If you hoped that the selfie stick fad was over, I’m sorry to break the news to you that it’s not. Selfie sticks are here to stay and now you don’t have to carry one in your pocket or gear bag to be one of the “cool” kids. Ditch the stand alone sticks because the Stikbox puts a folding selfie stick and a Bluetooth shutter control inside your iPhone 7 case.
That’s right, this iPhone 7 case has a built in aluminum selfie stick that unfolds to a length of 20 inches so you can snap the perfect picture of yourself or a small group of friends.
The stick folded stick can also be used as a kickstand for your phone the case itself will protect against everyday abuse and drops.
The Stikbox selfie-stick case is available in three colors and is sized to fit the iPhone 7. Sorry, but the iPhone 7 Plus isn’t getting in love. You can buy one for $39.99 from stikbox.com
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In January of 2017, I wrote a news post about the Joopic CamBuddy Pro. The folks at Joopic enjoyed the news post and provided me a Joopic CamBuddy as a sample to review. The CamBuddy provides WiFi control of the camera’s settings and also provides shutter release triggers from four different sensors: Light, sound, laser, and (on the CamBuddy Pro) radio transmitter. By combining the ability of WiFi remote control composure and viewing, an intervalometer for unattended time-lapse photography, and a multitude of remote triggering sensors, the CamBuddy provides capabilities that can be appreciated on even the latest WiFi enabled camera. Lets Take a look at what this gadget is capable of!
The Joopic CamBuddy is 3.2″ long x 2″ wide and 1″ tall – about the size of an old-school flip phone and weighs about 58 grams. (I apologize for the dated reference but nothing is that size anymore!) The unit comes with a velour carrying case, a micro USB charging cable, a N1 hotshoe mount and a micro screwdriver for uninstalling the C1 (Canon) hotshoe and replacing it with the N1 (Nikon) sized one, a protective rubber case with weather-resistant port lugs, and a Velcro cable strap.
The CamBuddy also comes with the following remote trigger connection cables that fit into the 3 conductor 2.5 mm port on the side of the CamBuddy:
DC0 shutter release cable – suitable for the following Nikon DSLR cameras: D3S, D4, D4S, D5, D300, D300S, D500, D800, D800E, D810, and D810A.
DC2 shutter release cable – suitable for the following Nikon DSLR cameras: D600, D610, D750, DF, D90, D3100, D3200, D3300, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D7000, D7100, and D7200.
E3 shutter release cable – suitable for the following Canon DSLR cameras: 60D, 60Da, 70D, 80D, 100D (Rebel SL1), 550D (Rebel T2i / Kiss X4), 600D (Rebel T3i / Kiss X5), 650D (Rebel T4i / Kiss X6i), 700D (Rebel T5i / Kiss X7i), 750D (Rebel T6i / Kiss X8i), 760D (Rebel T6s), 1200D (Rebel T5), and 1300D (Rebel T6).
N3 shutter release cable – suitable for the following Canon DSLR cameras: 1D Mark IV, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, 5D Mark IV, 5DS, 5DSR, 6D, 7D, 7D Mark II, and 50D.
In addition, the CamBuddy comes with a 2 conductor 3.5mm to male-connector PC sync cable to enable synchronizing a flash with trigger events (Pictured to the left in the picture above).
As if that wasn’t enough, the CamBuddy also comes with a laser generator; it is essentially a laser beam with a large external battery and tripod mount to be used as a laser source for laser trigger shooting.
The laser should be targeted to the receiver on the left of the clear front window. The emitter end has a threaded defraction grating for making it easier to target the beam.
You can see the two extents of moving the defraction window in and out in the two pictures below
One thing that I did not receive with my sample was a manual, but you can download one from here or here.
In order to use the CamBuddy you’ll also need a USB control cable from your camera. For my Canon EOS Rebel T3i that is a customized mini USB, but your camera may have another adapter cable. When installed the CamBuddy does have plenty of wiring to and from it. In addition, considering the CamBuddy’s 4-hour continuous operation limit, you may also need to connect an external power source to the CamBuddy for long term operation. The CamBuddy’s main application is unattended use, so the two to four wires coming out of the side of the CamBuddy shouldn’t be an impediment to its normal use, but it’s definitely not “pretty.” All of these wires are on the left side of the CamBuddy to not interfere with the standard right side grip of the DSLR.
