Camranger

£200/$300 www.camranger.com

camranger is a compact box of tricks little larger than a credit card and 16mm thick. It feels solid and well made, but there’s little on the exterior to give away the power that lies within. It connects via USB to almost all Canon DSLRS from the 450D 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 set-up is as easy as downloading the Camranger app and connecting your smart device to the Camranger’s 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 user-accessible rechargeable Li-ion battery.

Once connected, you can wirelessly stream your Canon’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 Canon’s built-in Wi-fi connection. Most camera settings can be adjusted remotely, and images can be shared from the Camranger app.

But it’s the extra shooting features that really add value. Use the intervalometer to program time lapses that can last up to 12 hours, thanks to the low power consumption in this mode. Multi-exposure bracketed HDR sequences can be shot independently or within a time lapse, there’s an automatic focus stacking mode, and a fullyfeatured video recording section.

Some features are cameradependent and require you to pre-configure your Canon in a certain mode, which the Camranger doesn’t make clear, but these are minor nitpicks with an otherwise excellent remote.