Phottix Cleon Wire/Wireless Remote Control Set
9:04 PMIntro
The Phottix Cleon is a combination wired and wireless shutter release for cameras. It was released in February 2008 at PMA 2008 (Photo Marketing Association tradeshow).
The Cleon consists of a compact wireless transmitter and wireless receiver, and can be configured to use any one of 16 wireless channels.
The receiver can be used as a wired remote shutter release, and supports single shot mode, as well as bulb mode for long exposures.
Alternatively, the Cleon can be used as a wireless remote, with the transmitter used to trigger the camera's shutter remotely. The specifications indicate the wireless range is upto 100 metres.
Phottix Cleon
Wireless Shutter Release?
A shutter release is designed to allow you to trigger a camera's shutter without having to depress the camera's shutter button itself. This can be particularly important when taking long exposure photos with the camera mounted on a tripod, as the physical action of depressing the shutter button on the camera is likely to result in the camera moving, thus resulting in a photo that is no longer sharp.
A shutter release also allows the camera's shutter to be triggered from a distance.
A wired remote shutter release is the simplest option, and consists of a switch that's connected in parallel with the camera's shutter button, connected via a cable to the camera. However, you're still tethered to the camera with the cable, and need to stay in close proximity to the camera while using the cable release.
A wireless shutter release provides a lot more flexibility, as it un-tethers the remote from the camera, and uses a wireless (RF or infrared) signal to communicate with either the camera itself, or a receiver that's connected to the camera. Depending on the range of the wireless shutter release, it allows you to trigger the camera's shutter from a distance, and can be useful for situations where you've set up the camera on a tripod, and you are some distance away.
An infrared-based wireless remote requires clear line-of-sight between the transmitter and receiver. However, an RF-based wireless remote such as the Phottix Cleon does not require line-of-site between the transmitter and receiver, and hence is much more flexible than an infrared-based wireless remote.
Overview of the Cleon
The Phottix Cleon has two primary components, namely the transmitter and the receiver. The receiver has a cable hard-wired into it, and different models of the Cleon come with varying connectors, to suit different cameras.
package contents - transmitter, receiver, battery for receiver, wrist strap and clip
The receiver needs to be connected to the camera's remote shutter release connector, and the model reviewed here is the Phottix Cleon C8, which has an N3 connector on the end of the receiver's cable, to suit the Canon 10D/20D/30D/40D/50D/5D and 1D cameras.
I'm testing it with a Canon 50D DSLR body.
A quick search on eBay indicates the Phottix Cleon typically retails for about AUD$46 (approx USD$29).
Cleon Models and Camera Compatibility
Cleon packaging
All DSLR camera manufacturers use different connectors for connecting shutter releases to the camera, and Phottix provide several different models of the Cleon, to suit different cameras. The only difference between these models is the connector on the end of the cable that's hard-wired into the receiver.
The complete lineup of Phottix Cleon models is as follows:
- C8: for Canon 10D/20D/30D/40D/50D/5D/1D
- C6: for Canon 300D/350D/400D/450D/1000D and Pentax K20D, K200D, K10D , K100D
- N8: for Nikon D100/D200/D300/D700/D3
- N6: for Nikon D70s/D80
- S6: for Sony/KM cameras
Features and Specifications
Specifications (as listed on the packaging):
| Name of Product | Transmitter | Receiver |
| Power | 12V / 23A | 3V / CR2 |
| Life of Battery | up to 3 years | 20,000 Times |
| Number of channels | 16 | 16 |
| Range | 100m (320ft) without obstacles | |
| Monitor Light | Two color LEDs | Two color LEDs |
| Frequency | 315 MHz | |
Four small DIP switches on the receiver and transmitter are used to set the channel used for communications between the two devices, providing a total of 16 different channels.
Note that the DIP switches are flush with the surface of the remote, so you need a sharp object to move the switches. This also helps ensure the channel switches do not get accidentally moved in your camera bag.
