Customer Reviews

WR-A100 Wireless High Quality Remote Switch for Canon EOS-1V/1VHS, EOS-3, EOS-D2000, D30, D60, 1D, 1Ds, EOS-1D Mark II,III, EOS-1Ds Mark II,III, EOS-10D, 20D, 30D,40D, 50D, 5D, 7D Fully Compatible with RS-80N3

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this untried based on some other recommendations, figuring unless it didn't work at all it would not only save me a ton of money over Canon's overpriced unit ($hundreds more!)but also satisfy my need to trigger the shutter on the camera, bolted onto exterior airplane struts etc, from the inside of the cockpit.

It not only does the job, but has an excellent range, dozens of yards at least, plus I tried it through a brick wall and it worked!

I'm using it on my Canon 40D, it also works on my 20D. I also like that I can mash the button on the remote and it fires continuously.

The mode button could be a little more predictable...it's a little too easy to set it in the wrong position...but a little mark to show you for sure that you're on the right setting does the trick...or just be careful. It's not an issue for me at all.
Excellent company too, I called to ask if they could expedite shipping in time for my shooting trip and they were not only courteous but very helpful. I got the unit on time and it worked right out of the box.

I'm checking to see what else they sell that I might need, I like this company.

First, the unit works well. Outstanding is the customer service.

The down sides are:

1) The mode switch is difficult to operate. While it works, is tough to easily choose the 'mode' (Off, M-mode, L-mode) you want.

2) There's the less-than-clear instruction sheet. The charging instructions say "When the transmitter is charging, the light of the transmitter is on. There are 5 lights; each light represents 20% of the battery power. ...."

Problem: It's the receiver that is charged (recharged) not the transmitter. The transmitter uses an A-23 battery. Secondly, it's easy to confuse the 'power light', which is on the bottom of the unit, with the charge status lights which are on the back of the receiver. These status lights are tiny and unless at least one of them is 'on', you won't notice they exist.

Upside: Customer service called me withing 3 minutes of getting my email. Once you know what to look for, this is not an issue.

It's also unclear that the battery charger (which they call a power adapter) shuts down after charging the battery. The instructions make no mention of this and do say "... remove the power adapter.." once all five lights are on. I suspect that this means you should not leave it charging overnight etc.

The transmitter on the first unit I received did not work. I emailed Satechi on a Sat. morning and withing TWO MINUTES I got a phone call from them. I had another one delivered four days later and it works flawlessly.

Bought one about nine months ago but it crapped out, even using the receiver to release the shutter without the transmitter did not work. Satechi replaced it promptly, though they made me pay for both shipments. So far, I mainly use this device to photograph family photos and bird feedings. This device works satisfactorily, though there is a bit of lag time, making instant shutter release requirement photography a hassle.

Let me point out that as of June 2009, the picture provided for Amazon is not of the current model, though the layout is the same. The transmitter is made smaller while the receiver is made bigger. The new model looks and feels much better and the top edges are made of a slick metallic strips instead of all plastic. The plastic is made softer on the new model, providing a rubber feel for better grip.

I am a bit disappointed with the contact on the original and I am surprised that Satechi did not improve it on the latest model. If you have used the Canon wired remote RS-80N3, you know that it is designed so that the contact clicks in place, giving it somewhat of a grip lock for more stability. The WR-A100 lacks this feature and I'd have to push the contact in hard to make sure all contacts are made. The previous model used a 2.5mm (I think) plug for its charger; this design was a major inconvenience as I could only used Satechi's specific charger. The current model uses standard USB, a much welcomed chanage. Another minor annoyance is that the clicker noise on the transmitter is unnecessarily loud, though the shutter button on the receiver is a bit quieter. It would be ideal if all buttons make no clicking sounds. Speaking of buttons, there are no labels on them; it's no big deal as the buttons are of different sizes but I guess an "S" for shutter and "F" for focus would have been nice. One last thing about this device, the shutter release button on the receiver is placed at an awkward location; it should have been placed at the other end close to the wire the way Canon made their RS-80N3. This design flaw is on both the previous and current model.

I would recommend this device to those on a budget who need a wireless shutter release that isn't too expensive. If you don't need wireless, stick with the Canon models as they work well. I'd give the WR-A100 a 3.5 stars.

Great product!!! Works as claimed.

Only complaint:

Blue light emitting from it is very bright (not good for long night exposures). I used a pouch or tape to cover it.

