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A very nice gadget for D800

manouch shirzad

Workshop & Subscriber Member
For the last few months I have been trying quite unsuccessfully to figure
out a way to use certain features of my Nikon D800E.

If you have ever tried to shoot time lapse pictures, use the time delay or
exposure bracketing, you may know what I mean. Sometimes even the
most simple tasks seem clumsy and impossible (like taking three pictures
with two or three F-stop differences).

Lately, I found a gadget that has made the life of this photographer much
easier! It's called the "CamRanger" and works with iPads and iPhones.

This app allows you to control all the critical functions of your Nikon
camera remotely through the touch screen of those devices.

There is no need for WiFi and the software is very well organized and
intuitive, even if you are not the manual-reading type. If you are, all the
better, as it has an easy-to-follow manual as well! For more information,
go to CamRanger.com.

In my opinion, this is a great nominee for App/Gadget of the Year, and I
highly recommend it. If anyone out there is already using it, I'd love to
hear your thoughts.

Best,
_______
Manouch
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Manouch,

I have one of these. It does exactly what it says on the box. With an iPad you get full liveview and the ability to touch the screen to set auto focus, plus also macro focus stacking.

The only thing that I don't particularly like is the clip that holds the battery pack cover on the unit. I'm not sure how well that will last in the long term but it's easy to click on & off.

The unit also comes with a pouch that can hold the cables and the wifi adapter. The wifi works well and they thoughtfully put the SSID/password on the back of the unit so it's easy to set up. I haven't tried using it at a long range but it works well within a few feet of the unit.

I haven't tried it with the D800 yet but I have used it with my D600 and it works just fine. The CamRanger folks are very reasonable with their cables too - I had to get two different cables for the D800 & D600 and it was only $5 for the 2nd cable.

I was actually a little surprised that nobody else had posted about it yet.
 

ccroft

New member
Live view and camera control wirelessly from an ipad. Looks like the best wireless tether available. $300 is cheap. Nikon wants more than twice that for this functionality for the hardware alone, and from what I can find find out it doesn't function as well.

I think what you're mostly paying for is software that gets you remote camera control: focus, ISO, aperture, shutter speed and more. I find that quite impressive really.

I wonder how much a tech cam shooter would pay for such a thing... Graham?

(note that I don't own one... yet)
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
oh if it only worked with my IQ160 or P25+. It would be a dream come true ...

Btw, at $300 it's an absolute bargain in my view compared to the Nikon wireless adapter. I have the Nikon inexpensive wifi adapter for the D600 too which was cheap and useful for reviewing images on your iPhone. The CamRanger is an order of magnitude better and more useful.
 

ccroft

New member
Just as I thought! You and a host of others I expect. Witness what some will do just to mount an iphone on an Alpa for a dumb viewfinder.

I'm still packing around a laptop and using eye-fi for review. It works...
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Just as I thought! You and a host of others I expect. Witness what some will do just to mount an iphone on an Alpa for a dumb viewfinder.

I'm still packing around a laptop and using eye-fi for review. It works...
The sad thing is how much we'll pay for an iPhone dumb viewfinder mount on our Alpas/Cambo's etc. :eek: :facesmack:
 

Mr.Gale

Member
Okay, I'm cheap! :grin:

oh if it only worked with my IQ160 or P25+. It would be a dream come true ...

Btw, at $300 it's an absolute bargain in my view compared to the Nikon wireless adapter. I have the Nikon inexpensive wifi adapter for the D600 too which was cheap and useful for reviewing images on your iPhone. The CamRanger is an order of magnitude better and more useful.
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
I have an application for it.
Put the D800 on a boom and shoot down.
A lot more convenient than trying to hang over the model while leaning off a ladder.
-bob
 

ccroft

New member
There's a bunch of real estate shooters doing exactly that to get the needed height for some exteriors. They call it Pole Aerial Photography, or PAP for short.
 

manouch shirzad

Workshop & Subscriber Member
There's a bunch of real estate shooters doing exactly that to get the needed height for some exteriors.
Connecting the camera to a pole is not the point.
The point is, knowing what is going on inside the camera on the pole,
And off course in an easy way and affordable price.
----------
Manouch
 
HOLY ****...This looks amazing. I'm definitely going to get one soon for my D800E!

Ok, so WHEN(IF) Phase get the USB 3 working on the IQ's this could potentially work on that???! Lets hope they can figure out the software side. Of course Phase needs to get USB3 working first.
 

ccroft

New member
Connecting the camera to a pole is not the point.
The point is, knowing what is going on inside the camera on the pole,
And off course in an easy way and affordable price.
----------
Manouch
Indeed! I should've said there are real estate shooters who are using Camranger with a camera on a pole. Check out the Photo for Real Estate group on flicker. And there are PAP groups. Here's one discussion with with some of those users:

Flickr: Discussing "CamRanger"...anyone tried one of these with your iPad, iPhone? in Pole Aerial Photography - PAP

This thing is catching on quickly as up to recently they had to do things like shooting tethered with a laptop on the ground connected by wire to the camera on a pole or mast, or using one of the other wireless control solutions. Or live view by video out and remote release with no other control.

In the flicker groups you can find maybe 20 contributors who are using CamRanger, and everything that I've read is is very positive.

I'm not a pole guy, but I'd love to have it for when I can't get my head between the wall and the camera. I've done such things as composing with the reflection of the LCD in a mirror, or by nothing more than trial and error. I'll just say this would have to be a huge improvement over either.

I'd have one by now if I didn't need new glass... and an iPad. I look forward to the day I can pack a pad instead of an expensive and heavy laptop.
 
Coincidentally, the day after learning about the CamRanger, I'm at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, and find the company is here exhibiting. It only took about 15 seconds of watching the demo to know it was for me. Even better, they are selling them for $275 at the show, tax included. (show ends today, btw)

I've only had a few minutes to play with it so far, but I'm quite impressed.

They also showed off a beta version of the Mac version of their control software (which is available for download now.)
 

bumgardner

New member
One of the guys I share my studio with got the CamRanger a few weeks ago. At first I thought it was just hokey. Then I used it. The CamRanger is worth every penny of $300.
 

drb

New member
I just got one a few days ago. Only have had a bit of time to play with it. Actually, my primary reason for getting it was to better assess focus with my D800E. While I have a lot more testing to do, I like being able to run Live View on the iPad with the CamRanger. Perhaps even better, I tried using it connected to my MBP Retina using their beta Mac app. The CamRanger app needs polishing, but it's great being able to shoot an image, download it to the MBP is about 10-15 seconds and immediately view it with LR.

BTW, the CamRanger iPad app supports Live View at 100% using a lossy, compressed version of the raw file. If you are using the app on a MBP, LiveView allows 200% zoom.
 

TEAM KEN

New member
Use it every day in my real estate photo bus.
Use it for showing my headshot clients a quick look, on the ipad
I;ve turned on a lot of my pals to the Camranger..and every one of them find it fantastic.
Using my iphone more than the ipad, in the field. I find it faster...and lighter..
Highly recommended addition to any arsenal.
Just my 2 cents.
Ken

oh...almost forgot.
Hooked it up on my trust macbook pro the other day for the first time,.
Easiest, fastest tethering I;ve ever , worked flawlessly.
Try it...you;ll like it :)
 

mbroomfield

New member
I'm thinking of getting one of these but I don't have an ipad (any tablet in fact). They are now showing beta support for Android devices but there is a mix of the (few) posted reviews. Has anyone used this with an android tablet or are you all on ipads?

As an alternative I could get a refurb ipad mini

Thanks
 
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