CamRanger
£200/$300
www.camranger.com
CamRanger is a box of tricks no bigger than a credit card. It has a sturdy build, but there’s little on the exterior to give away the power that lies within. It connects via USB to almost all Nikon DSLRs from the D5000 upwards, then its Wi-Fi signal lets you wirelessly connect an Android or Apple smart device – or a Mac or PC – to use as a remote camera control. Initial setup is as easy as downloading the CamRanger app and connecting your smart device to the Wi-Fi hotspot. You then get a remote range of up to 150 feet, and a typical battery life of 5-6 hours from the useraccessible rechargeable Li-ion battery.
Once connected, you can wirelessly stream your Nikon’s Live View preview, then tap to focus and capture a still image with almost no lag. There’s a 1-2 second delay before the image is viewable on your smart device, but it’s no longer than with a SnapBridge connection. All typical camera settings can be altered remotely, and images can be shared from the CamRanger app.
But it’s the extra shooting features that add value. Use the intervalometer to program timelapses that can last up to 12 hours, thanks to the low power consumption in this mode. Multiexposure bracketed HDR sequences can be shot independently or within a time-lapse, there’s an automatic focus-stacking mode, and a fully featured video-recording section. Some features are camera-dependent and require you to configure your Nikon in a certain mode, which the CamRanger doesn’t always make clear, but these are minor nitpicks with an excellent remote.
Pros
Compact; feature-packed; slick connection and interface
Cons
Sometimes struggles if you haven’t preset your Nikon to an appropriate mode
We say
CamRanger and Digital Director are both impressive, but CamRanger’s greater versatility gives it the win