KG One Shot Cable, Worth it

[JoeKitchen]

Is it worth buying the Kapture Group one shot cable for using a tech camera, especially since it breaks too fast?

[skimasks]

I have two, both of which I bought used. One broke while I was shooting at the top of a mountain. Just had to hold it together and was able to finish the shoot. I was later able to fix it with superglue. It has been reliable since. No regrets purchasing either cable.

[Paul2660]

Joe:

I started out with the Phase one cable, plus the wake up adapter.   Recently I purchased one of the Kapture Group cables and have started to use it.  I prefer it over the other method, as once you get into the flow, I find I get less errors on the camera.  I have heard of them breaking, but mine has yet to fail.  I have the shorter cable release and on the rm3di, it's a bit tight especially if you try to use the hole in the camera mount designed by Arca for the cable release.  I am going to get a longer release which should help. 

I have also started to use the Gepe short cable release extensions on my 35mm and 43mm as you can leave the extension on the lens and this makes screwing in the Kapture Group cable much easier since you don't have to reach up into such a tight space, especially on the 35mm.  This is due to the fact that I have the physical CF on both of the lenses and it makes the space to screw in the cable release much tighter.

Paul Caldwell

[siebel]

I used the KG cable for some time and frankly, I am not a fan. When I swapped to Alpa, I bought the Alpa Sync release and after more than a year of shooting with it, over thousands of exposures in at least 10 countries, in conditions from falling snow to tropical rainstorms and in the Arabian deserts at summer temps over 50C, this neat little device has quietly done its job without fuss. It is small, light and has the ability to remove the threaded section that accepts a standard cable release, exposing a long-throw shutter-release button that is smooth and easy to use without vibrating the camera. I sometimes shoot my Alpa STC handheld and simply mount my lens so the release sits horizontally across the top of the lens, triggering it with my left thumb, opposed by my middle finger on the other side of the lens. I even shoot aerials from choppers this way. I am so happy with mine I am considering buying another so I have one on each of my most used lenses and don't have to swap them around. I know some people will squeal that it is expensive but it is to me so much more elegant a solution than any alternatives, small and reliable that I believe it is with the small extra cash. Depending on the brand of back you use, you will have to get the correct cable, but this is well made and fits very neatly without extra cable dangling in the way. Because it simply screws into the shutter release thread on a Copal shutter, it will also work on tech cams other than Alpa.

http://alpa.ch/en/products/lenses/alpa-sync-solutions/alpa-sync-release.html

Cheers,
Siebel

[yaya]

Is it worth buying the Kapture Group one shot cable for using a tech camera, especially since it breaks too fast?

Not all backs require a one-shot or a wake-up cable...which back are you looking to get Joe?

[JoeKitchen]

P45+

That one shot device from Alpa looks nice.  From the pics on Alpa's site it looks like it just screws into the cable release socket in the lens, correct?  Meaning that you do not need to own an Alpa to use it, right?

[siebel]

That is correct - it screws directly into the cable release thread on the shutter release lever. As such, it should work on any Copal shutter. Just make sure you get the correct cable for your back.