The rear of the unit has a multi color LED (red for charging, green for a full charge, blue blinking for searching, blue steady for linked, and purple for linked and charging), power switch and pin-reset switch.
The base of the unit has holes for the microphone.
The front of the unit has two multi-color status LEDs, a receiver for infrared filtered light, and a receiver for laser light.
As indicated above, the CamBuddy is fitted with a hotshoe on the base of the unit, but this only serves as a convenient way to mount the unit to the camera; the mount on the CamBuddy has no electrical contacts on the hotshoe. If the hotshoe is not available the rubber boot may be used along with the supplied Velcro strip. It would be nice if the CamBuddy would also support a 1/4″-20 nut for a tripod mount.
The software can be downloaded from www.joobot.com/tools/download.php?file=joopicapp, The Android Google Play store has several comments that antivirus software identifies the Joopic app as a threat. I scanned the app on android with Kaspersky and did not discover any issues. The link above brings you to the Chinese iTunes page but the only Joopic app is the one that you’ll need, so it is easy to type in Joopic to the iTunes of your locality. Also, the Joopic page indicates the latest iTunes version is 2.2.3 but I couldn’t find this for my iPhone 6. The Joopic .apk and google play versions are both 2.2.3. The firmware that I’ve loaded onto the CamBuddy is 2.1.10.
The software requires you to set up a username and password. The account will allow you to save pairing information for all of your CamBuddys no matter which device you are using. This was very convenient and allowed seamless switching from my iPhone to my Android. The reset button must be depressed for more than 3 seconds when switching accounts with the CamBuddy.
The CamBuddy uses Bluetooth in the pairing sequence but the device operates via WiFi. If there is a prevalent WiFi signal then the CamBuddy can be set up to utilize that network, and if more than one CamBuddy is controlled by a single app then the group must use an external WiFi network. However, if there is no other network available the CamBuddy can set up an ad-hoc network for communicating with the app. Outside the ad-hoc network worked pretty well up to about 87 ft away. Beyond that range the signal got spotty and it became difficult to work with and unreliable. I expect that it would fare better indoors with some surface to bounce the signal off of. But here’s a selfie from 100 ft away.
Here’s the camera on a tripod with a purple clipboard serving as a laser target for the distance meter.
Most new cameras come equipped with built-in WiFi but my DSLR is older so it doesn’t have these features out of the box. It is great that I can add these features with an add on. If you have a WiFi camera with a bad app or a smaller range, the CamBuddy can still be used (assuming that the camera model is supported).
Except for remote shooting, the iPhone or Android device is only used to program the CamBuddy. For instance, the phone is used to program the intervalometer but the CamBuddy schedules the shots to occur at the prescribed time. Also, the phone does not need to be paired for the lighting, sound, or laser triggers to fire.
In order to test the intervalometer, I set the camera on a tripod and took pictures 10 minutes apart of the setting sun. 10 minutes is a long interval, but this was just to test how well the hardware performed and made the tripod getting bumped about halfway through a tolerable circumstance. The compiled video is linked below:
In order to test the sound trigger, I bounced a basketball in my basement against a tile floor. The camera went off quite quickly but was still slow for being able to catch the ball against the ground because Ii was using a shutter release. If you opt for using a flash trigger, you can prepare the camera in a darkened room and keep the shutter open, then the flash will go off when the sound is heard and the result should be a very crisp and quickly executed photo.
In order to test the light trigger, I tried using the CamBuddy as a reverse slow-synchro light triggered remote flash. I shot my flash against a door in a darkened hallway and triggered the camera to shoot when the flash lit the door up. This didn’t work too well in practice but it demonstrated the capability of the light trigger. The setup (with hallway lights on) and resultant picture (with lights off) is shown below.
This should in theory work quite well for lightening since a lightening bolt is usually a lot slower than a camera flash. The laser trigger is generally a light trigger in reverse. I tested its operation by aiming the laser at the CamBuddy and then moving the beam, but the same effect could be achieved by having a subject interrupt the beam.
Its price of $199 is much less than the $1360 worth of features that the manufacturer claims it replaces into one, small attachment. There’s no denying that the CamBuddy is definitely a convergence device. The real test of a convergence device is if it can perform moderately as well as the devices it is replacing. Not having the collection of photographic instruments at my disposal to test this premise, I can only say that the CamBuddy did everything that it claimed to (with a small difference in WiFi range). After having tested all of the features of this unit I’m quite impressed. This little gadget does a lot and in the right hands will provide enormous freedom of creativity for the photographer.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by JooPic. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to purchase.
