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Designed for serious amateurs and pros, Promote® Control is an advanced remote control for digital SLR cameras from various manufacturers.
Promote Control - as used in production of "Wild Arabia", the new nature documentary by BBC. Now on air, "Wild Arabia" unveils a stunning picture of how people interact with nature, creating an ecosystem that is full of surprises.
"BBC's nature TV documentaries are always backed by very strong, poetic and spectacular visuals; this is what separates them from ordinary TV productions. This is where time-lapse footage comes into play. Wild Arabia is different from other BBC's documentaries. It's more human-oriented than usual, featuring difficult co-existence with harsh nature in a complex and forbidding world which is Arabia. Dramatic skies, busy ultra modern urban scenes, lava-like flow of traffic at night, day-to-night sequences, flickering city lights and travelling shadows. Wild Arabia is heavily reliant on time lapse photography which lends its magic in many scenes." - said Beno Saradzic, Executive Producer for Time Sand Studios (www.timesand.ae).
Working on a demanding schedule for one of the world's most prominent TV networks is certainly challenging. Nevertheless, Beno found himself right on track with the Promote Control.
"Promote [Control] was able to tackle every scenario with ease. Newly added Bulb Ramping feature is terrific. Despite its compact size, Promote Control is feature packed, robust and very portable. It rivals the power of laptop-tethered time lapse solutions, without the penalty of weight and size. Being mobile on a complex and demanding shoot with many locations means everything. You can't afford to be slowed down by lots of heavy gear.
Promote Control performed flawlessly under every condition and I never had to worry about running out of power. Software updates are frequent and with every revision, this device seems to get more awesome!" - he said after the project was completed.
Promote Control also remains an invaluable tool in the hands of thousands of photographers who chose to trust it with their business.
Promote® Control - Product Description
Designed for serious amateurs and pros, Promote® Control is an advanced remote control for digital SLR cameras from various manufacturers. It opens new doors for your creativity with its superior automation and intuitive ease of use. It will have you taking High Dynamic Range (HDR) photographs, time-lapse sequences and much more in a flash. With the Promote Control, you can gain unprecedented, advanced control over your SLR camera in ways that will save you time, especially when taking either traditional or HDR photos.
Capture the World in a New Light
Among a multitude of easy-to-use features, Promote Control offers unique flexibility for exposure bracketing, which is commonly used to create High Dynamic Range images. High Dynamic Range, or HDR imaging quickly gains popularity these days, thanks to stunning detail and tone range rendition. Promote Control propels HDR imaging forward by offering unparalleled flexibility, allowing for bracketing step variability previously not possible with in-camera bracketing modes. Promote Control can also automatically put the camera into Bulb mode as appropriate when performing bracketed exposures longer than 30 seconds, requiring no further user intervention. * The resulting images can be processed in a software application of choice to create a highly realistic image with a wide tonal range.
One of the most useful features of the Promote Control is an advanced Time-Lapse mode normally found only in middle to high end professional SLR cameras. Users can now perform Time-Lapse photography with any camera supported by Promote Control, including affordable entry level digital SLR cameras. An optional start delay can be specified to start a Time-Lapse sequence after a certain time period has elapsed.
Review by Michael James - hdriblog.com - Part 1
Get Sharper Photographs
In order to boost the quality of their photographs, users can easily setup their Promote Control unit to perform a fully automatic, user-defined delay for Mirror Lock-Up before every picture is taken. Locking the mirror before taking a picture gives a tripod-based camera the ultimate stability required to take a perfectly sharp photograph. The Promote Control brings this important feature to every photographer’s workflow in a seamless, sensible way. **
Because it’s highly customizable, the Promote Control can be calibrated to match your personal preferences. Moreover, the Promote Control’s firmware is upgradeable, so the device will stay up-to-date with the latest functionality and enhanced capabilities of future camera models.
