Wireless Technology in Photography

Reminiscing about articles I wrote back in 2013 (like that previous article I reproduced here) I came across this one too, I've been preaching this wireless gospel for quite some time. So, just in case the site goes down, here are those thoughts once more. 

Originally at - https://techwire.lk/wireless-technology-in-photography/

Wireless tech is steadily invading all facets of life, from the office, to the home, and now even onto non-traditional applications. Anywhere Digital Data needs to be transmitted, people are finding new and innovative ways to use wireless tech. The scope keeps increasing as data speeds becomes faster and more reliable.

Digital data transfer has a long history in photography. Starting with things like unhooking the studio lights and flashes from long trailing cords, todays sophisticated systems transmit even information like distance and colour temperature between cameras and flash units. Pro photogs benefited by using what was referred as tethering, where pictures taken on the camera was instantly transmitted to a computer with a high quality display, meaning parties involved with shoots, such as clients or models can immediately see the images being produced and provide feedback if it is meeting expectations. Early systems were cumbersome and expensive, and more importantly, wired, which created lots of clutter. Early wireless adapters provided by camera makers were expensive, and functionality was limited to transferring the image files only.

Last year, Canon released the EOS 6D, aimed at providing a “cheap” way for new users to enter the Full Frame market. I say “cheap”, as the camera still costs US$2000. However, the 6D represents a very important step in Digital Photography. It is the first, and at the time of writing, the only camera to provide onboard GPS and Wifi. And the capabilities provided are more than just transferring the files back to a server, it provides mobile apps that allow the photographer to use a tablet or smartphone to connect directly to the camera (using WiFi Direct, no need for a WiFi Router), and control functionality on the camera. This means not just viewing the results, but the full functionality of changing focus, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and many other functions will be controlled by the app, and the photographer will have a live view of the image that the camera is seeing even when physically away from the camera.

But again, as exciting as these capabilities are, the startup cost is quite large. Even in this country, with its ridiculous price structures, one can buy a functioning car for that kind of money. So what kind of options exist that are less severe on the wallet? At the low end of the range, a photographer can buy something like an Eye-Fi card. This will allow image backup from any camera that can use a SD card to a computer, and the computer software will allow the image to be viewed immediately. Limited, but something, and the price point can range between $40 and $100. Some cameras have adapters that will allow the same functionality, Canon’s latest offerings even coming in the form of a grip with additional shutter buttons and some remote functionality, but costing $700 or thereabouts. Also, they tend to limited to certain camera models only.

This brings us to the device I want to focus on. Its called the CameraMator. The website can be found at http://www.cameramator.com and the kickstarter page from which they raised the funding which has a pretty full description of its capabilities are right here – http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/urashid/cameramator-wireless-tethered-photography

Camera Mator Unit

 

I’ll just summarize the highlights here. The main functionality is the ability control aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance remotely, and instant photo review. In addition, it will allow a self timer, an Intervalometer and HDR Bracketing capabilities. It works with a wide range of cameras, a distinct point in its favour. And so is the price, at a mere $300, it costs less than ½ of what a unit produced by the camera manufacturers will cost. Its certainly running very close to providing the WiFi functionality in the $2000 Canon 6D.

Earlier, I pointed out why photographers shoot tethered. Instant feedback on larger, better quality screens than those on the backs of DSLRs, client feedback, model interaction, the ability to show what is happening over what you want without moving the camera.  The remote capability could be useful for wildlife, leaving the camera covering a remote scene and shooting from far so as not to spook the animals. It would allow the photographer to minimize risk to himself by keeping the camera somewhere risky why shooting it from a safe distance, like keeping the camera right near the track at a motor racing event. However this kind of work is typically the province of professionals who get paid big bucks to shoot. The ability to get the camera into all kinds of angles and still compose the images accurately. Hold the tripod over your head for a shot looking down from 10 feet, shoot at ground level without having to lie on the ground to look through the viewfinder. Shoot from the next room, if that suits your fancy.

Why would an average DSLR user want to buy something like this? With this kind of capability, lets see what we can add. Self portraits, accurate framing, and accurate timing for the picture. Its a lot more cost effective for experiments than hiring a professional model. No more guessing if there is enough space once you put the timer on and run to be included in a group shot. Much better image quality for live blogging. no need for blurry grainy photos from a Mobile, use the high ISO and wide apertures available and upload directly to the web. Have a team of photographers sending pictures straight to a laptop for instant review and upload to the net. Share pictures instantly with attendees at parties, sending pictures direct to their smartphones. This kind of technology certainly increases the business potential of your DSLR. The possibilities seem limited only by imagination.

