Customer Reviews

Opteka E-TTL / E-TTL II Off-Camera Flash Sync Cord for Canon EOS Cameras & Speedlite Flashes (Canon OC-E3 Equivalent)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

I rarely ever write reviews for the products I purchase here on Amazon, but this flash cord is one of the best products I think I've ever bought from a bang for the buck point of view.

First, let's get the technical stuff out of the way. As other reviewers have noted, the locking mechanism on this cord is identical to the Canon Speedlite 580EXII - which is fantastic. Also, the mounting plate is solid, and the cord easily stretches 2 feet to the side. I don't know if it's better than Canon's own version, but at half the price I can tell you it works perfectly on my Canon 5D Mark II with a Canon 580 flash.

Now, lets get to the creative part. Although I had seen some before and after photos of moving the flash off the camera, I was unprepared for how big of a difference it would make in my own personal photos. If you ever shoot portraits, or still life, or even close up scenery - just get one of these and try it. It will literally change your perspective as a photographer.

I was really surprised at how well made the flash cord was when it arrived. The metal shoe mounts were perfectly lined up and fit snug on my camera and my flash. One thing that is not visable in the example pictures is that this cord uses the same "slide-to-lock" method that is used on the 580EXii. This is just like Canon's version of the cord. That was my only worry when I ordered it, but it works just like Canon's. The great news is that if you put this right next to the Canon Flash Sync Cord you would not be able to tell any real difference. The cord is the same quality and the mounts are perfect. I'm not sure why the other reviewer would give this less than 5 stars, but I can assure you that this would have nothing to do with the screen and battery issues he's having. I would buy another one of these cords in a second. The OC-E3 from Canon is twice as much and does NOTHING better than this one. I am still really amazed that someone made a generic version to such high standards.

BUY THIS CORD! You won't find a better deal, and you won't even get better quality with Canon's cord.

I don't normally buy non-Canon equipment for my camera. I ordered a package from a seller on Amazon that had a 580ex II, a bracket, and a cord. Great package but the Precision cord was total garbage. It didn't connect right and I missed a lot of great shots because of it. I literally had to force my 580ex II onto that cord. Going solely by the other review (not the guy with the broken camera) I decided to try this one. I am not disappointed. The end of the cord that connects to the hotshoe on your camera looks and feels exactly like the 580ex II's mounting foot. It slides on easily and locks into place smoothly. The cord itself is somewhat short but that doesn't bother me. The end that attaches to your speedlite attaches perfectly (and does not spin like the Precision cord). While shooting I have had no errors - the common error on the other cord was for the display to read ttl rather than Ettl and the camera would lock up until the speedlite was turned off. The construction is solid and if it didn't say Opteka on it I would swear it was made by canon. But I've heard the canon version uses a plastic shoe mount that can break. The mount on this one is metal.

I lost so many great shots because of that other cable, but I'm very satisfied with this one.

I had *exactly* the same problem as Keith. At first, the cable worked perfectly.

But then I actually used it on a shoot, with a Canon 580EX flash and a Strobeframe flip-flash. After 10 minutes of supporting the flash unit at various angles, the mounting pod at the flash end of the cable broke in half, and the flash unit went sailing. Fortunately the flash landed on a chair cushion, rather than the concrete floor.

I don't know if the problem is poor glue, cheap screws, or low-quality plastic. But it doesn't matter. After that, the cable was useless.

Apparently the cable-to-flash mounting pod is not very strong. If you have a small flash unit, and you put it on a tripod and don't move it, the cable may be okay. But the cable isn't rugged enough to support the weight of a decent-sized flash unit when you're moving it around. Even worse, if the cable breaks, it could destroy your flash unit as well.

Get the Canon cable. Sigh.

I ordered the Opteka E-TTL / E-TTL II Off-Camera Flash Sync Cord for Canon EOS Cameras & Speedlite Flashes (Canon OC-E3 Equivalent) through Amazon 5 months ago. After only 4 or 5 uses the screws on one of the connector ends broke, exposing the internal wires between the cable and the connector end. Unacceptable. I spoke with customer service at Amazon and they informed me that there is a 1-year warranty on the item through the manufacturer. I have contacted them multiple times and no response. I ended up purchasing the Canon equivalent anyway. Waste of money if you ask me. I will not be buying Opteka anything in the future.

This cord is junk... I put it into my bag after two wedding and pulled it out today to use. Well the wires had pulled out from the hotshoe mount. The cord is made very poor, if you flex the ends that connect to the hotshoe you will be bound to have the same exact problem. I treat my gear like a baby, but now I've learned go with the manufacture don't cut corners on price not worth the headache!

First of all, this Opteka cord is literally identical to the Canon OC-E3 cord. I compared this cord to photos of the Canon cord, and every corner, every contour, and every piece of metal was identical. The only thing that was different was the brand label on the flat part of the head.

Since the design is identical, I expect the materials, build quality, and operation to be identical. In fact, my guess is that both of these are manufactured by the same OEM and then branded, much like how some PC components are just branded (e.g. Dell mice, CD drives).

One big difference is that this Opteka cord is half the price of the Canon cord. So there's no reason you should buy the Canon cord unless you have a brand fetish.

With that out of the way, let's talk about the operation. This is your standard extension cord for a flash unit; it does what you expect it to do. I found it strange that the cord faces forward on the camera and flash instead of backward. Sometimes the cord would fall in front of the lens because of this. Both sliding interfaces on the cord are smooth, unlike what some reviews said about the questionable Precision Design cord. When using the cord, it can be awkward to hold and point a flash in the left hand and hold and use the camera in the right hand, but this kind of acrobatics is a necessary evil for the photographer.

I purchased this cord for use with my Canon Rebel T1i and 430EXII and it never worked. The camera never recognized the flash. The vendor (47th St Photo) sent a replacement after I, at my cost, returned the defective one back. The replacement cord arrived with one of the connector ends broken into little pieces. This time I called Amazon and they are refunding everything.

Over time, I have upgraded all of my lenses, batteries and accessories to Canon and they have never let me down - so back to Canon I go for a flash sync cord.

The sleeve that surrounds the inner wires is not connected to the ends at all. Even the slightest extension of the cord causes the sleeve and ends to separate putting all of the stress on the tiny inside wires. No surprise that it stopped working literally within hours of starting to use it.

I am glad I can return it.

My last cord (lost apparently) has worked for years - it was some ultra cheap cord from a no-name site and it held up much better than this.

It looks the Canon model. It works every time. I use it on top of a bracket that flips 90 degrees for vertical shots. If you're not careful, and you let it flip without maintaining a good grip, it will break. The material is sturdy, but the parts are not put together sturdy. The mount that holds the flash on the bracket broke apart. It's time to pay the extra money and try the Canon model.