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I fashion myself as somewhat of an amateur photographer. I’ve been fascinated with photography ever since I took Mr. Bunton’s “Intro to Photography” class way back in the ninth grade. And like a lot of people I love taking photos with my iPhone. Apple forever changed the way we take photographs when they introduced the first iPhone 10 years ago. With each iteration, the iPhones camera gets better and better. It takes amazing photos, but taking them has always presented different issues. The fact is the iPhone isn’t a camera, it’s a phone, and holding it with one hand to take a photo can be tricky. And if you want to use a tripod you have to buy special cases and or mounts made specifically for the iPhone. Miggo has changed all of that with the Pictar and Pictar Plus. Pictar is a camera grip that claims to turn your iPhone into a DSLR camera. Since I love taking pictures with my iPhone both recreationally and for my product reviews for the-gadgeteer, I jumped at the chance to review the Pictar Plus. Does it really turn the iPhone into a DSLR camera? Let’s take some photos and find out.
I don’t usually start off a review by talking about the product’s packaging, but when I received the Pictar Plus from Miggo I was really impressed. I thought to myself “Wow if they put this much thought and innovation into the packaging I can’t wait to try out the actual product”. The box opens like a book (the front flap is held closed by a magnet) and the Pictar Plus is displayed behind a plastic window. The box itself is covered with lots of information about the Pictar Plus. A real nice presentation that I thought was worthy of a mention.
Inside the box, you get the Pictar Plus, wrist strap, neck strap, neoprene padded carrying case and Users Manual.
The Pictar comes with a CR1/2AA battery already installed. To activate the battery, first, open the battery compartment by pushing in the release catch and removing the battery cover. Then pull out and discard the pull tab at the bottom of the battery. This will then allow the battery to connect fully with Pictar. Then click the battery cover back in place. According to Miggo, the battery should last up to 6 months with normal use.
Installing my iPhone into Pictar was easy. After taking it out of its case (you can use Pictar with some very slim-fitting silicone bumper cases) I slid it into the spring loaded bottom of the Pictar, with the back of the phone facing in. Then pressed down until the top of the iPhone clicked into place. Removing it was just as easy.
Before you can use Pictar you have to download their free app from the app store. The app is really the brains of the whole operation. Pictar’s Camera app unlocks key features that are inaccessible on iPhone’s native camera app. It connects with the iPhone using a high-frequency dual tone that is inaudible to the human ear. When used, each dial and button emit a unique tone that is detected by the app generating a corresponding action. This also significantly increases the battery life when compared to Bluetooth connectivity. The app itself is easy to use. The first time you launch it there is a short tutorial that prompts you to use each different dial and button, showing in real time what function each performs. The app has nine different built-in modes, Auto, Sports, Macro, Shutter priority, ISO priority, Manual, Selfie, Movie, and Filter. A note about the Filter mode. There are 38 different filters that can be applied before taking a picture which is really cool. However, only 2 of them are free to use. If you want to use any of the other 36 you have to purchase them. Separately each is a $1, or you can buy the bundle for $10. All things considered, that’s not bad, but it would have been nice to include more than 2 free filters. Clicking on the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the Home screen allows you to change and customize lots of settings. There are five main icons at the top right of the settings screen. The question mark icon takes you to the Tutorial / User Guide menu, the Pictar icon to the customization of buttons menu, the Gear icon to Sound, Geotagging, Purchase Restore and Reset menu, the Camera icon to the camera settings menu and the X returns you to normal camera operation.
Much like a DSLR camera, Pictar Plus offers five external control buttons. This allows you to easily change settings and take pictures with one hand. No more tapping your iPhone’s screen to set focus, exposure, etc.
The Smart wheel allows you to choose between Pictar Plus’s 9 different modes. The Exposure compensation wheel allows you to control brightness levels even before shooting. And just like with an advanced camera, the exposure compensation wheel changes the exposure in steps of 1/3 aperture, and the clear display appears at the bottom of the iPhone screen. The Shutter release has two functions. A half-press locks focus and exposure for easy tracking of a moving object and a full-press for immediate shutter release. The shutter button also allows you to take pictures while wearing gloves during the cold weather. The Zoom Ring allows you to zoom in on a subject without having to touch the screen to pinch-and-zoom. It also doubles as a Selfie button. Clicking the Zoom ring will switch between the iPhone’s front and back camera for easy “selfie” shots. The Virtual Wheel is located on the right side of the Camera app screen and allows you to control different modes such as Flash modes, Shutter speed, ISO and more – simply by using your thumb.
