What is it?
The CamRanger app and hardware enable wireless remote control of supported cameras over a private wi-fi network. It can be used simply as a remote shutter release. However, it is actually much more powerful than that because it can be used to remotely control a wide range of camera settings and shooting behaviors, as detailed below. Currently, a number of Nikon and Canon DSLRs are supported. I have tested CamRanger on an iPhone 4S with a Nikon D90. Most of my observations probably apply to other Nikon models. There are some differences between Nikon and Canon implementations, as described in the CamRanger user guide. I refer to the hardware component as the CamRanger "pod".
Addendum: after publishing the first version of this review, I discovered that focusing was not working properly with my D90. After a couple of e-mails with Dave at CamRanger, he agreed that things were not as they should be. He fixed this issue promptly in an updated version of the CamRanger app. Needless to say, I'm very happy with the customer support. Also, focusing now works properly with my D90.
A small bit of terminology
CamRanger can be used in Live View or non-Live View (Dead View?) modes. In Live View mode, the image being recorded by the camera sensor is streamed in real time (with a delay on the order of hundredths of a second) to your iDevice screen (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). Touching the screen on your iDevice will cause the camera to focus on that part of the scene, provided of course that you are using an auto-focus lens and AF is enabled on the camera. With Nikon cameras (but apparently not Canon), you have a choice of two connection modes: PC or Camera. Camera mode means that you can interact directly with the camera controls, and can see all the usual information on the camera's top LCD (provided that Live View is NOT also enabled). In PC mode (and Live View mode), the camera is unresponsive to direct manipulation of camera controls, and the top LCD simply displays "PC". PC mode enables remote control of the camera shooting mode (P,S,A,M). In Camera mode, you must rotate the dial on the top of the camera to change shooting mode. (It should be noted that turning on Live View while in Camera connection mode effectively changes the connection mode to PC.) If you want to use touch focusing with a Nikon, you will probably need to be in PC mode (see discussion below).
Basic Camera Settings
Unless otherwise noted, the following applies to both PC and Camera connection modes.
Shooting mode (P,S,A,M,Scene): as noted above, this can be controlled remotely only in PC connection mode (on Nikon cameras). A tiny glitch is that in Program (P) mode it is not possible to remotely alter the shutter speed/aperture combination selected by the program. That is, one cannot remotely engage what Nikon calls Flexible Program. This seems a minor point: people who use CamRanger are unlikely to use Program mode in the first place.
Aperture: full remote control
Shutter speed: full remote control
Image format: remote selection of RAW, JPG, RAW+JPG, and JPG quality -but NOT JPG size. JPG size will be as last set on the camera.
Metering mode: full remote control in non-Live View mode
Drive mode (single-frame, continuous low speed, etc.): full remote control -plus the ability to set the number of frames in continuous shooting mode
White balance: full remote control
Auto-focus mode (AF-S, AF-C, etc.): full remote control
Exposure compensation: full remote control in 1/3 EV increments (up to ± 5 EV on a D90)
Exposure bracketing: full remote control three exposures (± 2 EV in 1/3 increments on a D90). Note: the exposure compensation and bracketing options available in the CamRanger app are the same as if the D90 were being operated manually. This suggests that the available CamRanger settings will depend on the camera being used.
Focus mode (AF, MF): remote switching between auto focus and manual focus available in PC connection mode only. This is perhaps the least intuitive control. If you are in Live View, touching the screen will make the camera focus on the part of the scene that you touch, regardless of the AF/MF CamRanger setting (provided the switches on the camera and lens are set for AF). However, if CamRanger is set to AF, the camera will re-focus before making an exposure, using the focusing area last selected on the camera. In other words, CamRanger must be set to MF in order for remote touch focusing to work properly. In effect, this is remote manual focusing (MF) by using a touch screen, and it overrides the AF camera/lens settings. You need to be in PC connection mode in order for the switches on the camera and lens to be set to AF while at the same time being able to be set CamRanger to MF. At least that is how it works on the D90. I don't know how this works on Canon bodies, and even other Nikon bodies may work a bit differently.
Live histogram: in Live View mode only
ISO: Full remote control, with the caveat that Auto ISO must not be enabled in the camera menus. Unfortunately ISO selection is NOT disabled on the CamRanger when the camera is in Auto ISO mode. This gives one the false impression that ISO is being controlled remotely. Auto ISO cannot be turned on and off remotely.
