Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3
The Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord maintains all on-camera flash functions (including E-TTL II) for one Canon Speedlite used off-camera at distances up to 2' (60 cm). It is compatible with all Canon EOS cameras except the 630 and RT (which require a combination of TTL Hot Shoe Adapter 3, OA-2 Off Camera Shoe Adapter & Connecting Cord 60).
The OC-E3 has been improved over the OC-SC 2 with better sealing against dust and moisture, to better match the weather-resistant design of the EOS 1D Mark III and the 580EX2 flash. It also now features a sturdier foot.
- Also fully functional with the combination of the T90 camera and 300TL flash (from Canon's older FD manual focus system).
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 366 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
90%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to use (229)
- Reliable (209)
- Lightweight (193)
- Durable (130)
- Strong construction (57)
Cons
- Not durable (20)
- Flimsy design (12)
- Poor design (11)
- Poor quality (11)
- Pricey / poor value (7)
Best Uses
- Portraits (139)
- Everyday (75)
- Studio (62)
- Travel (62)
- Macro photography (50)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Professional (92), Semi-professional (80), Enthusiast (71), Pro photographer (18), Tech savvy (18)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (129), Yes (4)
Most Liked Positive Review
Is the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 3 worth 25 bucks more?
Yes, the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 3 is worth 25 bucksmore. I use a flip flash bracket and after going thru severalCanon Shoe Cord 2's I gave up with Canon. The screws...Read complete review
Yes, the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 3 is worth 25 bucksmore. I use a flip flash bracket and after going thru severalCanon Shoe Cord 2's I gave up with Canon. The screws inthe upper shoe would tear out or the wired metal plate in theupper shoe would work loose and leave the flash wobbly. Itried a Dot Line for Canon ETTL shoe cord which is betterconstructed but would inadvertently switch from ETTL to TTLcausing excess flash. Yes, you could reset the flash backto ETTL mode bymounting it directly back to the camera but who has time forthat? Promaster also makes a Canon shoe cord which I wasabout to try next until I noticed the Canon Shoe Cord 3. Assoon as I bought it I noticed that the upper shoe (for theflash) is slightly wider and longer. The shoe bracket is nolonger painted black (which the black paint would just getscratched up anyway). The upper shoe bracket now has ametal female screw collar as opposed to plastic. The upper shoewired metal plate looks thicker than before and is securedby 4 metal screws vs. four impacted metal posts. The uppershoe clam shell cover is secured by four long screws vs. onlythree screws in Shoe Cord 2. The lower shoe (camera mount)is slightly wider and longer than the Shoe Cord 2. It has abetter weather proof seal in the back and the slide lockfeature is faster and easier than the dial screw lock on theShoeCord 2. The foot of the lower shoe is solid metal vs.plastic on the Shoe Cord 2. The lower shoe contacts arerounded metal points vs. thinner rounded metal strips on theShoe Cord 2. The Shoe Cord 3 lower shoe slides on or offthe camera easier than the Shoe Cord 2. So far it worksgreat with my Canon 580EX but only time will tell how longit will last on my flip frame. If you use a flip flashframe save yourself $50 bucks on a Canon Shoe Cord 2 whichwill not last long! For $25 bucks more avoid the headacheof flash problems.
Expertise: Part-time photographer
Problems Encountered: One downside of the Shoe Cord 3 is the Made in Chinapainted on the bottom shoe. Acetone won't remove it, but apaint stripper gel will. Simply cover the Canon logo withcellophane tape and rub the gel on with a Q-tip. Rub theexcess off with a clean Q-tip. Don't over do it as you willeventually rub off the black paint below as well.
Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord 2
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Plastic foot snaped off when on bracket
The second time I used this product attached to a Tiffen QuickFlip 350 bracket, the plastic foot snapped off on the hot-shoe section that connect to the flash. It was locked down but the ...Read complete review
The second time I used this product attached to a Tiffen QuickFlip 350 bracket, the plastic foot snapped off on the hot-shoe section that connect to the flash. It was locked down but the plastic is so flimsy that it just disintegrated, rendering the whole thing useless for future connection. The foot on the other end is metal, so why isn't the foot at the flash end for [$] bucks?
Reviewed by 366 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Easy To Use
- Reliable
Cons
- Not Durable
- Poor Design
Best Uses
- Portraits
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Living in Alaska I need to have more than one dependable option for gear and I just have to have one of these when wireless doesn't want to work as it should. Best used with my stroboframe because it is a compact off camera flash option (I do heli destination weddings and have limited space) but it ALWAYS fails at the flash mount, which seems to be a design flaw. Still, no way around it, I just have to accept that Canon gets to charge what they want for a reliable semi-disposable accessory and I have to budget for one or two a year. Off brands haven't been as reliable, at least the new design is a little more sturdy than previous ones.
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Home
- Portraits
- Traveling
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
I purchased this cord to use with my kirk action grip for flash and or a DSLR microphone. The cord works as it should and feels solid with my flash mounted along with a GF Diffuser.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Portraits
- Weddings
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Gotta love Canon accessories! Easy to use and creates a better flash image than being on-camera. Quicker to use for bouncing off surfaces, than swiveling the speedlite attached to the camera.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Cost effective
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Portraits
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
It is what it is...I mount my flash to an off-camera flash bracket and this makes it possible. Works great!