The dials can all be reprogrammed to do different things. For example, you can have the Zoom Ring control the flash, white balance, etc. In that case, zoom in and out would be done by “pinching” the iPhone’s screen, like before. All of this can be done in the settings menu I mentioned earlier.
The Pictar Plus also comes with wrist and neck straps. This is nice because if you’re like me you’ve dropped your iPhone more than once trying to get that perfect shot. Once you attach the connector to the Pictar Plus you can easily change between the two straps with just a snap.
There’s also a nice neoprene padded carrying case for the Pictar Plus. It comes with the added feature of a small metal carabiner that can be attached to a bag or belt loop.
Just like a real camera, Pictar has a standard 1/4” thread tripod socket on the bottom. This is ideal to attach a tripod or other stabilization device and is great for selfies or night time shots, that require long exposure times where the camera needs to be steady.
The top of the Pictar has a standard-size cold shoe mount to allow you to attach many full-size camera accessories, such as LED lights or microphones. I also like that the iPhone’s lens is open when attached to Pictar, giving you the ability to attach most ‘clip on lenses’.
I really loved using the Pictar Plus. It turned taking pictures with my iPhone into a more camera-like experience. It’s really light weight coming in at .17 lbs. so it doesn’t add any extra weight to the iPhone. I like how it’s designed to be held and operated with one hand. And the non-slip grip and wrist strap gave me a real sense of security. I took Pictar Plus along with me while walking my dog and took some photographs using some of the different functions and modes. I was very impressed with how much easier the Pictar Plus made taking photographs. I took a selfie with my dog Zoey and liked being able to switch cameras from back to front simply by pressing the Zoom Ring.
Using the Action Mode I took pictures of the flags that were flying above the local High School football field. It was really windy, but with the Action Mode I was able to capture the flags with no blur, and the images came out sharp and clear. With the Zoom Ring, I was even able to get a close up of Old Glory.
Miggo even provides a link to a Mobile Photography Workshop that has videos on how to use Pictar to capture better pictures in different scenarios. Definitely worth checking out before using Pictar. I look forward to using these tips on my next photography adventure with the Pictar Plus.
Does the Pictar Plus turn your iPhone into a DSLR camera? I might not go that far, but it’s pretty darn close. All and all I think it’s a great product. It makes taking photographs with your iPhone fun and easy, whether you’re an amateur like me or a seasoned photographer. And with all of the Pictar Camera apps built-in features, the photo possibilities are endless. I know it got me excited about taking pictures with my iPhone and I’m sure it will do the same for you.
Pictar comes in 2 models, Pictar, for iPhone sizes, 4s / 5 / 5s / 6 / 6s / SE and 7 and, Pictar Plus, for iPhone, 6 Plus / 6s Plus and 7 Plus. They’re priced at $99.99 and $109.99 respectively.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Miggo. Please visit their website for more info, or Amazon to purchase.
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Nikon, who is celebrating 100 years in business this year, have just announced a new advanced level DSLR. The D7500 features a 20.9-megapixel image sensor, EXPEED 5 processor, tilting 3.2” 922K-dot touch screen LCD, 4K UHD video capture, wide ISO range from 100-51,200, 51 point autofocus system, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology for auto image transfer and remote shooting, and more.
Smartphone photography is great for selfies and food snaps, but for the photography enthusiasts, a DSLR is a must have.
“The Nikon D7500 was engineered to be as versatile as the photographer using it, and excels whether shooting fast-action sports, stunning low-light landscapes, distant wildlife, glamorous portraits or multimedia content,” said Kosuke Kawaura, Director of Marketing and Planning, Nikon Inc. “This is a camera for the photographers who are serious about their passion, infatuated with the next frame and above all else, want speed, small size and an excellent value.”
The expanded ISO range allows for up to a 1.64 million equivalent, for low light image and video shooting with minimal noise.
The Nikon D7500 will be available this Summer for $1,249.95 (body only) or with an AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens for $1,749.95. For more information on the Nikon D7500, visit www.nikonusa.com.