(Images courtesy of www.cameramator.com)

Samsung Galaxy Camera

Back in 2013 I wrote an article for TechWire on the Samsung Galaxy Camera. With the launch of the Canon R5 and R6 I wanted to revist it, but it appears the site has been hijacked - So had to retrieve it from the Google Cache
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Sl2trNwg3rsJ:https://techwire.lk/samsung-galaxy-camera-in-focus/+&cd=19&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=lk

However, since I don't want to the article to be lost in case the site can't be recovered, I wanted to publish it here.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera is an interesting product. It’s not a particularly revolutionary device, by which I mean, its not going to claim first to market on its head line features. It is not the first Android powered pure camera (Nikon holds that title) and its also not the first pure camera with wifi/wireless data connectivity. Even Samsung has several models in its stable with wifi connectivity. It is probably the first camera to feature 3G/4G connectivity on board, but phone cameras have been doing that for years. There are also plenty of cameras on the market with GPS sensors onboard.

What the Galaxy Camera does have is a compelling mix of features. Android as an Operating System has a pretty powerful set of applications for image editing, such as Photoshop Touch. Samsung already has experience in this arena, Photoshop Touch is one of the pre-loaded apps on the Galaxy Note 10, which is a pretty formidable mobile editing platform with its 10 inch screen and S-Pen, which has Wacom technology.

The device on the Hardware side is pretty much equivalent to the Galaxy SIII, using the same screens, CPUs and graphics processors. What this means in real world terms, is that any software development on the SIII (currently Samsung’s flagship, so commanding the maximum support from Samsung’s development resources) will technically be portable to the Camera with little effort. So it should be in line for updates right at the top of the tree. It beats the Nikon S800C Android camera in having Android 4 on board as shipped, compared to the Nikon’s 2.3 Gingerbread flavour.

On the Camera side, the sensor used is larger than a standard phone camera sensor, the lens is pretty decent with a f2.8 aperture at its widest, and covering a zoom range that covers the 35mm equivalent of 23mm to well over 400mm. This is a lot more than what was classed as superzoom compacts just a few short years ago. (Not currently, Canon’s current superzoom is a 50x zoom, 24-1200mm equivalent). The camera controls offer a decent amount of manual control. It has some innovative smart modes which will makes things easier for photo enthusiasts who want a certain effect, but don’t know manual controls get that effect manually.

Along with the good, there is a couple of bad. First up, lag. Rather than a snappy response, the camera app is reported to be a bit on the slow side. Now, this might be no worse than many of the current crop of point and shoot cameras, but this is what we have from the reviews. The other issue is the small battery. The battery is a rather small 1650mAh unit, quite a bit smaller than the battery on the Galaxy SIII phone. The battery is rated for 350 shots. Not too impressive by DSLR standards, but 300-400 shots is pretty normal for point and shoots. However, this camera also uses GPS, has a data transmission capability that, as experience with camera phones has shown, can kill a battery pretty quickly. Also, that big touchscreen can be used for things other than just as a viewfinder for taking pictures. It can be used for editing the pictures that have just been taken, and image manipulation is a rather processor intensive task, which in turn, drains battery.

But this is not just a picture and video tool, but a fully fledged Android device. Using Google Maps to find your way to what you are shooting, checking in with Latitude /Foursquare/Facebook, and then killing some time with Angry Birds, or watching a movie or listening to some music, there are many ways this camera can drain this small battery very y quickly.

On the pure camera front. the Galaxy Camera is equipped with a 16mp sensor. All well and good, but don’t expect this to be replacing a DSLR any time soon. As is typical from a high megapixel, tiny sensor camera, viewing images at 100% is pretty dismal. However,checking things out on the LCD, things look good, and for smaller images and just sharing online, it seems great.

And this really is the whole point of this device. Its not a professional’s tool, its a social tool. Why choose it over a regular smartphone? Well, the zoom range and pop up flash is much, much better than any smartphone. And with that comes the opportunity to get more done than with a smartphone. It is a trade off between the money you spend and the money you can earn. There are people that do live blogging and live video streams using iPhones, and this device can aim right at that market segment. As a bonus, you don’t use up your phone battery, so you can still keep in contact with people.

