The required batteries 4 different batteries of 3 different kinds are not included. One is a non-standard battery. More on that in a bit.
** Uses for This Device **
There are four basic ways to use the Jenis J-C50D-L-W:
1. To take normal shots at regular intervals as for timelapse photography.
2. To take long exposures at regular intervals.
3. To use as a wireless remote for taking pictures of skittish wildlife or perhaps with portraiture.
4. To set a delay before taking a picture that can be much longer than the self timer available in the camera. The delay before taking exposures can be added in front of timelapse or long exposure modes, too.
** Powering the Unit(s) **
The unit requires 2 AAA batteries (no problem there), a "23A" 12 Volt battery which is widely available, and a stubby battery called simply "6V" in the instruction sheet. Unfortunately there are hundreds of batteries known by the designation 6V as it simply means 6 Volts. No battery dimensions or size information is provided. The 6V battery compartment will hold something which is about 1/2 the height and the same diameter as a AA battery. The unit will be useless without this battery!
I can't yet comment on battery life as it took quite a bit of searching just to discover what "6V" battery is needed. Read on and I'll clue you in!
** The Receiver (camera mounted) Unit **
The receiver, attaches to the camera hotshoe. The attachment is not electrical it is merely a convenient place to mount the receiver (unless you are using a flash!). The N3 plug on the receiver attaches to the camera's remote port to control the shutter. The cord for this is only about a foot long should be sufficient for most cases. There is a on/off push button on the receiver unit, and a little access cover for changing the wireless code. The on/off switch is slightly recessed, but it could easily be turned on accidentally if thrown in a camera bag.
There are two LED's on the receiver. One on the left is red if the unit is on, the one on the right behaves just like the LED on the timer unit as described below.
** The Timer (Sending) Unit **
The sending unit (handheld timer portion) appears to be laid out identically to the Canon TC80N3 Timer wired remote. The buttons on the handheld component are labeled Mode, Start/Stop, and Light. There is a side wheel for setting the time, and a manual shutter release button with a mechanical slide to lock the shutter button down. On top of the timer an LED signals three different things. When you press the manual shutter button part way, the LED lights green. When pressed fully, the LED lights red. When used in timing modes the LED is green to indicate that the unit is running, and red indicates that the shutter is being activated. When unlit the unit is neither running or locked on. There does not seem to be any indication on the timer unit that anything is actually being transmitted you'll have to look at the receiver to confirm that something is being received.
The Mode button on the timer unit selects among
"Self" misnamed as this is the start up delay,
"INT" the interval in hours, minutes and seconds between shots,
"LONG" the length of the exposure in H:M:S and
"FRAMES" the *TWO DIGIT* number of exposures (frames) that will be taken.
The maximum possible value for FRAMES is 99. You're out of luck if you want to set it up to take 4 hours worth of 1 minute exposures (240 exposures in all). There is a solution. The instructions don't say this but setting the FRAMES value to 00 means endless. So the choices are really 1 through 99 and endless. To use the endless FRAMES mode you must also set nonzero values for INT and LONG. For example with INT set to 2 seconds and LONG set to 4 seconds the timer runs continuously by keeping the shutter open for 4 seconds followed by a two second pause. NOTE: If you set INT to 00, the unit will take only one exposure and stop which seems like a strange inconsistency.
Setting LONG and INT separately like this is simpler than the method used on my corded Opteka Timer Remote. On the Opteka you must set an INT that is at least one second longer than the exposure time (LONG) or the Opteka will not work. The handling on the Jenis seems more natural. Using the thumb wheel to set the time is also simpler than clicking furiously 29 times to go from 1 to 30. Each segment in the time is set separately. Pressing the wheel in with your thumb moves to the next time segment... e.g. hours to minutes.
On the back of the unit are a cover over the 3 batteries, and a port for changing the wireless access code.
WARNING: Out of the box the wireless codes on my reciever and timer units were different these must match one another or nothing useful will happen.
One thing missing from the timer unit is an on/off switch. A "HOLD" function is provided but this seems like a poor substitute for a real power switch. To activate the HOLD mode You press and hold the light button for 3 seconds. Thereafter all controls are disabled until you press the light button again for 3 seconds. My concern is that when jostled in your camera bag there really is nothing to prevent the light button from being turned on and running down the batteries. Worse, the HOLD feature does not prevent use of the shutter button the shutter button is active all the time. A really horrible scenario for battery life is to have the shutter become latched and merrily transmit until the 23A battery in the timer is dead.
