Customer Reviews

SO)CANON OC-E3 OFF CAMERA SHOE CORD

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

When you buy a Canon-branded accessory you expect it to perform properly, be well constructed... and expensive. The OC-E3 cord satisfies all three criteria. Yes, it could be longer, but when you are using it on a bracket as I do, a shorter cord is preferable.

The tripod socket on the bottom of the hotshoe is terrific. This allowed me to remove the shoe mount that came with my bracket install the OC-E3 in its place.

The camera end of this cord has the same locking mechanism that is on the 580EX II flash, and it works well. No more missed shots because the cable slid out of place.

Off camera cords are notoriously delicate. This one seems better made that many that I've used on the past.

I tried the off brand one for 40 bucks and it locked on my 30d to the point I had to destroy it to get it off. the canon one is weather sealed and double locked like the 580ex II flash. it works great.

I purchased this as the cheapest way to get my 550EX or 580EX II off the camera. This cord has the weather sealing and supposed to be better built than the previous OC-E2 cord. The previous cord had some bad reviews so I bought this one and hope it holds up.

However, I found the 2 feet cord extension to be rather short. So I cut the cord in half and added female CAT5 sockets to each end. Now I can take any reasonable length of CAT5 cable and extend the flash off camera. It took all of 30 minutes to modify the extended cable and I am happy with the results.

What else can I say, the cord does what Canon claims it will do. I'm sure Canon would not be thrilled with my modification, but Canon: listen up and give us an extendable cord! I'm happy with the cord but only gave it 3 stars and I'll wait and see how it holds up to use.

I had Canon's old Off-Camera Shoe Cord for 35mm EOS for 25 years. Was made in Japan, had detachable components, was of high quality, and had no problems with it. The new OC-E3 is made in China (proudly stated in bold letters right on the top), has an integrated construction so that if any single component fails, the entire unit must be thrown out, has no warranty from Canon ("accessories have no warranty" according to the spokesperson "Marvin" from Canon), and is made of polycarbonate material that cannot handle the weight of the heavier Canon flashes like the 580EX-II. Titling the camera sideways (while taking a vertical "portrait" style photo) can stress the flimsy flanges and cause them to crack or break. Canon's response is "buy a new one." You are better off looking for 3rd party attachments with better construction.

I hate this plastic crappy base with metal screws. It has problems with the 580 EX II. The weight of the flash will cause it to crack in the middle. I go through one of these a month. Some months I'm able to piece together parts from two broken bases to make one cord. Canon needs to make a stronger version for the professional market so it can hold the Canon flashes without breaking.

The first time I tried to use this, it snapped in half just like those of the other reviewers. I was using a Canon 430 EX. I will try to get help from Canon but it seems like a really bad design.

Broke within 5 minutes of use. Split right down the middle and sent my flash tumbling. Completely useless. DO NOT BUY.

Update: Canon is refusing to replace the cord stating: "please note The warranty does not cover physical or accidental damage."

Update: After escalating to a supervisor at Canon they agreed to make an _exception_ and replaced the OC-E3 with a new one. Their default stance is physical damage is not covered. Unless you're willing to reinforce the OC-E3 in some way I wouldn't recommend trusting it with an expensive flash.

Update: The replacement OC-E3 came. I disassembled it immediately, with the idea of filing it with epoxy to reinforce it, and discovered that one of the plastic posts was already broken.

I am so annoyed with this cord. I bought it so that I could mount my flash to a bracket. On the FIRST use the top piece split right down the middle and left my expensive flash dangling from it. I could've just bought the cheaper version and paid $30 for my cord to break instead of over $60.

I broke the previous version of this device in a freak accident, so was forced to buy a new one. This one is so much better. Better construction and faster to put it on the camera.

I can't believe this thing breaks as easily as it does! I just started professionally shooting events with a D1s owned by my company. This thing has broken on me 2 out of 2 times using it. The sockets that the screws go into are made out of 1mm thick plastic! I have just rigged one with superglue, but haven't tested it yet. It will probably last longer than the screws did.