I agree with Rob, the Ebony is the best and I've had all those others. I've been using the same one for 6 or 7 uears...
How on earth do you break multiple cables?
The only issue I've ever had was the plastic tubing on one slipped from one end of the cable. I pushed it back on and put a but of Gaffer tape on it and it's worked ever since.
All of mine are cheap, 100cm Chinese-sourced cables.
Lachlan.
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky
Well, mine isn't exactly a cable release, but it does have a short length of cable on the end. I bought a Rowi pneumatic release on Ebay. It might be NOS because it looks new and shows no signs of use, but it's old enough the bulb was solidly petrified. This is the model with the long narrow cylinder and a section of cable release permanently attached. I wrapped a narrow strip of tape around the tiny hose nipple on the cylinder to build up the diameter. This way I could use it with the 1/8" fuel/vacuum hose and modified blood pressure cuff bulb that I use with my pneumatic shutters. The Rowi fires a Betax #4 with ease. I use it now instead of a cable release.
I too use pneumatics. I use the DeGroff air release pistons. Since I have a few different shutters I need a tapered, straight and a Wollansak external thread. I seldom use a cable release.
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At only a couple of dollars each, I bought enough to have one on each lens. As such, I leave one attached to all but my Copal 3 shutters (as they have the perpendicular mounting hole, not the horizontal ones found on the smaller shutters).
Never had a problem, and I shoot with them a lot.
Lachlan.
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. -- Wayne Gretzky
I'm of the school of thought that if I can streamline things so I don't have to screw that tiny cable release in each time then it saves me time and lessens the risk of damage through handling. I've gone so far as to use Blue Loctite to hold short releases onto lenses, and now I am starting to look enviously at that Linhof Quick Release cable system.
I've got dozens of cable releases from ebay in small lots of 5-10, used. They always go cheap because they usually don't have name brands listed on the subject line, so people don't find them. I've gotten a half-dozen releases before for $2 or so.
Usually in the lots are a few or more quality releases. I've gotten a lot of Bronica-branded ones that are very nice. I've gotten a couple of excellent Nikon AR-2 releases in these lots for barely any money.
Seems worth it to me to watch a couple auctions rather than paying big money for new releases.
Mine are all Gepes with a single Minette in the works. When the time comes I'll replace it with a Gepe too. I like 'em and think they're well worth the $$
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
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