BlueSLR – DSLR Control with a Smartphone
By: Evelyn Drake
In my opinion the ultimate cool gadget around these days is a smartphone. Smartphones can make calls, play music, calculate taxes, entertain babies and practically anything else you can imagine. There are even some smartphone applications made specifically for photographers. For example, you can control your camera with your phone by paring it with a little wireless bluetooth remote shutter release called a blueSLR.
The blueSLR is a slick little device that plugs into a DSLR and sends out a wireless signal to your phone. If you have ever paired any Bluetooth device, this is the same simple process. Once the camera and phone are paired, you can use the phone to adjust focus, shutter speed or the timer. This would be ideal for taking self-portraits or candid shots.
When I tested it out, I used my husband’s iPhone and a Nikon D700. We had a blast shooting candid photos of our nieces and nephews at a birthday party. Kids always seem to do the cutest things when they think no one is watching. Besides taking candid shots and having fun with this device, I can certainly foresee many practical applications that professionals will appreciate. For example, a wedding shooter could set up a remote camera to capture details of the audience, while being ideally positioned to capture the bride and groom with a second camera. The same type of application could be used for wildlife or sports photography.
Not only does the blueSLR give photographers more creative possibilities, it also has the unique ability to connect and adjust camera settings. It is as simple as connecting the blueSLR to your camera and downloading an ap on your smart phone. We currently carry blueSLR units that connect with Apple products, Blackberry Phones and Androids.