** Camera Configuration **
All uses of this or other external timers require that you also set your camera's drive mode and exposure time correctly. This can be a little tricky. The instructions do spell out the correct settings but each camera vendor has different terminology and the instructions supplied are not couched in the same language as Canon manuals so even with the correct explanation it may be more than trivial get the camera set correctly.
For example, to get a continuous sequence of 4 minute exposures you will have to put your camera in BULB exposure mode and the camera drive mode may not matter. To get single shots at 4 minute intervals you will definitely want the camera in single shot mode.
** Transmission Range **
I haven't done exhaustive testing as yet, but I put the camera and receiver on my front porch in the evening and was easily able to operate the unit from about 120 feet away without extending the antenna. I had line-of-site visibility to the receiver and could observe that when I partially or full depressed the timer unit, the receiver light matched the light on the sender. Of course this was with new batteries in a 50 degrees Fahrenheit outdoor setting. From about 100 feet and further, the receiver unit seemed to flicker a bit, so I suspect that 100 feet is close to the maximum range with the antenna not extended.
Build Quality / Expected Reliability
On the timer unit is a telescoping antenna. It's a little flimsy and I worry that if you must use it extended a lot it might not hold up for long. However in my transmission range testing, it looks like you may never have to extend the antenna.
I notice that the shutter button on the timer latches a little too easily, and the battery cover seems a bit too easily opened. On my Opteka this was quite a problem and I ended up duct taping the battery cover on. On the plus side, the receiver N3 plug has a metal collar around it and when plugged into the camera remote is quite secure. You MUST pull on the collar to unseat it. On the downside, the on-off switch on the receiver protrudes and was turned on while riding around in my camera bag. Moreover, my few recent attempts to use the remote have proved frustrating the camera often behaves as if the shutter button is being held down when it is not. Finally, the lack of an on off switch and a protruding program start button on the transmitter have proven painful to deal with the timer starts running unexpectedly.
WARNING TO FOLKS WHO WANT TO USE THIS FOR LONG EXPOSURES...
I have the Canon 40D and 50D and have discovered that if you set the exposure time to 10 seconds, the camera MUST have at least a 1.2 second delay between one exposure and the next even with Long exposure and High ISO noise reduction turned off. If at 30 seconds there is a 2.6 second delay required between one exposure and the next. What this means is you should probably set a INT of 2 or 3 seconds. It also means if you're trying to capture meteors, you're going to miss some :-( This is a limitation of the camera, however, and not the unit.
** In Summary **
I have used 4 different timers, and currently own 3. Of those my favorite is perhaps the JJC TM series (sold under a variety of names including TR-A Timer Remote Control because it is more compact and has an on/off switch. Functionally the TR-A is identical to to the Opteka Timer I have owned for almost two years and have been using successfully. The Jenis and the Canon TC80N3 Timer are almost look-alikes and are programmed similarly. The difference is in the radio control remote of the Jenis. That alone and its lower price point than the Canon remote may make it worth the cost... but I'm unhappy about having to carry 3 different kinds of replacement batteries, and the performance of the unit so far especially since there is no on/off switch on the timer.
Before you panic trying to find the mysterious "6V" battery, I can save you the trouble I already panicked for you. The Energizer A544 6-Volt Photo Battery seems to work just fine although you might want to shop around. On-line prices range from $2 to $100 (NO Kidding!) with similar looking batteries and lithium batteries also available. Other manufacturers have designations for the same battery as: 28, 28A, 28L, PX28, PX28A, Duracell PX28LBPK, 4G13, A544, 4LR44, KS28, V28PX, 1406SOP, 4SR44, Eveready L544, A544, Panasonic 4LR44, Kodak MAX K28A Battery LR44 alkaline 100 mAh, Kodak K28L 6-Volt Lithium Battery, Varta V28PXL Li 170 mAh, Rayovac 2CR1/3N, Lenmar WC2CR13N 2CR1/3N Lithium, Maxell 4LR44P, Toshiba 4LR44, and GP 476a. Usually the letter "L" in the description indicates a lithium battery.
I just received and tested this remote and I am very pleased with the build quality and function of the unit, especially considering the Canon brand equivalent is $366! I am giving the unit 5 stars, even though I agree with almost everything the other reviewer said about it (he gave it 2 stars).
The areas where I disagree deal primarily with the build quality. I found the telescoping antenna to more solid than is typical (they can all be bent rather easily). But the relatively small diameter of this antenna though made it seem a little less fragile. The battery covers all close securily on my unit and stay in place.
The fact that it takes three different battery types doesn't really bother me. I can carry a spare set of all three for under $10. Also, this is an accessory that I will use infrequently so I will take the batteries out between uses. So the lack of an on/off switch doesn't matter to me.
All in all I think this remote is a great value both in terms of build and function.
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