Manfrotto Digital Director

£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 which 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 Canon via a USB lead. Download the Digital Director IOS app and you’re good to go.

Though you’re physically tethered to your Canon, the benefit is an instantaneous 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 like auto exposure bracketing, intervalometer, time lapse and video modes are just as simple to use. Switch to gallery mode and there is a slight delay before thumbnail and full screen previews display, but it’s nothing too frustrating. You can even use the Digital Director to remotely control up to 13 select Manfrotto light panels.

Digital Director is certainly very well designed and a pleasure to use, but it’s not without caveats. 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. But use it on longer stationary shoots and you can revel in its responsive fine control.