But do what, exactly? These things don’t come cheap. Costing over $600, it comes in at about the same price point as a base level SLR. So the trade off for losing the image quality is the ability to post instagrammed pictures on facebook immediately? Not to mention the system is pretty much stuck in a WYSIWYG mode. There aren’t any more extensions like you would have with an SLR, no external flashes, no filter systems, nothing like that. Like I said, this is not a professional’s tool, although it can be used to provide some services in certain situations.

In my last article, I looked into the CameraMator system. On the surface, it does seem to offer similar functionality, but it means adding a $300 price tag on top of the cost of a DSLR and accessories. However, its not just about sharing pictures on FB when looking at business opportunities. With something like the Galaxy Camera, simple social media is where it stops. With a DSLR, you can add a immediate high quality printing service. Follow up prints, blown up pictures. RAW control. External lights. Professional tools simply allow you to do more, and do it faster.

So in summary, the big question is, why should you get one? Why indeed? The thing is, it depends as much on your personality as it does on your requirements. As it currently stands, I would have bought one, since it does suit my requirements, but, not at this price point. For me, its too much money for what I am getting, so this generation, I’ll give it a pass. However, it is a segment that I would keep a close eye on for future developments.

Cafe Kai

Cafe Kai, at the Hilton, is fast becoming one of my favoured haunts. It's located quite conveniently, the pricing is actually not too bad, seats are comfy and it has a nice relaxed atmosphere. But mostly, it's about the roast beef sandwich.

Now, what is special about this sandwich? The plentiful roast beef? The gherkins? The cheese layer? The brown bread? Actually, for me, all of the above, coupled with a generous serving size and a cost of Rs. 488. The nice thing about Cafe Kai, what you see is what you get. No additional taxes and charges, the price displayed is what you pay, all other costs inclusive. 

This particular visit, I paired it with a Sweet Iced Tea, with sugarcane, part of their monthly promotional range. Unfortunately it won't be available after February. But fingers crossed for next month's specials, hopefully it will be as good.

The Steuart

Right off the bat, I'll admit a bit of bias, &Co pub and kitchen at the Steuart is one of my favourite places in Colombo, and it's a pity I don't get to visit more often. (And they make a mean Bloody Mary, but that wasn't included this visit 😄)

&Co has a dark and cozy atmosphere, with the heraldic crests from Scot clans decorating the brick finish walls. Tartan patterns on the place mats add to the Scots Pub atmosphere. According to Wiki, Steuarts was founded by a "British" sea captain, but considering the spelling of Steuarts instead of Stewarts, I think Scottish is probably accurate. There is an outdoor area too, which I am not fond of, for people into that kinda thing. Colombo is warm, and AC is bliss, as far as I am concerned, and the dark, cool, air conditioned interior suits me just fine.

At this time of year, they had Christmas decor up too.

Not entirely sure what was on here...

&Co has a large menu, which is not cheap, but the portions are quite large, so there is value for money. Go with a decent appetite. Also the drinks are quite reasonable for this very touristy area of Colombo. The wait staff is pretty good too, attentive, and they know what they are selling. 

For this visit, I went with an old favourite, Pork Lamprais for lunch, and a good ol' cuppa mint tea to wash it down. 

Steuarts built up their business in the coffee trade and later tea when Sri Lanka transitioned from coffee to tea after a pest devastated the islands coffee plantations, and they still produce their own tea. It's a small thing, but nice touch. The fact that they bring a pot that holds two cups is nice too.

The lamprais was good, but it was a bit different from last time, where the pork was more of a juicy preparation, where this time it was a dry preparation. Personally I feel the more juicy version is better in a steaming hot lamprais, but this can't be faulted, the preparation is excellent. 

On a complete aside, the pub is also a nice place to take pictures, since the dark atmosphere means that controlling the light is easier, not a lot of ambient to worry about. I look forward to my next visit.

The Exchange Pub

The Exchange is a pretty unique theme restaurant in a crowded theme restaurant space. The premise is to make the transaction like it works at an exchange. Unfortunately, unlike a real exchange, the prices for the orders aren't really based on market dynamics of supply and demand, but rather, just the supply, but hey, what can you do? 😀

The unique pub is the work of former employees of MillenniumIT, the theme instantly familiar to those of the industry. The location is interesting too, just across the street from the WTC, housing the Colombo Stock Exchange, one of MillenniumIT's first clients. Naturally the CSE is there as the Fort, in the Commercial Capital of Sri Lanka, is the epicenter of financial activity of the country. The choice of location is inspired, in my opinion.
The decor is typical pub, but the screens displaying item prices like a stock market ledger interface is somewhat different. The effect is interesting.