Feature List
The Promote Control offers the following features:
Replaces and extends manufacturer-specific remote controls
Allows for unparalleled flexibility with automatic >30 second exposures in “bulb mode” - even in HDR sequences *
Advanced easy-to-configure “Time-Lapse Mode” with optional sequence start delay
Optional user-defined Mirror-Up timeout available in all modes *
Improved user interface featuring flexible user-definable settings
Optional multi-tone audible feedback
Large, easy to read liquid crystal display featuring RGB backlight of variable intensity
Weather-resistant design for water and dust resiliency
Powered by 2 AA batteries, the most easily obtainable power source
A passive camera pre-focus and release functionality remains functional as a backup even when the remote control is out of power *
External DC power jack for timing especially long exposures for astrophotography and other similar applications
Device firmware updates can be applied from a personal computer via USB interface.
Review by Michael James - hdriblog.com - Part 2
Additional Shutter Cables
Click HERE to see compatible shutter cables. The shutter cable is not required for general operation and is optional.
Resources
Download Promote Control User Manual in PDF format.
Reviews
"The Promote Control is an essential tool for better HDR captures. I've only had mine for a week and I can't imagine capturing brackets without it ever again. It allows the most affordable Nikon and Canon DSLRs to outperform the AEB capabilities of even the highest end pro DSLRs. I've tonemapped over 10,000 commerical images derived from HDR files, so you'll have to take my word for it when I say the Promote Control ... is a real game changer."
Michael James - hdriblog.com
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Promote control P-CTRL-1
Specifications
Camera Control: Advanced USB camera control protocol
Operation Modes: One Shot, Time-Lapse, HDR, Manual Hold *
Unit Size: Approx. 4.9 x 2.6 x 1.1 in. (125 x 65 x 27 mm)
Unit Weight: Approx. 5.5 oz. (156g)
Cable Length: 3.3 ft (1m)
Power Source: 2xAA (alkaline, manganese or Ni-MH)
Battery Life: 20 to 40 hrs estimated
Display: Monochrome, with variable intensity RGB backlight
Keypad: Membrane, weather resistant
Mirror-Up Delay: **
1 to 20 seconds (requires an optional shutter cable)
* Some features are subject to be supported by the camera, and may require an optional shutter cable available separately. Shutter cable availability may vary by the camera brand and model. See below for shutter cable links.
** Mirror Lock-Up feature is subject to be supported by the camera, and requires using an optional shutter cable. See below for shutter cable links.
Supplied Accessories:
Camera connection USB cable
Firmware update USB cable
User manual
Carrying case
Neckstrap
2xAA alkaline batteries
Compatibility
The Promote Control is compatible with digital cameras supporting an industry standard PTP/MTP protocol for controlling camera functions over USB interface. A non-exhaustive list of supported cameras includes the following brands and models:
Nikon: D3, D3s, D3X, D2X, D2Xs, D2H, D2Hs, D200, D300, D300s, D700, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80, D90, D3100, D7000.
NOTE 1: Fuji S5 Pro is currently not compatible due to differences in camera firmware.
NOTE 2: There is currently no shutter cable available for D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80 cameras. Promote Control is still compatible with those cameras in USB-only mode at this time.
Canon Type 1 (CN3 Cable) : 1D Mark III, 1Ds Mark III, 1D Mark IV, 1Ds Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 7D, 30D, 40D, 50D
Canon Type 2: 100D/SL1, 400D/XTi, 450D/XSi, 500D/T1i, 550D/T2i, 600D/T3i, 650D/T4i, 700D/T5i, 1000D/XS, 1100D/T3, 60D.
NOTE 1: Canon 300D, 350D, 10D, 20D, 5D Mk I, 1D/1Ds Mk I and 1D/1Ds Mk II cameras are not supported in HDR mode. Only basic operations such as One-Shot, Time-Lapse and Manual Hold are available on these cameras, and would require a CN3 cable to be connected. Other Canon cameras listed above are fully supported, including HDR mode.
NOTE 2: On Canon 60D the longest automatic HDR exposure is limited to 30 seconds due to mechanical Bulb mode activation. A future Promote Control firmware update will prompt to activate Bulb mode manually as required. At this time using a higher ISO setting is recommended with Canon 60D if an exposure longer than 30 seconds is required in HDR mode.
Additional Shutter Cables
Click HERE to see compatible shutter cables. The shutter cable is not required for general operation and is optional.
Red Door VR Limited, UK - Panoramic Photo Equipment Specialists - pageloads from 111107: