Bluetooth Remote Camera Trigger With An iPhone

May 9, 2013 by Scott | 2 Comments

Zesty Accessories is a company out of Japan that makes bluetooth dongles that attach to your camera for remote triggering with an iPhone.

I have been putting the trigger through tests and am happy to share that the ZGR-2a which I tested has been working flawlessly.

Before I get into my tests and results, check out this preview video I recorded when I first received the device.

As you can see, the dongle connects to the camera through some type of connect. On my Nikon D800, it connects using the 10-pin connector that Nikon’s cable release would use. However, on different brands and models, the USB port would likely be used.

Features

  • The combination of SmartShutter & the dongle means you can use your iPhone’s GPS to geotag your photographs
  • The app contains single shot shutter release and a hold switch for long exposures
  • The app also has a timer feature so you can set your desired shutter speed
  • There is an ability to turn on/off shake and volume button shutter triggers
  • There is also a compass and sunrise feature in the app

Now that you have the rundown on the device and app, let’s talk about my one and only complaint about the system and then get into my testing and final review.

Complaint

As you can see in the photograph below (courtesy of Zesty Accessories), the dongle does stick out quite a bit from the camera. It cannot be turned and what this means is that if you have a L bracket on your camera, it runs the risk of getting in the way of portrait crop framing.

bluetooth-remote-camera-trigger-iphone

 

Testing

My initial testing, while sitting in my office, went very smooth. The app and dongle performed perfectly. However, I wanted to test his in the field so I brought the dongle ZGR-2a to Boston with me during my recent trip there.

I knew I would be shooting in large rooms full of debris, brick and metal. So I figured it would be the perfect place to test the range and reliability of the bluetooth device. As it turned out, it triggered every time.

So my next test was to see what would happen when doing long exposures and leaving the app to check email or send a text message. I was not expecting the result. The app kept the time going while I had it closed and was doing other things on my iPhone. It handled the timed exposure perfectly and still geotagged the photographs.

The dongle angle causes it to stick out on the left of the camera (photographer’s left, not subject left). That is the same side that L brackets sit. So with the dongle in place, I could not use the L bracket. However, when using my Nikon 70-200, this was not an issue since the lens gets mounted on the tripod instead of the camera.

Review

Zesty Accessories makes SmartShutter compatible devices for Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony and Pentax cameras. With them, you can wirelessly trigger your camera, do long exposures and geotag your photographs. The device connects to your iPhone through bluetooth and uses its data and GPS service.

I am a huge fan of this device. However, I cannot get over the angle of the ZGR-2a. It just gets in the way with the L bracket.

If you are considering this device, go for it if you do not use a L bracket. I know I would!

In the end, I would give this a score of 83% because the inability to use my L bracket seriously hurts.

Thanks for reading and happy shooting,

Scott

Posted in Photography Tagged |

CamRanger Overview & Review

May 7, 2013 by Scott | Leave a comment

CamRanger was kind enough to send me a loaner device to test for in my Udemy course, Adding An iPhone & iPad To Your Photography Workflow.

Instead of just doing s video overview of the product, I thought that I would share my thoughts on the device. Before I do, let me give you a quick blurb on my history of Wifi photo transmission from camera.

When the Eye-Fi SD card first came out many years ago, it intrigued me. Having the ability to capture a photograph on a camera and have it automatically send to a computer is am amazing thing. This is great for moms and dads, but also great for professionals who like tethering but can not stand wires. There are two major problems with the Eye-Fi system.

  1. It is only available in SD form, which means to use the card in a DSLR that only accepts compact flash cards, an adapter is needed and most of the time prevents the Wifi feature from actually working.
  2. The card needs a wireless network to be activate in order to be used, and/or needs an annual subscription to gain access to the adhoc network feature.

At the same time, there is a big advantage of the Eye-Fi system over the CamRanger Wifi system. SD cards are inexpensive, so for under $100 you can have the Wifi tethering experience, and using an app like ShutterSnitch to get the best experience on your iPad.

CamRanger Overview

Below is the video I created using the CamRanger and the Mac beta software. I used this instead of the iPad for one reason. When you are using the CamRanger, the iPad has to be connect to the device’s adhoc Wifi network. That means I could not use my iPad screen recording software to share the actual iPad app. However, the Mac software is extremely similar to the iPad experience.

CamRanger Trailer

The video below is the official video from CamRanger. In the ~3 minute video, the CamRanger team shows you how useful the device can be for any photographer.

CamRanger Experience

I had two encounters with the CamRanger. The first was while I was at the Historic Mills Photo Workshop. I noticed that one of the students (an older gentleman) was using the CamRanger and his iPad throughout the mills. After spending a minute watching him use it (with jealousy of course) I asked him why he was using it inside the mills. His answer was not what I was expecting, and it was a short one too.

