Camera accessories are among the most popular devices on crowdfunding sites, but many of them are focused on enhancing a single bit of functionality.
Pinout is a small device that connects to DSLR cameras and provides them with enhancements including remote shutter release, geotagging, time lapse, high dynamic range (HDR) and loss prevention. It uses Bluetooth LE technology and works in conjunction with an app for Android and iOS mobile devices.
Remotely controlling a camera offers photographers significant benefits, but can sometimes be a complex and time-consuming process.
Pulse is the latest remote trigger designed to enable Bluetooth control of a camera from a smartphone. It can control up to three cameras at once and is designed for use with digital single-lens reflex and mirrorless cameras via a USB port. Because Pulse uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), it’s able to communicate wirelessly with the smartphone from up to 100 feet away after being attached to a camera. Pulse ships in April and its expected future retail price is $99, although early bird backers can get one now at pricing as low as $69. Its makers are looking to raise $50,000 by Dec. 11.
There have been similar products, including MaxStone. But while that earlier product was targeted at iPhone users, Pulse works with Android and iOS devices and operates in conjunction with an app for both those operating systems. On the negative side, Pulse is only compatible with a limited number of cameras, including many Canon and Nikon models, as well as the Panasonic GH4. Users of cameras from other manufacturers need not apply, at least for now.
Tripods are useful camera accessories to have, but they tend to take at least a few seconds to set up and photographers risk missing an important shot while doing that.
Slopes is a posable, angled base accessory for GoPro that quickly enables users of that line of popular action cams to shoot from a choice of multiple angles without a tripod. Its polyhedron-shaped bottom and 3-in-1 slot provides 20 different ways to position a GoPro, and its body is even smaller than GoPro’s housing.
The enhanced cameras on Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6s smartphones offer some of the same functionality as action cameras. But consumers who spend hundreds of dollars on a new iPhone are likely not going to want to risk damaging it during extreme sports activities. The iPhone is also not waterproof.
ProShot is a waterproof case for the iPhone 6 and 6s whose makers are positioning as a rival to GoPro action cams. The case comes with two interchangeable lids that can handle extreme environments, including a Deep Dive lid that is waterproof down to 90 feet, according to its Kickstarter campaign. The case is also shockproof and can be mounted on nearly any surface, it says. An app for iOS enables the user to switch between slow motion, photo and video using buttons on the ProShot.
There are already motion control systems on the market that provide photographers with motorized control of their cameras’ movements and the ability to shoot in time-lapse mode.
Hercules is an affordable alternative — a patent-pending motion control camera system that works with smartphones, GoPro action cams and DSLR cameras up to 20 pounds. The device runs smoothly over flat surfaces, enabling it to work without a slider track. That allows users to get low-angle shots that aren’t limited by track length.
The device has a retail price of $150, but early bird backers can get one for $99 and it will start shipping to them in December. Its makers are looking to raise $25,000 by Nov. 27.
Alas, the Hercules is not mighty enough to conquer a lack of Bluetooth. There are likely many camera users who may find Hercules attractive given it comes in under the prices of other systems such as the fairly expensive, heavy and complex Axis360,
Cameras keep getting smaller, but most tripods remain as heavy as ever and can’t be used for underwater photography. Pakpod, however, is a versatile tripod that’s been designed to stand on or suspend from just about anything using a variety of stakes. It will even work underwater, and –- at 15.5 ounces –- is lighter than many other tripods on the market.
Pakpod was constructed with stainless steel and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a thermoplastic polymer, and is both waterproof and freeze-proof, according to its Kickstarter campaign. Its quick-lock design is patent-pending. In addition to smartphones, GoPro and other action cameras, Pakpod was designed to also be used with mini-LED lights, iPads, sound recorders and microphones.
Getting the right amount of light is a frequent challenge for digital photographers, whether they are shooting still images or video.
