Have modern apps and built-in camera features killed off trusty shutter release cables?

There was a time when I kept not one, but two shutter release cables in my camera bag on any outdoor excursion. This was because the port to attach one to my Nikon D7000 was different to the one on my Nikon D800 – just one of many small annoyances when using shutter release cables. Another, was trying to figure out where to hang the blasted thing when not in use to stop it from taking in a bath in any water directly below your tripod.

For those uneducated on shutter release cables, they’re an essential accessory if you like to play with super long exposures. Most cameras top out with a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds, though a shutter release cable allows you to shoot for longer via Bulb mode. More expensive shutter release cables such as Canon’s $240 / £160 TC-80N3 also have extra features like an interval timer.

So why are they essential? Well, when shooting exposures longer than 30 secs you usually have to shoot in Bulb mode – here the shutter is open for exactly how long you hold the shutter button down. But, physically pressing the shutter button down for several minutes on your camera will no doubt result in camera-shake appearing from the movement of your hands. A shutter release cable therefore gives you another shutter button away from the camera body to avoid any shake – any shutter release cable worth its salt will also have a lock button so the shutter button can be locked in place until your exposure is finished and saves you from physically having to hold it down for several minutes.

Image 1 of 2

Nowadays, I’m not so sure they’re the must-have accessory they used to be. Since even Canon DSLRs such as the EOS 5D Mark IV had a feature called In-Camera Bulb Timer and Touch Shutter, negating the need to use a shutter release cable to access those longer shutter speeds.

As for an interval timer, most modern enthusiast level cameras and upwards have an interval mode built-in and is easier to set up on the camera’s larger LCD screen for time-lapses. Throw in the ability to access some of these features and much more through smartphone apps like the Canon Camera Connect app and I can’t see a good reason to take up valuable real estate in your camera bag.

It was only after having a clear out recently I found my jumbled mess of shutter release cable wires all tangled up together in the bottom of a drawer when it struck me how long it had been since I’d used one. At one point something I wouldn’t leave home without them, but now I’m glad to say they’ve become unnecessary with many of their core features integrated into the menus of many modern mirrorless cameras.

You might also like…

Want to know more? Take a look at the best camera remotes.