“Because my eyes suck”

— by Gentleman using a CamRanger & iPad

Well, that made perfect sense. He was using the CamRanger and iPad for live view, focusing using the touch system rather than his camera. Doing so forced him to take more time, use a tripod and so on. Great move, man!

camranger

My personal experience was a lot of fun. Using the CamRanger is extremely simple and I had the ability to let me client sit in front of my iPad, viewing every photograph I captured. Using the CamRanger and iPad meant that my client was not sitting over my shoulder or squinting to get close to the LCD.

My only rant about using the system is the necessity to photograph on RAW + JPG because on the Nikon D800 each RAW file is over 40MB. The size is too large for the iPad to load through Wifi at a good speed. So the CamRanger team was smart and created a warning to remind the photograph to change their camera settings.

Two final noteworthy comments before I finish this overview. One is a tip and one is a request.

  1. If you plan to shoot wirelessly tethered so clients can view your photographs on a computer or iPad then do not hit the live view button in the CamRanger software. Doing so prevents you can having the ability to control any settings on the camera, or even push the shutter button. Once live view is on in CamRanger, you must control every aspect of the camera from within the software.
  2. I know for sure that Nikon and Canon cameras have the ability to send data through the hot shoe of the camera. While it might be slower than the USB port, which the CamRanger uses, it is definitely possible that a device could be built as a hot shoe mounted Wifi tethering tool. If PocketWizard and CamRanger partnered on this endeavor it would be an amazing thing. The less cables that photographers have to attach to their cameras, the better.

In closing

Thank you again CamRanger team for giving me some time with the product. I have fallen in love with its simplicity, design, size and function. Simply put, this device works when needed and without fail. Anyone interested in picking up a CamRanger system for themselves, just click on that link and grab it from Amazon. It’s an affiliate link, so please support my work reviewing the product by clicking through my links to purchase one. You can also purchase it from their website. CamRanger is $299 and well worth it if you are in need of something like this.

Before I forget: If you purchase CamRanger from Amazon it will only come with a USB 2.0 cable. So if your camera needs USB 3.0, then either purchase the device from CamRanger direct or pick up a USB 3.0 cable from Amazon.

camranger-accessories

In the box

  • Black Protective Case
  • Battery (extras are $19.99)
  • White USB Charging Cable
  • US AC Power Adapter
  • Black USB Cable for Camera Connection
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Ethernet cable for firmware upgrades for potential enhancements.

Thanks for reading and happy shooting,

Scott

Posted in Photography Tagged , |

Stopping Motion With Shutter Speeds

May 2, 2013 by Scott | Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered the exact shutter speed that would be needed to stop certain moving objects dead in their tracks?

I have and that is why when an idea popped into my head to create an infographic about it, I quickly started to brainstorm and research.

The first goal was to find the subjects, objects or items to use in the infographic.  Here is what I picked:

  • Walking
  • Rain
  • Runner
  • Cyclist
  • Dog
  • Car / Dolphin
  • Horse
  • Commuter Train
  • Jet Ski
  • Race Car
  • Passenger Plane
  • Military Jet
  • Moon
  • Zombies!

I couldn’t create an infographic without including my own sense of humor, so I also added a zombie and a drone to the list.

The next step was to use Google and search for average speeds of each object either in miles per hour, or kilometers per hour for conversion.

After that I began to look for algorithms that could be used to calculate the exact shutter speed for each to be frozen in time.  I found some, but they were extremely confusing for someone that is not a math person.  I also found a variety of calculators but they didn’t feel right.  Then finally I found a calculator that I believe works extremely well.  John Dudak’s Shutter Speed Calculator wound up being used for the infographic (with credit of course).

As a standard, I used a 50mm focal length, ISO 100 and a distance of 100 feet.  Of course, the moon would never be 100 feet for most photographers (dream on) just the same a moving military jet wouldn’t.  However, it’s not the precision of the distance that makes this infographic fun.  It’s the combination of average speed in mp/g and how fast a shutter must open and close for still motion.

Stopping Motion With Shutter Speeds - Infographic

Can you tell I’m a fan of The Walking Dead?

After some emails with friends, the final touches were made and the infographic was published.  Please visit the original shutter speeds post and grab the embed code to re-post it on your website.  Feel free to also pin the infographic on your Pinterest board by re-pinning the original pin.

I hope that you enjoy the infographic, learn something new whether about average speed or shutter speeds.  I also hope that you got a laugh or two out of the comments throughout it.

Thanks for checking it out and thanks for reading,

Scott

Posted in Infographic Tagged |