Looking to purchase the above mentioned remote. The price is pretty steep and while looking at Ebay I noticed a few after market versions such as the Photitix brand. Is there any significant reason to not consider the Phottix version over the Canon? Don't have a problem spending the money on the Canon if there is a good reason to spend the extra $50+.
I opted for the Opteka OPT-TIMER-C3 which has the same functionality as the Canon TC-80N3. It's about half the price ($60), so far so good. It takes two AAA batteries instead of the CR2032 Lithium Ion battery that Canon uses. I also know that the connector doesn't have a metal clip of some sort. I work with someone who has the Canon version, I will ask him to bring it in an I will compare build quality and let you know.
The Canon TC-80N3 is small and compact, and the small battery it uses lasts for a very long time. It is easily light enough to let it hang from the connector off the camera with no thought of a problem. I am very happy with the one I have, and I first used it with my EOS-3 quite a few years ago.
The Canon connector does lock in to the camera very well, and yet releases perfectly when you pull on it. I have always been worried about third party connectors going into an expensive cameras, and the only third party one I worked with did not give me much confidence. And the reference to my post above still applies. Some third party connectors may not fit properly if you want to use them with L plates. I don't know how big a problem the fit issue with L plates is, but it is just another thing to be aware of and consider.
I love my TC80N3, I wish the button layout was a bit different, it would be so much easier to use if the start/stop button was larger because it's hard to find in the dark.
I just wish Canon added it's functions to the camera bodies.
