I had to take a deep breath before paying this sum of money for a cable release, but, now that I have experimented with the Nikon MC-30, I'm glad that I made the purchase. Quite simply, not only must I debar using a cheap imitation cable which might fail on an assignment; I cannot allow any uncertainty to exist in my own mind about a seemingly simple, but essential, piece of kit.
The MC-30 works, impressively, every time.
The cable neatly plugs into the socket on my D700, and is held securely by a screw mechanism. The connection is small, so necessarily a bit fiddly, but you soon get the feel of it. The materials used are of a high standard.
The cable is long enough to be held comfortably. The rectangular release switch on top works on exactly the same principle as the shutter release button on the camera - ie half-depress to focus, fully depress to take the picture. The switch on the cable is substantially bigger than the shutter release button on the camera, and you do feel that there is a significantly increased degree of control. It is a reassuringly chunky switch to hold. There is a locking mechanism which keeps the switch securely depressed when not in use.
It's all very simple, but reassuringly precise.
I've heard too many horror stories about sub-standard imitation units being used on Nikon cameras to compromise on Nikon quality. If you need a straightforward cable release for your Nikon, curse under your breath, pay up, and keep to the best.