Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

I use this product for my crane system. Works great

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

WAIT. If your next shoot will be more demanding than your current job skip this controller and save your money.

It will certainly start and stop your camera and effect a touch-free change in focal length, but – particularly if you prefer a dynamic setting – the zoom itself might haunt your finished product. And be prepared to (try) to tune out and mic around the audible "clacking" accompanying every zoom.

Don't expect high ergonomics from the universal mount, either. It will stay put under most conditions but probably not in a position that will bring much convenience to many shooter's set-ups.

Canon's VR-1000 evidently got pulled for quality and durability issues. Vivitar's gizmo costs a fraction of that unavailable mid-range unit but also delivers only that. It seems a quality controller now costs more so I'll keep looking. For me, this was money misspent.

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

I used this item with Canon HF M41. Variable zoom speed function is fine. It is much better than other remos. But click noise of the button is large. So I am going to replace all button to silence one.

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

Vivitar 8 Button Remote ControlI got the Vivitar LANC control from B&H and was surprised how many of the functions work with the NX5U.Power will shut power on and off as long as the camcorder power switch is on. Don't forget the on camera switch when you shutting down.Record, focus and on screen (display) buttons all work as expected.Search appears to do nothing.Zoom has an adjustable fixed speed are a variable setting. In my short test, the variable speed starts out slow and after about 2-3 seconds the speed jumps to a higher speed.The mount is a spring clamp. It's strong enough, but a screw clamp would have been preferred. My case keep coming open at the top end away from the bottom screw. I'll see how it holds up.The unit has a 14" cable and includes a 4.5" A/V R adapter.For the price, [$], it's not bad.

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

I use it with my tripod to help even out the movement when zooming and to help elimiate the twitch when starting to record. I am an older person with arthritis and this is a great product when recording. The zoom works really well and the on/off is a good aid. Really haven't found any negatives, at this price it is a good buy.

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

The remote serves our needs for church video as used with the Canon RA-V1 remote Adapter and Vixia HF M400. All 8 functions of the remote do not work perfectly but zoom and zoom speed control were the primary concerns along with the record function. On/Off is the function that did not work and we did not want to pay the exorbitant price of the Canon remote. As mentioned in other reviews the buttons are noisy but did not pick up on recording as used mounted to tripod in a church environment.

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

I bought this so that I could control my camcorder, a Canon HF G10 without having
to point the infrared remote directly at the camera.
This is ok if you are behind the camcorder but not if you are in front of it.
Most 3rd party remotes work only with Sony. Canon gets no love from 3rd party manufacturers, so I was concerned when ordering this because no one knew if it would actually work with a Canon Camcorder.
I also ordered the VariZoom VZ-EXTL20 Extension Cable 20' long, just in case it worked.
Well the good news is it WORKS with CANON Camcorders!
Ok, only a few buttons work with Canon and it does come with a Sony LANC adapter. The LANC cord is 14" long.
But what does work, works pretty darn well for the money.

The only buttons that work are the Start/Stop Recording button. The Rocker Zoom switch and the Variable Speed Dial for the zoom.
The zoom control is fixed on a dial so you do not vary the speed with your thumb.
The next nearest priced remote is a Libec and that costs almost 4 times as much.
So the Vivitar is a screaming deal and yes, it does work with the extension cord.

Ok, what's bad about it?
Well for starters it looks and feels very 1980.
It's big and bulky and the so called mount for your tripod handle is a joke. Maybe
it will work on some tripods, but not on any I own.
The zoom switch is a rocker but it clicks audibly when you press it.
How loud?! CLICK!
Well you know those bottle caps with the popup air seal in the middle that clicks when you press it and it drove your parents crazy? About like that.
That might be a deal breaker for some. I've found no way to quiet it.

So if you want a cheap way to control your Canon camcorder and you can live with a click everytime you press the zoom button, it's a good deal.
For the money it's a bargain even with the clicky zoom switch. I was hoping the Photo button would work, but it doesn't on my Canon HF G10.
I'll probably return it and buy the Libec because I need a quiet zoom.

Comments about Vivitar 8 Button Remote Control:

The Vivitar LANC remote for the Sony video camera works nicely right out of the box. All of the necessary functions such as Focus, Zoom and photo are just a thumb click away. The only thing I found to be a distraction is the zoom controller makes a clicking sound when it is depressed and would have been nice if it was a smooth rocker instead. However for the price it's perfect.