Best Cable Release? (Shutter Vibration)

[H. G. Hart]

My cable release recently bit the dust. My new one seems much sturdier, but looking at the variations on cable release design started me thinking about any difference in the amount of vibration that various styles transmit to the lens. Are there any differences caused by the length of the cable or the material it is made of? Do air-bell style releases impart less vibration than mechanical plungers (the style I use)?

Also, are these vibrations irrelevant when compared to those caused by the release of the shutter itself? I'm thinking specifically of Copal 3 shutters which my lenses use. What shutter speeds cause the least vibration and/or what can be done to minimize this vibration. Are any and all vibrations caused by the lens/cable release insignificant in comparison to vibrations from other sources?

I'm not having any specific problems with sharpness per se, I just had not given much thought to this source of vibration before and was interested to hear from anyone with knowledge/experience in these matters.

[C. D. Keth]

The mechanical ones are fine as long as you have some slack in the line to absorb any vibration. The only time I've seen fit to use air releases was for self-portraits because of their length.

[naturephoto1]

My favorite cable releases are the Linhof; presently I have 2 and some inexpensive backups mounted on other lenses. Not really that expensive through Badger Graphic and available in a variety of lengths. I tend to use the one as I remember that is 13" long.

Rich

[Hiro]

I've never even thought of that. Of course it doesn't necessarily mean no effect, but material, length, brand, etc. of the cable seem to be more of personal preference for reasons such as durability, feel, where you stand when you trip the shutter, etc. I'd watch out for obvious culprits like camera/tripod stability and the shutter speed (say 1/2 to 1/30), particularly when a Copal 3 clanks.

[Capocheny]

I've used all kinds of cable releases ranging from Linhof to Ebony to the most generic types. Personally, I prefer a length of about 12 plus inches.

IMHO, if you slowly plunge the release to fire off the shutter, vibration doesn't tend to be much of a problem. As Hiro suggested, it's the other culprits that would contribute more to the problem than the release itself.

For those more costly releases. you're paying for better construction and materials used in the cable release.

Cheers

[Walter Calahan]

Air is the best to prevent vibration.

Cable releases need to be long to absorb vibration. I like those that are over 2 feet long.

The key is not to jab the release. You want a smooth, stead action.

[Michael Graves]

I've got two 20" Copal cable releasae that are cloth covered and very sturdy. At the same time they're more flexible than any others I have and they became my favorite ones. I got them from an old boss who retired 20 years ago and have been using them since. You see them pop up from time to time on Ebay.

[Atul Mohidekar]

I have several cable releases including Minolta, Nikon, Hama, Prontor, generic, etc. They include cloth-covered, metal-covered, vinyl-covered cables. The best ones are Minolta-III and Minolta-II. They are EXTREMELY smooth and are about 16" in length. Nikon comes close second but is about 9". I prefer the longer ones between 15" and 20". IMO, the metal-covered will produce the strongest vibrations (if any) because when I push the plunger the arc of the release moves quite a bit that might cause vibrations. As mentioned by Capocheny, if you push slowly the possibility of vibrations is reduced. Compared to the cable release, some of the other factors that might have greater potential to affect the vibrations are the rigidity of the camera (especially rigidity of the front standard that holds the lens is more relevant for this discussion), the shutter type (0 vs. 1 vs. 3 and Copal vs. Compur vs. Prontor Press vs. Prontor Professional, etc.), the tripod, tripod head and wind conditions.


// Atul

[Maris Rusis]

I've never found any noticable differences between good cable releases in modifying shutter vibration but my favourite release helps eliminate subject vibration.

This release is black, cloth covered, and one metre long. When shooting portraits on 8x10 I hold the plunger end behind my back so the portrait subject cannot see my thumb go down. Maybe I just have skittish subjects but there seems to be a connection between thumb movement, shutter noise anticipation, flash anticipation, and involuntary flinching.

[H. G. Hart]

Well, cable release construction seems to be pretty well covered, but I'm still wondering about the vibrations caused by the shutter itself.

Hiro, did I understand you correctly that sutter speeds from 1/2 to 1/30 sec. are the worst in terms of vibration (that's almost every speed on a Copal 3)? I mostly use shutter speeds between 1/4 and 1/60. I'm wondering how much vibration is being caused, and if it is not entirely insignificant in the grand scheme of things (which it very well may be) what can be done to minimize it.