By technical editor Matt Allard:
CamsFormer is a DSLR camera accessory that combines timelapse, bulb ramping, remote camera control, remote live view, high speed triggering, sensors, and pan/tilt/zoom all in one wireless device controlled from your smart phone, tablet, or computer. According to CamsFormer it is the worlds first device to combine so many features into a single compact device.
CamsFormer is currently on KickStarter and is already 700% funded with an expected ship date of June 2015. It will retail for $299.
CamsFormer plugs into the USB port and cable release port of your camera, and can independently connect to and trigger two other cameras and two other flashes.
CamsFormer shows a real-time live view of your cameras view finder remotely from the app on your smart device. It can wirelessly change a wide range of camera settings including ISO, White Balance, Shutter Speed, Aperture, and even adjust the camera focus remotely from the app.
While shooting, pictures taken by the camera are wirelessly uploaded saved and viewed on the app, this includes both JPG and RAW images. It has a picture buffer that allows you to shoot rapidly while pictures are queued up and uploaded in the background. CamsFormer has an infinity camera memory mode that allows you to take pictures forever without running out of camera memory.
CamsFormers built in timelapse function allows you to change camera settings during the timelapse, for example you can change the exposure after each shot to adjust for lighting conditions, bulb ramping, or even change the ISO, white balance or other settings after each shot to adjust for different conditions or for added creativity.
CamsFormer has built-in 3-axis motion control that lets you wirelessly control camera pan/tilt/zoom from the app, or use it during a timelapse or video recording. DIY to use it to control motorized sliders, or dollies, to allow sliding, panning, and tilting all at the same time.
It has 4 high speed triggering channels that can independently trigger two cameras and two flashes using built in sensors for light, lightning, laser, sound, and motion. The high speed trigger uses the sensors to detect external events, which are then used to trigger your camera within microseconds, much faster than your human reflexes, helping you take more creative pictures, or to help automate or control your camera picture taking or video recording.
For example the motion sensor can be used as a wildlife camera trigger trap. It can sit and wait for hours, automatically triggering your camera to take a picture or start a video recording when it detects motion in the area, from possibly a bird, or an animal, helping you get great shots of that elusive species of tiger nobody has seen in 10 years for example.
The sound sensor can be used to trigger your camera when it detects a sound. For example it can wait for the sound of firecracker, fireworks, or any other event that generates a sound, then triggers your camera within microseconds to take pictures of events the instant it happens, like taking picture of a lightning bolt using the light sensor, or water droplets.
CamsFormer even has its own scripting programming language developed especially for photography. The scripting language lets photographers control the camera, triggering, sensors, and pan/tilt/zoom anyway they want, easily adding new features themselves that they need, simply by writing a simple script. For example a simple script can be written that takes a picture, then changes the ISO and white balance, take another picture, change the shutter speed, take another picture, pan the camera, then start a video recording for 30 seconds, then take another 5 pictures, etc. The script can read any of the sensors, and set up custom triggering scenario. Scripting allows the photographer to automate their picture taking by giving CamsFormer a set of steps they want it to do automatically. This is the only product that has this capability on the market today.
CamsFormer can be used by both professional and amateur photographers, for different types of photography, such as high speed photography, sports, action, aerial, pole, architectural, real estate, commercial, landscape, studio, wild life, astronomy, stop motion, portraits, macro, HDR, even DIY for experimental photography.
For more information head over to their Kickstarter page.
