Manfrotto Digital Director
From £199/$230
www.manfrotto.co.uk
The Digital Director doesn’t resemble a typical remote, as it’s designed as a form-fitting case that holds an iPad that you use as the remote control. Powerful processing hardware is built into the base of the Digital Director, and here you’ll also find space for four AA batteries, though a mains adaptor is also included.
This isn’t a wireless remote, so your iPad docks with the Digital Director’s Lightning connector, and this in turn connects to your Nikon via a USB lead. Download the Digital Director iOS app and you’re good to go.
Though you’re physically tethered to your Nikon, the benefit is immediate response. The remote Live View feed immediately reacts to any camera movement, and shutter response is just as rapid. This slick user experience continues with a superbly designed app interface that displays a plethora of manual camera controls with excellent clarity.
Extra features – such as auto exposure bracketing, intervalometer, time-lapse and video modes – are simple to use. Switch to gallery mode and there’s a small delay before thumbnail and full-screen previews display, but it’s not frustrating. You can even use the device to control up to 13 Manfrotto light panels.
Digital Director is certainly very well designed and a pleasure to use, but it’s not without any flaws at all. It’s best mounted to a tripod accessory arm, adding extra expense, and it’s only compatible with an iPad, though various models are supported.
Pros
Intuitive interface; loaded feature-set; very smooth to set up and use
Cons
Requires an iPad, and preferably a tripod mounting arm; limited wired range
We say
Superb and easy to use, providing you value tethered responsiveness over compactness and wireless versatility