DIY: Canon RS-80N3 remote extension cord

[abel]

not sure if this has been posted before but here it goes anyways... hehe

well i have an RS-80n3 wired remote switch that i use very often and always thought id like to have the extension cord to go with it... well the canon extension is 30ft in length and runs like $85-$100!!

so anyways i thought id try something...

for about $17 i bought a male/female 1/8" stereo plug and a 20ft headphone extension cord from radio shack...

i cut the remotes wire (after i got enough nerve) and then spliced and soldered the wires up... after i did both ends then the moment of truth came... i tried it and it works!

pheew!

heres a quick shot... i know this will come in handy soon!!
http://www.lifeatf8.com/temp/remote.jpg

the remote can be used with or without the headphone extension cord...

just though u guys would like to know...

[lomond]

That's a neat trick.
Why do you suppose Canon didn't include an IR remote like many cheaper P&S cameras.
Is it to force people to buy there expensive cable release ( I have it ) or I am too cynical.
I can imagine many occasions when an IR remote might be very useful.

[abel]

i know!! i miss my IR from my Canon G5..

that would have been a great addition to the newer dslr cams.. oh well.

i guess the RS80n3 will have to do. it helps out a ton now with a longer cable...

[who me?]

Abel, great idea. I may do that when I get a remote in the near future. Question for you. Did you ever consider the TC80n3 instead of the RS?
Just curious.

[abel]

well at the time i didnt wanna spend the extra cash on the TS version... a new release of a wireless remote is coming out ina couple of months but i have no clue as to what it will cost...

NEW: Wireless Remote

check it out:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050217/175178_1.html

Remote - begin shipping in June - price TBA closer towards June
Canon's new Wireless Controller LC-5, photographers can easily create compelling close-ups from a safe and secure "line-of-sight" distance of up to 330 feet. Far more than a wireless shutter release, this newly enhanced infrared remote provides photographers with the flexibility to control essential camera functions without intruding on the scene

The Canon Wireless Controller LC-5 simply attaches to a compatible camera's accessory shoe or can be separately attached to a supplied bracket and connected to the camera's three-pronged N3 Remote socket with the supplied 15-inch receiver cable. The unit is triggered with a pocket-sized transmitter that sends an infrared pulse-modulated strobe signal to the receiver. Powered by 4 AA alkaline batteries (approximately 4,500 operations per set), the LC-5 controller is also compatible with AA-size Lithium, oxyride and Nickel-hydride rechargeable batteries.

[who me?]

OOOOO, that new remote sounds fun but expen$ive..
Considering the current one is pretty pricy and this new one seems to have a good bump in functionality.

[abel]

exactly.

[musthavemuzk]

just how easy is this to make.
my RS-80N3 arrived earlier this week.
i had wanted wireless but was not spending 400 for the LC-4.
when i was reading the manual for the RS i saw the 10 meter extension. BH wants 75+shipping for it.
that is a bit high for myself. since i have dumped 1700 in the last couples weeks for the 20d kit, RS, 50/1.8. and now saving for big glass for sports/racing.

any tip on the how too would be appreciated.

Monty

[chris maddock]

Dead easy - I did it about three years ago. The only thing to watch is that you make sure the three wires in the cord match up at both ends after you've done the mod - otherwise you'll lose the half-press stage and it'll just fire the shutter straightaway.
The Off-Camera Shoe Cord 2, BTW, is slightly more complicated - six wires to not get crossed at all - but still very doable ;-)

[musthavemuzk]

by chance are there instruction online somewhere on how to do this?
seems too easy to be true.
one snip of wired remote and two solder joints? is that correct?

any special notes on the stereo plugs?

Monty

[chris maddock]

Six solder joints, three at each end. Two conductor wires and the screening braid - which must be connected.
3.5mm plugs are easier to handle and solder than 2.5mm, which are rather fiddly. They must be stereo plugs/sockets as all three conductors must be connected. One of the inner wires is shorted to the screening braid to perform the half-press of the shutter button, all three are shorted togehter to give the full-press & fire the shutter. Make sure that you solder the connections so that each wire is connected to itself when the plug/socket are connected - red-red, blue-blue and braid-braid (I think those are the colours) otherwise the half-press and full-press functions will be reversed and you'll never get a half-press function.

KRs
Chris

[Ballen Photo]

i cut the remotes wire (after i got enough nerve) and then spliced and soldered the wires up... after i did both ends then the moment of truth came... i tried it and it works!


