One of the Biggest Problems Photographers Face, Finally Solved
Let me say this...
This article addresses one of the biggest problems we all have.
We’ve all been there: You’ve just framed up a killer shot, you know, something wall-worthy. You grab your shutter trigger, and it fails.
Then you either fire away like a madman, hoping it will randomly work or you go through some makeshift ‘check-the-problem’ checklist on your shutter trigger.
You might even try a wired cable release but discover that you need to get some distance from your camera AND still be able to fire off the shutter. A wired option just won't work in that situation.
Frankly, I have tested over 12 shutter releases over the years.
Some were old school (like the one above), some have been 'OK,' and others just missed the target completely.
The challenge is that while some of the triggers that I list as being ‘OK,' they really have limitations.
It was just last weekend my cell phone was under 20% battery, so I wasn’t using my Pulse trigger and had to resort to my ‘Plan B.'
The RFN4s - which is an ‘OK’ trigger - has trouble with long exposures (it will often disengage the shutter instantly instead keeping the shutter open for the long exposure). Now that's frustrating!
My favorite trigger system over the years has by far been the Pulse, which of course is made from Alpine Labs.
This thing does it all from long exposures, time lapse video, HDR or just trigger my shutter wirelessly.
But even with this one, I had a bone to pick (and believe me, I’m digging deep on this one): I couldn’t use it on my Sony cameras!
Well, I just found out that the mad scientists at Alpine Labs have come out with the “Spark,” a new shutter trigger that's shown in the image above.
Needless to say, the camera remote has come a long, LONG way. This thing is the stinking Swiss Army Knife of shutter triggers!
No joke.
When you look into what this trigger is capable of doing, you can appreciate my excitement.
Heck, just in the first 24 hours on Kickstarter it cleared over $100,000 in pre-orders from over 2,000 photographers! How nuts is that?!
But that's just the beginning...
OK, so let’s get into the good stuff.
Like its predecessor, Pulse, Spark is a versatile camera remote, but takes that versatility to another level:
As you can see, Spark offers something that no other shutter trigger does.
You can control your camera in three different ways - infrared, wired, or wirelessly via a smartphone app.
That means that no matter what you're photographing, Spark is up to the task.
Tackle family portraits in infrared mode in which you can trigger the shutter instantly from up to 30 feet away. No more running back and forth to engage your camera's timer - do it with Spark!
You can also capture long exposures in wired mode when distance isn't of the essence. Just press Spark's button, and it acts like a wired Bulb remote, keeping the shutter open until you press the button again. That means you get the reliability of a traditional wired trigger, but with the added bonus of having wireless functionality too.
If time lapse videos are your thing, use Spark's smartphone app. You can work up to 100 feet away using Bluetooth connectivity. Just set the parameters of the time lapse like bulb ramping or time delay, and you can let Spark work its magic while you take a snooze.
And if your phone's battery is dead or dying, no worries. Spark even lets you program the time lapse interval without a phone. All you have to do is press and hold Spark's button, and it will automatically take photos to create 10 seconds worth of time lapse video.
So basically what I'm saying is that whatever you need, Spark can handle it!
Think about it...
With one little gadget, you can get tack-sharp still photos, breathtaking long exposures, professional-looking time lapse videos, heck - even some pretty awesome selfies too if that's your thing!
But the benefits don't stop there.
Spark weighs just 0.75 ounces and is just over 2 inches long, 1.35 inches wide, less than 0.5 inches tall. Needless to say, you can pack it in your camera bag without taking up any room at all.
That's not to mention that Spark has a ton of power packed into a tiny little device!
And speaking of power, Spark has a battery life of over 2,000 hours, so even on your longest days and weekends of shooting, Spark will be ready for the task. When it's time for a new battery, all you need is a standard watch battery - no expensive juice is needed for this little guy!
If you have a Pulse and love that you can control up to three cameras at once, you'll be pleased to know that the folks at Alpine Labs carried that functionality over to Spark, too.
That means you can sync three cameras to take stills or videos all at the same time from different angles.
I don't have to tell you that getting synchronized multi-camera shots has never been so simple.
But, hey, don't take my word for it...
Click here to learn more about this awesome gadget.
Trust me - if this is your first introduction to Alpine Labs, you have no idea what you've been missing.
Like I said earlier, Pulse was a game-changer that's enabled me to take some truly awesome stills, time lapse videos, and long exposures. And I have a feeling Spark is going to give me even more flexibility and control to take my photos to yet another level.