Focus Control
See the discussion above about MF/AF focus mode. Remote autofocusing is accomplished in Live View mode by touching the image on the iDevice screen to place a focus point. Furthermore, remote focus can be fine-tuned by pressing six upor down-pointing triangular touch-screen "buttons" in the CamRanger UI (rather than by touching the image). In non-Live View mode, the camera will focus automatically according to the settings made on the camera (single-point AF, etc.), with the obvious caveat that AF must be enabled on the camera/lens. It is not possible to remotely select the focus point in non-Live View mode.
An automated focus stacking feature is also included. It is possible to set the number of shots in a sequence. One is also given the option of small, medium or large focus increments between captures. But there is no indication of what small, medium and large actually mean. A sequence is started from the the closest focus point, which is chosen in Live View mode. However, there is no way of knowing, except by reviewing images, how far the focus stacking sequence progresses. In other words, getting reliable results will involve some trial-and-error tinkering. An alternative is to do focus stacking manually by touching successive focus points on the iDevice screen. Hopefully, this feature can be be improved in subsequent software versions.
Time-lapse Photography (Timer and Intervalometer)
CamRanger can be used to control a time-lapse sequence of exposures, or to make a single exposure at some point in the future. The user sets the number of exposures, the time interval ("shot delay") between exposures, and the delay before the first exposure. The number of exposures can be set between 1 and 10,000, and the interval between shots can range from 1 sec to 59 min 59 sec. Once a sequence is initiated, the communicating iDevice can be turned off and/or disconnected from the CamRanger wi-fi network. The CamRanger user guide states that the interval between exposures is not precisely controlled, particularly when it "is only a few seconds or less." It's not clear how long (in time) that a sequence can be, given that the limiting factor will be battery life of the CamRanger "pod".
HDR Sequences
CamRanger can control automated HDR exposure sequences. Steps between successive exposures can range from 1/3 to 3 EV (in 1/3 EV increments). The attribute being varied can be aperture, shutter speed, or ISO. The number of exposures in the sequence can also be set, within a range that is determined by available camera settings (e.g., maximum shutter speed), the step size between exposures, and the settings for the initial exposure. The initial exposure is the "darkest", as set within the CamRanger app. In my tests, the time between exposures was about 2 sec, which is rather long given that subject movement is generally undesirable in HDR images.
In some ways the CamRanger implementation of HDR is an improvement over the native implementation on the D90. In particular, a native "automated" HDR sequence on the D90 is limited to no more than three exposures with a maximum range of 4 EV between the lightest and darkest images. However, if the drive mode on the D90 is set to continuous (high), those three exposures will take less than 1 second.
I tried to see if I could work around CamRanger's slow HDR shooting. Using CamRanger, I remotely set the camera drive mode to continuous (high) for seven exposures. Then I used CamRanger to set up a 7-exposure HDR sequence. I ended up with 49 exposures, seven taken at each step in the HDR sequence! Hopefully HDR sequences can be sped up in the future.
Image Review
With Nikon cameras, you must shoot JPG or RAW+JPG in order to review images (other than thumbnails) on your iDevice screen. (With Canon, you can just shoot RAW). You cannot review images on the LCD of your camera as long as the USB connection is maintained between the camera and the CamRanger "pod". This is true even if the connection mode is set to Camera. Image review on your iDevice can include a three-color histogram as well as blinking highlight and shadow clipping warnings.
Small Irritations
1. Almost every time I want to establish a wi-fi connection between my iPhone and the CamRanger, I am prompted for the network password. The "fix" is to simply try again. It always seems to work on the second try -no password needed. (This is a known "bug".)
2. On an iPhone, the CamRanger app does not switch to landscape view when the phone is rotated. (I believe this is NOT the case on iPads.)
Conclusion
Overall, CamRanger is truly impressive from both software and hardware standpoints. The variety of camera settings and shooting behaviors that can be controlled remotely (wirelessly) is astounding, especially for a third-party implementation. Certainly, nothing made by Nikon comes even close. All features seem to work quite well, although focus stacking is a bit crude, and execution of HDR sequences is slow (as detailed above). So far, I have only used the CamRanger "pod" within a few feet of my iPhone, so I cannot speak to the communication range. Nor have I made explicit tests of battery life, or tied to shoot video sequences. I have not tried using the CamRanger app in bright sunlight, where visibility of the the iDevice screen might be an issue. Finally, I'm guessing that the Live View capability with touch focusing will be very impressive on an iPad, with its much larger screen (compared to the iPhone). Finally, I've had excellent customer support from CamRanger.
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