Falls out of socket often so not a tight fit.

But overall...awesome product.

Thanks!!

WR-A100 Wireless Remote Control for Canon Eos-1v/1vhs, Eos-3, Eos-d2000, 30d, 40d, 60d, 1d, 1ds, Eos-1d Mark Ii, 10d, 20d X fully compatible with RS-80N3

I have been using the wired remotes for my Canon Rebel XT and XTI, so when I purchased my Canon 40D I knew I would need a remote for that camera also. I searched the web and came up with the WR-A100 Wireless Remote Control for Canon Eos-1v/1vhs, Eos-3, Eos-d2000, 30d, 40d, 60d, 1d, 1ds, Eos-1d Mark Ii, 10d, 20d X fully compatible with RS-80N3.
As with all new electronic devices purchased over the internet, I'm thinking I Really Hope this works the way they say it does.
I ordered this remote on Sunday with the standard shipping for a PO Box thinking, OK I will have to wait 7-10 business days. I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up at my door on Tuesday. 2 Days after I had ordered it by USPS mail.

OK, next thing on the list is, will it actually work. I charged the remote as suggested in the owners manual (Overnite) and hooked it up to the camera for the test run. The first thing I noticed was that the wires on the camera where the remote is plugged in are very slim so you have to be fairly careful when plugging the remote in to the camera. After plugging the remote in, I started playing with the buttons and they worked as advertised.

The next test was to set it for time exposure; I was able to set this with no problem. The receiver plugged into the camera has the same function buttons as the transmitter. I took my 1 hour exposure of the moon and then turned the remote off. So far so good.

The next test was the distance test. The company specifies a 100' range. I played with it in the house (50' straight line) and it worked as advertised, but I wanted to shoot pictures of my nieces wedding with the camera set up remotely so that I wouldn't be too obtrusive during the ceremony. The wedding was an outdoor affair with the bride and groom about 30' from the front row of seats. I set the camera up to get a good view and then went to find out if the remote would work from where I was sitting (about the 100' distance the company claims) it wouldn't trigger! Crap! I tried turning the transmitter so that the RF signal might get a better shot to the camera, still no good. I'm thinking maybe the battery in the transmitter is low (supplied with the unit), I opened up the transmitter and see that the battery is a camera battery and I don't carry spare batteries of that type. So now I go to the tripod and play around with the receiver and get it facing where I will be sitting and start walking backwards to where I will be sitting and taking a picture about every 5'. It works! There is a blue light on the receiver that shows when the shutter has been tripped, now I could sit at about 100' and take remote pictures all during the ceremony. So, now it has lived up to the expectations that I have for the device.

If you buy this device (I Recomend) make sure that you pick up a spare camera battery or 2 for the transmitter. The receiver is rechargable.

Works perfectly with my new Canon 40D. Please note that at first it did not work. Satechi..com was incredible in their service. They called me within 2 minutes of sending them an e-mail. In my excitement the firing unit was charging while I was trying to use/play with it. It has a safety to prevent current overload to the camera, so it would not shoot the picture while charging. Unplugged the charger, works like a charm.

I will start off by saying don't hesitate if considering a Satechi wireless remote! I received it promptly (WR-A100) and it worked flawlessly out of the box.

When I decided I wanted to be part of the "group" pictures and not have to scramble each time to beat the timer, I decided it was time to looked at the Canon LC-5 wireless(I have the Canon RS-80N3 wired) and was shocked at the sticker price. So I did some research and of all the 3rd party vendors that made a comparable product, the Satechi seemed to have great reviews. And just as important, all indicators were that the post sales support was outstanding.

So for value, meeting or exceeding performance expectations and outstanding support, I give this product 5 out of 5 Stars!

I ordered this remote it arrived on time as it was supposed too. I had to use the remote the following afternoon and it worked as it was supposed too. I used it the following weekend and too approximately 600 photos with it. It gave me the capability to shoot with another camera mounted from a fixed position, and be able to move to another position with another camera to take photos of other action shots after the ball was hit or caught and catch the action.

I bought this prior to my vacation in the Big Apple, and I am so happy I did. Finally, I get to compose my own pictures AND be in them at the same time! Coupled with my Joby Gorilla Tripod, I was able to get awesome shots at night in Time Square, and evening shots in Central Park. It also came in handy with family portraits with the in-laws. No more running back to set the 10sec timer, just autofocus and "click!".