App-based camera triggers compared: Alpine Labs Spark & Miops Mobile Dongle
(Digital Photography Review)

Introduction From left, the Alpine Labs Spark and the Miops Mobile Dongle. Finger. Shutter button. Click. Next. That sequence is so ingrained in our idea of `taking a photo` that it´s pure muscle memory. Many situations call for more than just the press of a finger to capture a shot, though, which is where remote triggers come in. Plenty of us have a remote release cable buried in our camera bags that activates the shutter from a foot or two away. But what about when you want to trigger a night sky shot in the bitter cold from within the comfortable confines of a sleeping bag? Or hours of time-lapse long exposures? What about automatically tripping the shutter when something moves in front of the camera? These are exactly the needs that app-based triggers are designed to meet. And while there are traditional accessory triggers that`ll individually accomplish one of the above tasks, none do it all. Key features of app-based remote releases Remotely trigger a camera´s shutter Automate time-lapse capture sequences HDR capture that´s more flexible than some cameras´ built-in modes Activate the camera shutter using external stimuli such as sound or movement (Miops only) A photo shot using the Miops Mobile Dongle`s sound trigger function. Devices to enable remote capture aren´t new, but the popularity of smartphones has shifted attention to app-based solutions. With a small activation device or cable connected to the camera, software on the phone can handle the details-and be easily updated for fixes or new features. I looked at two recent products that connect your camera and smartphone, the Alpine Labs Spark and the Miops Mobile Dongle. Alpine Labs Spark $74 | AlpineLaboratories.com The Alpine Labs Spark can sit in the camera`s hot shoe. The Alpine Labs Spark ($74) is a triple-purpose remote trigger. The unit itself sits on top of your camera in the hot-shoe and connects via USB - you need to ...