, the progress of remote shutter releases has kept pace with the high-tech world of digital cameras.

Enter the Phottix Cleon Wired/Wireless Remote Control Set. This handy device has a multitude of uses and models are available for many Canon and Nikon digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLRs). The Phottix Cleon set includes two components, a receiver unit and a transmitter unit. The receiver is plugged into the remote port on a DSLR. This receiver can also be attached to the camera's hot shoe flash adaptor to keep it secure. Using the hotshoe is an aesthetic choice, it doesn't effect or power the unit.

What does it have going for it? It's small and lightweight. The receiver and remote can be stored in any gear pouch on your camera bag. It offers 16 different frequency channels that you can quickly change if you find someone using the same frequency as you. The red and green LEDs on the receiver unit give your easy-to-see visual feedback when using the remote away from the camera: No more guessing if the photo has been taken. Both the remote and receiver come with batteries, and the remote offers a range of 100 meters (320 feet), without obstacles.