I landed there in the company of some friends working closeby, the place suggested on whim. The prices are not cheap, but fairly normal for the area near Dutch Hospital. The portions seem pretty generous, specially on the rice my friends ordered. The food seems quite good too, worth a shot.

My Beef Burger with potato wedges. There actually is a patty in there, tho it seems like some cheese topped with a lot of lettuce 😁 It's not bad, even though I would have liked a bigger patty. Also, the burger bun got quite soggy quite quickly, but there was a decent mix of condiments and patty in there. Worth a try.

De Vos Cafe - Oh for Fox sake!

De Vos Cafe, off De Vos Road in Bambalapitiya, has been creating much buzz on social media, specially after a Yamu review that it seems not many people agree with. Who ever is in charge of social media at De Vos is also doing a fantastic job with some sharp wit and a good sense of humor. So much so that I had to check it out for myself.

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera, so no pictures of the place, but I decided to take some food pics off my phone. This wasn't a planned stop, just joining my wife and her friends when they took a break from shopping to have lunch. The place will have to wait for another time (which will happen as I want to try the French Dip Sandwich, hilariously featured here)

For now, first thing on the list - English Pub Breakfast

Made a slight mistake, this comes with toast with butter and jam, but that came after a slight delay and I had already dug into this, so I didn't retake pictures including that. Pulse has pictures if you want to look into it. This looked way too good to sit around and wait. (I was right about that.) It IS a bit on the pricey side, (Though normal for the Colombo cafe scene) but at least you are getting a lot for your money, so can't really complain. Not something I would order every time (cholesterol is too high to be having all this bacon and hash browns) but it can definitely be recommended as a good solid meal. Going by the pics on Yamu, this has definitely improved in quantity.

The wife went on a more traditional route, rice and curry, called Lankan Delight. Once again it seems a ridiculous thing to go to a cafe and spend this much money on a rice and curry which can be had for approximately 1/4 of the cost from a place much closer to home, but as an experience, it's good. Quantity, check. Taste, check. Slightly too much spice for my tastes, but my wife is more of a fan of chillie, and she liked it just fine. I will add that there are certain meals worth sweating to eat and this would be worth the sweat from eating the spice.

I didn't try the other food, which was a chicken taco with penne alfredo and a vege and cheese sandwich, but the reactions were quite positive, and I can tell you, the portions were more than generous. The fries are interesting, they had a flavour I couldn't identify, not sure what it was, but whatever it was, I'm a fan.

We had drinks, which I didn't take pictures of, but quick summary. I had iced tea, which was nice, came with sugar syrup separately (which I appreciate) and also in rather large mason glass (which is also much appreciated). The girls had some coffee and something called a lemondrop. The one who ordered it apparently didn't read the description and wasn't a fan of the strong lemongrass flavour, but I, who love the lemongrass flavour, loved it and recommend it highly.

Definitely a place I would stop at to have a tea or lemondrop and read a book when I need to kill some time.

Calorie Counter

I'm not a health nut by any means, but I have heard plenty of good things about Calorie Counter, and  since I was working in the area that morning, I decided to drop in at the Ward Place branch and see what all the fuss is about. 

The restaurant is a nice space. I like the decor, specially the large wall mounted menus with accompanying pictures. It's a nice place to sit and work for a while. It does, however, lack WiFi (with signs saying there is no WiFi, talk to each other :) ) and no charging outlets, so it's not aimed at that kind of coffee shop clientele.

The founder's story board is a nice touch, but it's partially hidden. They should really find a better place for that.

The menu is quite wide, and I spent a long time trying to make a choice. Fortunately the staff is quite attentive, and the guy behind the counter pointed out the mains, as I had only been looking at the wraps and sandwiches. At that point I saw the Peri Peri chicken and that was immediately my number one choice. 

They did give a nice big hunk of chicken accompanied by vegetables and corn. It was quite good. It was well spiced, and quite sufficient in quantity. It wasn't quite like the Peri Peri Chicken that is found in Nando's restaurants but still quite good. A nice Nando's Peri Peri sauce would make things quite feisty, but then, this was about counting calories.