receiver
transmitter A single transmitter can be used to trigger multiple receivers, if the receivers are configured to use the same channel. In other words, you can use a single transmitter to trigger multiple cameras, if each camera is connected to a Cleon receiver on the same channel. The camera cable connected to the Cleon receiver is hard-wired into the receiver, and cannot be removed from the receiver. The Cleon receiver has a plastic hotshoe connector on its base, and this allows you to attach the receiver onto the camera's hotshoe for convenience, rather than leaving it dangling from the cable. There are no electrical contacts in the hotshoe connector on the Cleon receiver; it's purely a physical connection to hold the receiver.  Cleon receiver on a Canon 50D The Cleon receiver can be oriented to either face the front of the camera, or the rear of the camera, when mounting it in the camera's hotshoe. This allows you to have the status LEDs on the receiver facing either forwards or backwards, so you can see the LEDs if you're standing in front or behind the camera.  Cleon receiver The receiver's mode switch allows various modes to be selected, including:
 Cleon transmitter The transmitter has a simple On/Off switch, as well as a telescopic extendable antenna. The wrist strap and clip provided with the Cleon can be attached to the transmitter, if desired. Using the Receiver as a Wired Shutter Release The receiver can be used as a simple wired remote shutter release, utilising the large button on it to trigger the camera's shutter. The receiver needs to be connected to your camera by plugging the end of the receiver's cable into the camera's remote socket. A half-press of the receiver's button is equivalent to a half-press on the camera's shutter button, and a full press is equivalent to a full press on the camera's shutter button. The mode switch on the receiver can stay in the "Off" position, and there's no need for a battery in the receiver when it's being used as a wired shutter release. For long exposures using the camera's bulb mode, rather than holding down the shutter button on the Cleon receiver, moving the receiver's mode switch to "B" will cause it to hold the camera's shutter open. Moving the mode switch back to "Off" will cause the camera's shutter to close. Using the Cleon Wirelessly To use the Cleon to wirelessly trigger your camera, you'll need to connect the receiver to the camera's remote socket, and optionally mount the receiver unit on the camera's hotshoe. The mode switch on the receiver needs to be switched to "On" if you want the camera to immediately take a photo as soon as the transmitter button is fully depressed, or "2S" if you want the receiver to wait for 2 seconds before taking a photo. The power switch on the transmitter needs to be set to "On" before it can be used to remotely trigger the receiver.  Cleon transmitter Depending on the distance between the receiver and transmitter, you may also need to extend the antenna on the receiver. The specifications claim a working distance of 100m in an area free of obstacles, but I haven't yet tested the range of the Cleon. When the mode switch on the receiver is set to "On", the LED on the left hand side periodically flashes green, to indicate it's ready for operation. With the mode switch set to "2S", the LED on the right hand side of the receiver periodically flashes red.  half-press: green LED  full press: red LED Half-depressing the button on the transmitter causes the status LED on the transmitter to glow green, and the LED on the left hand side of the receiver will also glow green. This is equivalent to a half-press on the camera's shutter button. Fully depressing the button on the transmitter causes the status LED on the transmitter to go red, and the LED on the right hand side of the receiver also goes red as the camera's shutter is triggered. Wireless Bulb Mode with the Cleon The Cleon also supports bulb mode wirelessly, without requiring you to hold the transmitter button down to keep the camera shutter open. To use the Cleon's wireless bulb mode, your camera needs to be configured in bulb mode. To open the camera's shutter, hold the transmitter button down for about 4 seconds. During this time, the transmitter's LED will be red, and will then turn off after 4 seconds. Once the transmitter's LED has turned off, you can release the transmitter button, and the receiver will hold the camera shutter open. The LED on the left hand side of the receiver will remain red while it holds the shutter open. To release the shutter, half-press the button on the transmitter, and the red LED on the receiver should turn off as it releases the camera's shutter. The Verdict The Phottix Cleon provides a cheap and compact wireless remote shutter release, and also offers the flexibility of being able to be used as a wired shutter release. A wireless shutter release allows the camera's shutter to easily be triggered from a greater distance from the camera (upto 100m). The Cleon is well-constructed, and during my testing, it performed flawlessly, with no false triggering occurring during testing (although I all my testing was over short distances). The receiver's plastic hotshoe provides a convenient mechanism to mount the receiver on the camera's hotshoe. However, if you have a flash or a flash trigger mounted on the hotshoe, you cannot mount the Cleon receiver. Having a lug for attaching a small strap to the receiver would be useful in these situations, as you could then hang the receiver from your tripod. I'm not sure why the transmitter requires a power switch, as I don't believe the circuitry is active unless the shutter button is being depressed. However, the power switch ensures the battery will not be drained if the shutter button on the transmitter is accidentally depressed in your camera bag. I have found the convenience of a wireless shutter release to be handy, even in situations where I'm close to the camera. Sunrise and sunset photo shoots often see my camera mounted on a tripod, taking photos as the lighting conditions change. The wireless shutter release allows me to easily trigger the camera's shutter without having to walk upto the camera and tripod, and use a wired shutter release. |
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