Cloth Covered Cable Releases?

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Seems like lately every place I look has stiff plastic coated cable releases. Hard not to move the camera when you use those. Anybody know who still carries the cloth covered ones? I guess second choice would be those with the metal woven covers, I can't seem to find those either. Thanks for your input.

-- Kevin Crisp (KRCrisp@aol.com), February 02, 2002

Answers

I have several very nice cloth covered releases made by Dotline that has a disc type lock. The covering is a red/black braid cloth. In 17 years of using these not one has ever failed. You can get them from Tempe Camera in Phoenix, Az. I have also seen these in the Calumet catalog so I assume they carry them also. These releases are 20" long and quite flexible and come with a quick release fitting on the end which I do not use but may be handy for smaller format cameras.

-- Jeffrey Scott (jscott@datavoice.net), February 02, 2002.

I went through the same exercise in the cold weather last year. Calumet has a release that is covered in a red and black cloth that works very well. In the catalog that I have the numbers are transposed with another release, so you may have to talk to them to get the correct one. Steve

-- Steve Clark (agno3@eesc.com), February 02, 2002.

I use a Horseman cable release and it's by far the best one I've ever come across. They have two models- "large" and "long." I use the "large" (B&H catalog #HOCRL ). The locking mechanism, smoothness of operation, and flexibility are all superb. The handle is all metal and pretty beefy. The covering is fabric covered and retains all its flexibility in cold temperatures (I've used mine at -20 deg. F and it was as good as ever). It also has a strap on it that is super handy for hanging on a knob on your camera while you work. They're a little expensive- a little under $50.00 for either, but the quality is so nice I don't think I'll go back to cheaper ones if I ever lose or wear out my current release. I know there are other cloth-covered releases out there, but most seem to be the scary general-brand ones with the screw-lock that tend to self-destruct in under a week or two. I've been using mine daily for about a year and a half now and it works as smoothly as ever.

-- David Munson (apollo@luxfragilis.com), February 02, 2002.

Gepe Pro has cloth release from 10 to 40" long with either Zeiss lock (disk) or T lock. They also have a very short one with no lock. These are all made in Germany and available from most local camera store.

While they are slightly more fexible then PVC releases and thinner they are not fully water resistant like a PVC release is. PVC releases are also available from Gepe Pro in a choice of black, white, red or blue or in an adjustable throw version in black. They have Zeiss release locks and are available up to 40" long (except adjustable throw - 20" only). Less flexible are the spiral steel release in black or silver with PVC covering.

All are German made as are the L, U and Wide Angle Cqable Release extension.

While these are sold to most local stores Calumet is not one of them.

-- Bob Salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), February 03, 2002.


Some argue that the flimiest cable releases induce the least vibration.

I read about a test using a cheap laser pointer and mirror, out of curiosity I am tempted do do something similar.

-- Åke Vinberg (ake@vinberg.nu), February 03, 2002.



I suggest that you haunt bargain bins of used stuff in camera stores. I constantly lose cable releases, especially from my 35 mm equipment, and so I am always on the lookout for cheap replacements. Excellent releases long and short can be found used for only a few dollars, both of the cloth and woven metal kind. Paying $50 for a cable release seems ridiculous to me. Spend it on film, instead.

-- Tony Galt (galta@uwgb.edu), February 03, 2002.

"Paying $50 for a cable release seems ridiculous to me"

Why would one do that?

A 40" long Gepe Pro cloth release with a Zeiss disk lock has a MSRP of $17.95 and most dealers discount.

A 10" long one is $7.95.

And these are German made cable releases. Non-German ones may be less.

Why would you spend $50.00?

-- Bob Salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), February 03, 2002.


B&H has some 10" cloth covered releases for $4.95. I have one of these cheap release attached to each of my lens except for my Nikkor Telephoto 500/720 lens. With this lens I use a 60" (I think) air release.

-- Stephen Willard (willard@peakpeak.com), February 03, 2002.

In my defense, I have never lost a cable release but have worn out/destroyed at least 12. Buying a $50.00 cable release of much higher quality once is cheaper for me in the long run than to repeatedly buy cheaper ones that I invariably manage to kill. I bought a Kaiser cable release at the same time as the Horseman and while the Kaiser is now kaput, the Horseman is as good as the day I bought it. If you happen to be particularly good with making things like a cable release last a long time, or if you happen to be prone to losing things, then yes, paying $50.00 for a cable release would be a ridiculous thing to do. But for me, it's worth the extra cost to buy something better.

-- David Munson (apollo@luxfragilis.com), February 03, 2002.

Try Calumet 20" Pro Cable Release #HV2000 $19.99

Cloth, red/black, large comfortable release plunger.

-- Glenn C. Kroeger (gkroeger@trinity.edu), February 04, 2002.



Thanks for the guidance.

-- Kevin Crisp (krcrisp@aol.com), February 04, 2002.

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