Customer Reviews

Nikon MC-EU1 Remote Release Cord for Coolpix 4300, 4500, 5000, 5700 & 8700 Digital Cameras

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

All the comments here are spot on. I found a much better unit called the 'digisnap' (made by harbortronics) which works better, both as a remote release (longer cable, no filter) and a timelapse controller (much faster interval -- 5 sec vs. 2 min). Skip the Nikon unit.

Well, I've been waiting for a long time for this item and I finally got it a few days ago. It's a pretty cool little thing that feels good in your hand and has neat features like a backlit LCD for low light situations. But, there are many problems with it. First of all...if the camera is busy storing a picture it just took, and you attempt to turn on the LCD backlight, 75% of the time the display will go completely blank and it will stop working. You have to turn the camera off and back on to get it working again. Second, the time lapse feature is awesome but get this: the smallest duration between each picture is 2 minutes. If you've ever done time lapse of a sunset to turn into a movie, you'd want to take a picture about once every 30 seconds. Or, taking a time lapse of a busy lake with boats crusing around, after 2 minutes, most boats would be off the screen and the time lapse "feeling" wouldn't be captured. Now, taking a time lapse of say a plant growing, no problem. It has intervals all the way up to 24 hours! Thrid, it has a humongous thingee (some type of noise filter) hanging on the string (cable) that almost pulls the cord out just hanging there. Also, the camera acts differently with this thing plugged into it and seems to forget some of the menu items I have set such as remember last zoom position and flash mode. Was this device designed by Microsoft or something???

LCD is hard to read without backlight. The buttons are too small and heavily recessed which makes it very difficult to press them, even though its designed to make it hard to accidently press, its a little too much. Whats with the minimum setting of 2 minutes between time lapses, thats just silly, if you are lookign to do timelapse at anything less than 2 minutes internals, this won't do it. The remote knows when the camera is busy so it could record as quickly as the camera saves. If the camera powers down, I can't get it to switch back on from the remote, only from the main camera controls. The battery insertion diagram is misleading, I installed the battery upside down first time. ( + facing down is correct ). The big R/F filter is no doubt since nikon got its hand smacked by the FCC last year for emission problems with other accessories ( the 950 AC adapter ). However its the only remote release available if the 2min minimum is fine for you and you don't mind reflashing the cameras firmware ( which you must in order to use properly if you have version 1.0 ) then you are all set, on reflection I'd still buy it since a remote release is a must for steady work.

- a poorly designed product, can't read the display, can't push the buttons, can't predict what is going to happen or when the camera is going to lock up after you push them. Very disappointing. Unfortunately, it is necessary for close-up work and long exposures.

I have used this devise extensively and it is definately required for tele-3X converters, macro, registration/animation shots. I'm using a Nikon 995 and without it the above photos would have been degraded without its useage. A necessary item. However, the flip side is that some evil designer, who should be demoted, only allowed for a 2 minute min. interval. Not 1 min, 30, 10, 5 sec's DUH! In addition the plug is really small, unplugs readily (even when you don't want to) and the cord is really short,with no extensions available. In addition, the USB port that accepts this devise has worn rather quickly for a Nikon, with connection becoming erractic if at all. The camera is presently in repair for replacement of the port/connector. I think that NIKON should issue some sort of incentive for those who bought this accessory. Its a love/hate relationship.

Very disappointing, wish I'd seen and heeded these reviews before buying. Everything they've said, I've found to be true. The cord on the remote is so short that it really defeats the purpose of purchasing one -- you gain less than an arm's length, making this really only beneficial for use with specialty lenses or extensible tripods. I've also found the buttons to be quite difficult to use. They're miniscule and set into the remote in such a way that makes them difficult to depress. I've given up on this model.

Also, regarding the retailer. While I did receive the item, it had visibly been shelved for quite some time (more than normal wear to the box, inside components dusty). It also appeared that my "new" purchase was a return as the packaging had all been opened and resealed, some of the informational packaging was missing and the included battery dead.

richj68 is right to horrified by this. This noise filter is too heavy and too close to the Nikon's minute USB plug in the camera. It flops around and, ultimately, breaks the solder joints in the plug and pulls the wire loose. This happened to me at a wedding shoot just as the bride was walking down the aisle. It crashed the camera and I lost some very important pictures.

I don't know how to say what a terrible product this is. I bought it to use with my old Coolpix 990 (which I love), but I only managed to get it to work once for a few minutes. There seems to be something extremely sensitive about the connector to the camera. I had to rig up an elaborate system of rubber bands to hold the connector in exactly the right position to get the remote to work at all, and I was never again able to reproduce the same setup. I returned it to Nikon under warranty and got a replacement that performed exactly the same. I really hate the MC-EU1, and I've never said that before about any gadget of any kind.

I cannot belive that Nikon would sell a remote cable that is only 19in. long. What were they thinking, my arm length is longer than that!! The idea of a remote is to be a good distance away from the camera. On top of it bing to short, they want a kings ransom for it!

I suspect Nikon may have modified this item since many of the reviews were written. I can't speak for the interval problem, as I don't use it for that. However, in my version the RF filter just snaps around the cord. It takes only seconds to get rid of the RF weight and gain several inches of reach--the cord is 40" long without it.