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The Monster Vision 1080p+ is an action / sports camera that can capture video at 1080P resolution. I recently reviewed my first action cam (the Andoer 4K action camera) and wasn’t overly impressed. When I was offered the chance to review another camera by a well-known name, I was happy to check it out. Let’s take a look.
What is it?
The Monster Vision 1080p+ action cam is a 1080P camera that can capture video with audio, and images. This camera can also be used as a dashcam.
What’s in the box?
Monster Vision 1080p+ action cam 16GB micro SD flash card micro USB charging cable Waterproof housing Variety of mounting hardware for handle bars, tripod, window and more. Quick start guide
Hardware specifications
Optics: 8MP CMOS 170 degree wide angle lens Video: 1440p 1920×1440 30fps, 1080p 1920×1080 6fps, 720p 1280×720 60fps & 120fps Video Format: MOV (H.264) Photo: 3,5,8,10 & 12MP Photo Format: JPEG WiFi control via mobile app Memory: 16GB micro SD card is included Battery: Li-ion 1200mAh
Design and features
The Monster Vision 1080p+ action cam looks very similar to the 100’s of other action cameras on the market. It’s a rectangular black plastic camera with a lens on the front. Also on the front in the lower right corner is a charging and recording status LED. It lights up in blue while charging and blinks red while recording.
On the left side of the camera is the WiFi toggle button which doubles as the down button when navigating through on-screen menus.
On the opposite side of the Monster Digital action camera, you will find a speaker at the top and a micro SD card slot below it. A 16GB card is included with the camera. There’s also a micro USB port for charging and a mini HDMI port if you want to connect the camera to a display. Note that a micro HDMI cable is NOT included with the camera.
On the back of the action camera is the 2-inch color LCD display. In the upper left corner is the Power / recording status LED which glows solid red with the camera is powered on, and blinks while recording. On the right side of the LCD display is the Display / Menu button. This button can be used to toggle the display off and on and brings up the camera’s settings menu when you’re not recording video.
The menus are pretty standard for an action camera. You can switch video modes, resolutions, tweak white balance, etc.
On the bottom of the camera is the battery compartment. Note that the battery is rated for only about 1 hr and 75 minutes of video capture per charge and it takes 2-4 hrs to recharge it.
And on top is the power / mode button and the OK button which is used to select items in the menus.
Operating the camera
Like most action cams, operating it is pretty simple. Just get in the mode you want and start recording. For the Monster Digital camera, you can switch modes just by pressing the power / mode button on the top of the camera. Holding down the button for a few seconds toggles power and when the camera is on, pressing the button will cycle through video, photo, dashcam and playback modes. The camera is supposed to remember which mode you were in and will start back in that mode upon cycling power. I found this to be true, but only for video and dashcam modes. If you turn off the camera in photo or playback mode, it starts back up in video mode.
Controlling the camera via WiFi and the Monster Digital mobile app
To control the camera remotely, you have to install the free Monster Digital mobile app, turn the camera on, press the WiFi button on the side, switch to that WiFi connection on the mobile device, type in the password and go back to the app. You’re then able to remotely change settings, see a live view of the camera, snap photos, capture video and even play back photos and video.
Playing back video is a little wonky though. Most of the time I could hear the audio, but the image remained black.
Sample images
The photo capturing capability of the Monster Digital 1080p+ is ok. I wouldn’t consider using it as my primary camera, but in a pinch, it’s better than no camera at all.
Close up images like the first image on the left will show some slight bulging due to the wide angle lens. You don’t notice this with longer range shots.
Sample videos
I think this camera’s video quality which I had set at 1080p 60fps is pretty good. I’m not going to say that it blew me away because I feel like my Nexus 6P smartphone does a much better job capturing super clear video. But for a $100 camera, it’s not bad.
There are a couple things to mention though. First of all, the camera has an image stabilization feature that can be toggled on and off in the menus. I captured video with it enabled and disabled and could not tell any real differences. In the video sample above, the feature was enabled as I was walking around in the woods with the camera attached to the IK Multimedia iKlip Grip Pro. I was also not overly impressed with the audio capture quality as it sounds a bit fuzzy and muffled to me.
Final thoughts
Is the Monster Vision 1080p+ the best action camera on the market right now? I think it’s safe to say that it isn’t. But when it’s all said and done, I do think the Monster Vision 1080p+ action cam is a decent sports / action camera that is easy to use, captures good quality video and isn’t overly expensive.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Monster Digital. Please visit their site for more info.
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