Abel, This is a GREAT idea! It's been said that necessity is the mother of invention, and you've proven that saying to be true. :D :D :D
This post calls for a five star rating.

Thanks for posting this. ;)
-Bruce

[musthavemuzk]

will have to see how much i am game to cut up my new $50 remote to do this. but it would save me some $$ if i succeed.

i thank you for the idea and your input

Monty

[RJSorensen]

Able . . . very, very nice DIY. My thanks to you for your efforts with this, and to share same with us. You the man.

[mjordan]

Since I already had the Pocket Wizard transmitter and receiver, I found it cheaper (than the Canon wireless remote) to buy the Pocket Wizard remote cable that connects into the remote socket on my Canon 10D. It works great. I bought the more expensive cable (which was still cheaper) that has the feature to keep the 10D from going to sleep. But the cheaper cable works well also and you just have to extend the sleep time of the camera. This cable works with all the cameras that take the same remote as the 10D (it works on my EOS 3 as well). I just need to buy another receiver so I can fire my camera remotely and it can still fire my lights. I use the tranmitter module in my Sekonic L-358 flash meter to trigger the camera.

Mike

[ryant35]

I think I'll save my Canon remote and buy a cheap ebay remote to try this.

I would love and extra 15' especially at 3am, 30 degrees F, dreading getting out of my warm car to take another exposure.

[milleker]

There are already third-party N-3 male connectors out there, how hard would it be to make a female too? C'mon China! :)

Or perhaps someone knows which part number to order for a replacement N-3 connector for inside the camera. That should be easily interfaced into an extender.

Though, the modification really isn't too hazardous. Cut the cord in the middle and be careful. I figure you'll have to screw up a few dozen times to use up all 2.6 feet of the cord.

[Samdiver74]

I just completed this conversion on my TC-80N3
there are only three wires on the TC 80N3
Colors are White, Red and bare (outer braiding)

White = Focus
Red = Shutter
Bare = Ground / common

I soldered my 1/8 jack plug as follows
Red = Shutter which is Tip
White = Focus and is the middle connector on the male
Bare = Ground/common soldered to the strain relief/ ground connection.
Total Spent at Radio shack
$17 for this conversion.
Cost includes a twin pack of Male 1/8inch Stereo Jacks
A twin pack of 1/8 female Stereo jacks
and a 20ft Headphone Stereo 1/8 inch extension cable.

Thanks goes to Able for this and Luke Millers website for the write up
http://www.lukemiller.org/journal/2005/05/making-extendable-remote-release-for.html

Woohoo I am a happy camper now.

[hopmedic]

That's a neat trick.
Why do you suppose Canon didn't include an IR remote like many cheaper P&S cameras.
Is it to force people to buy there expensive cable release ( I have it ) or I am too cynical.
I can imagine many occasions when an IR remote might be very useful.

I agree. I started out with the RC1 IR Remote for my EOS Elan about 12 or 13 years ago, and wish it would have worked with my 10D, and now wish it would work with my 40D... Come on, Canon!

[abel]

here's another tidbit:

Well... On my drive home from work the other day I remembered that in order to fire a remote camera with Pocket Wizards I would need to purchase a Pocket-Wizard CM-N3 Motor Cord which sells for about $120! ouch!

About 2 years ago I made a remote extension cord that was made up of a male and female stereo headphone plug to it so that you can buy a $6 extension cord to use along with it. You can see that thread

Well the cheapskate in me got to thinking and I thought about that wired remote I modified and thought there may be a chance with some added adapters that what I already have might work since it does have the Canon N3 plug on it. So I sped home on the Beltway (safely of course) trying to hurry up and find out for sure if it would or could actually work.

Wouldn't you know it... All I had to do was take the cable I already had from the wired remote I had already modified and plug it up!!!! It works!! I can trigger the 20d with my 2nd Pocket Wizard handheld or mount it on my hotshoe of my Mark II and when I fired my Mark II the 20d fired as well.

Sweet!!

Here are some shots....

http://www.houstonphotog.com/temp/pocketwizard1.jpg

Close up of the modified wire

http://www.houstonphotog.com/temp/pocketwizard2.jpg

Now you can actually either pick up a real RS-80N3 for about $50 or pick up a knock off from Ebay for about $15 and with the added $5 in stereo jack adpaters you can get it to work as well.... Not bad huh?

Thought I'd share!!!

[Linkzi]

Just received my PWs and will make one of these, thanks!

EDIT: ebay has some cheap hong kong alternatives. I'll try those first.