The makers of Valo set out to solve that challenge by developing a programmable, modular LED flash for photography and video lighting. Photographers can use it as a flash or as a constant light source. It can be used as a main light, a hair light, a fill light or a background light. The open-source device is ready to use out of the box and features a micro-controller, and upgradeable firmware. Valo costs $189 and will ship in December. Its makers are hoping to raise $55,000 via Indiegogo by June 28.
Valo offers multiple lighting solutions in one affordable device, so it should come in handy for many photographers. One of the things that sets it apart is that the photographer can combine multiple units together to create a larger unit without wires, using the product’s internal magnets. Its wire-free nature extends to charging as each unit comes with its own internal battery and charges by USB. That may result in having to charge multiple units , but could take less time than charging a larger unit.
There are several video cameras reaching the market now that independent filmmakers can use to make movies, including the URSA Ultra HD line from Blackmagic. But the cameras require the use of CompactFast (CFast) memory cards, a variation of CompactFlash cards, to achieve their maximum potential, and CFast cards are, for now, too expensive for at least some independent filmmakers to afford them.
The C-Box is a plug-and-play device designed to solve that dilemma. It can be used with URSA cameras and other video cameras that use CFast cards to allow filmmakers to use whatever solid state drive (SSD) they want to instead of the CFast cards. C-Box will cost $500 when it ships in September. Its maker is hoping to raise $15,000 by June 10.
The C-Box system could be a must-have accessory for at least some independent filmmakers as long as it truly does exactly what its maker says it does. Most professional-grade external recorders will only handle up to 4K resolution footage, with a limited number of frame rate options. Some recorders even require the purchase of proprietary SSDs. But the C-Box system can record all of the frame rate and resolution options that the user’s camera offers for internal cards, directly to external, non-proprietary SSDs, its maker says.
Changing between lenses when using an interchangeable-lens camera can be a time-consuming process, especially when making multiple changes within the span of a few minutes. In part, that’s because camera users must be sure to close their cases each time to make sure the lenses still in the bag don’t fall out and break.
LensPacks is a patent-pending, quick-change camera lens storage system that eliminates the need to change rear lens caps. The storage system uses Velcro to keep lens caps securely fastened to the insides of nearly any camera cases, so that the user can quickly attach a lens to each cap in the bag. Then, even if the bag is left open and turned upside down, the lenses won’t fall out. For about $25, consumers can get two LensPacks Velcro lens holders, and they ship in December. Its maker set a Kickstarter goal of raising $9,869 by May 28.
The product holds great promise, although its market is limited for now because the initial LensPacks only support Nikon F-Mount, Canon EF, Sony E Mount, and Micro Four Thirds interchangeable-lens systems. But compatibility for more lens systems is planned for the future.
Time-lapse photography is a great tool photographers often employ in order to make it appear that time is moving faster than it actually is. Even for amateur photographers, time-lapse photography is a great way to spice up one’s photos.
TurnsPro is a camera mount that makes it easier to shoot time-lapse photography. It has two modes: Turns mode lets users shoot in real time or take time-lapse photos that can be edited together in post processing; Degrees mode lets users adjust the camera angle as to rotate the camera from 15 to 360 degrees, allowing for a single pan or continuous panning backwards and forwards. TurnsPro can be used with action cameras like GoPro, small digital cameras, and even smartphones. TurnsPro costs £45 (~$69) and will ship in June. Its maker is hoping to raise £16,000 (~$24,400) by April 1.
While many cameras have time lapse functionality built-in, those options tend to be complicated to use. There are several other time laps camera devices on the market that assist in creating time- lapse photography, including Pico and Camalapse. It’s also worth noting that several rival products on the market require a smartphone or intervalometer to work, and they also tend to be more expensive. TurnsPro, though, offers more customizable options than a number of competing products. Slight drawbacks include the need for a separate thread adapter for GoPro use and the apparent hassle in getting the device to work with some of the larger digital single lens reflex cameras on the market.