I use wireless triggers when I really want to place my lighting away from my camera but for basic stills, this works just fine.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
Cons
Best Uses
- Portraits
- Traveling
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
A product that I would recommend to fellow photographers, well made and worth the extra money to have a reliable cord to get my flash source off the camera.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
Cons
- Not Durable
Best Uses
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Nice to get the flash off the camera without fussing about radios or infrared wireless. But it stopped working properly after 1 year. Triggered the flash but stopped sending and receiving ETTL info. Now useless and Canon does NOT warranty accessories.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Home
- Macro Photography
- Portraits
- Studio
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
I found this very useful to connect my Canon G-11 and my 270EX flash. The head of the 270EX tilts but won't swivel so, if it's mounted in the hot shoe, you can't bounce the flash off a side wall or even off a ceiling if you're pointing downwards.
The curly cord is a bit short but does allow me to point the flash head where I want to.
I saw another similar non-Canon product on B&H for about 1/2 the price. Sorry, I forget the brand name.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
- Another 3' model
Best Uses
- Flash tele photograpy
- Macro Photography
- Traveling
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
The weather proof seals make it useful with the new weather resistant cameras and flashes, good for off camera flashes on a Wimberly flash mount with large telephoto lenses for wildlife and sports. We shot Canon 500 mm IS and 600mm IS, D7 and 1D marklll w/ 580ll flashes on Wimberley Heads with Wimberley flash mounts, in a pretty steady drizzle with some hard rain with no problems.New model is more secure and durable, i.e. metal socket vs old one was plastic.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Use this for off-camera flash control atop a Canon 7D and 500 mm F/4 mounted on a tripod and Wimberly 200 with wimberly flash arm modules. Works well to help deliver flash by avoiding lens shadow.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
- Portraits
- Studio
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
When in need of a flash you are still able to get the quality of your flash just not right in your clients face.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
This is a great product that adds a lot of flexibility to your flash, a little on the pricey end but you get what you pay for.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
Cons
- Not Durable
Best Uses
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Typical uses for over head lighting. I'm a wedding and portrait photographer who likes to shoot in as "natural" lighting as possible. So I needed to move the flash off of the camera bring it up about 5 inches to help with shadowing. So what's good? It does at it should connects to the camera and flash allowing you to connect to an arm or freely move it about as needed while attached to the camera. It also last a lot longer than some of the not name brands.
What's not so good. Here is the list:
It takes a while to stretch the coiled cord (comes with any of the cord) in order to move about with out knocking the camera over.
Over time the effectiveness of communication between the camera and flash deteriorates, causing the flash not to fire when you absolutely need it.
Cable at the base connection to the camera starts to weaken.
Base that connects to the flash is easily broken. I have never dropped my camera, flash, or flash cable. The weight of the flash (really what weight, right??) pulls the connection attached to the arm and the flash apart.Plastic parts here.
So why would "I buy again and again"? You need a cable to have a free flash or a flash connected to an arm. However, I may have found an alternative solution to my flash arm. But I will still need the cable to have a "free" flash.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Reliable
Cons
- Cable Too Short
Best Uses
- Portraits
- Studio
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Gets the job done.
Use it to trigger my 580 EX IIs while the 580 EX triggers a non Canon flash via a photo cell.
Excellent part of my flash system for both portraiture and commercial.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Home
- Portraits
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Does what it is supposed to do I just wish it was 6" to 1' longer.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Works as advertised
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Macro Photography
- Portraits
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
I haven't had the cord long but the initial checks showed it to work perfectly. I like the metal feet.Getting your flash off the camera hot shoe definetly opens up lighting possiblities.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Home
- Macro Photography
- Portraits
- Traveling
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
I'll use this for off-camera flash work when I need the flash to be off the camera, but within the range of the cord. For example event/wedding photography and pet photography. While there are less expensive off-camera flash cords, my concern is possible voltage incompability between the camera and flash. For me considering the cost of dslr's and flash units, the difference in cost is worth the peace of mind. It is well made and I expect it will hold up to professional use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
I usually bounce my light so this helps a little but not as much as I expected. Think I need to go the wireless route anyways, but for what it's made for ... It does a good job!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Home
- Landscape Photography
- Portraits
- Traveling
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
I can switch from portrait to landscape in just a second. Also can extend the flash from the camera and get good effect on my photos
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Everyday use
- Portraits
- Studio
- Traveling
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
Excellent cord for short distance off camera flash.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
- Not Durable
- Poor Design
Best Uses
Comments about Canon OC-E3 Off Camera Shoe Cord 3:
You can tell that this product is intentionally designed to break. It is my third replacement this year and I replace this cable at least twice EVERY year. Everything about this unit is build solid except that actual shoe to hold the flash in place. It seems like just a mechanism by Canon to increase profits with a cable that is more like a consumable than a piece of equipment.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
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