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Nikon Coolpix 950, 990, 800,
880, and 900, Epson 750Z, Olympus C-3030
and C-2020 Zoom, Sanyo VPC-SX500. This review was
performed using an Olympus C-2000z.
To set up the DigiSnap 2000,
first connect it to a computer via an included RS-232
cable. If you have a terminal program loaded on your
computer, such as Hyperterm, you can use it to configure
the DigiSnap. The settings are menu driven and fairly
straightforward. After configuring it with your
computer, attach it to your digital camera with the
RS-232 camera that came with your camera, or in the case
of the Nikon 990, you can order a cable from
Harbortronics when you order the DigiSnap 2000.
Now the fun begins! First press
any button on the DigiSnap to wake it up. Then if you
want to take a single photo, press the * button. On our
test camera, an Olympus 2000z, there was about a 4
second delay before the shutter was actually released.
This mode would be great if you needed to take a shot
without touching the camera. The RS-232 cable can also
be extended up to 700 ft according to Harbortronics for
those really long distance shots. All you need is a
three-conductor cable with a female DB-9 connector to
plug into the DigiSnap.
The other main feature is the
time-lapse mode. The DigiSnap 2000 can be configured for
basic time-lapse mode which allows you to set the number
of frames from 1 to 255 or infinite, and the time
between frames. If you set the time between frames to 0,
it will take shots as fast as your camera will take the
shot and save the image. The maximum time between frames
is 255 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds which is over
10 days!
The advanced time-lapse mode
allows you to program up to 8 different start times with
a different number of frames and different time
intervals between frames. This mode uses your camera’s
internal clock to start each interval. This would be
great to set a delayed start so that you don’t even
have to be there to start the time-lapse process.
Another feature is the ability
to set the interval for Simple Time-Lapse mode without a
computer or other programming device. Simply plug the
DigiSnap 2000 into your camera and hold down the
time-lapse button until the LED starts to blink. Hold
down the button and count the blinks. The number of
blinks equals the number of seconds between shots. That’s
all there is to it!
The buttons on the left and
right of the DigiSnap come pre-programmed to remotely
zoom the camera a fixed amount. You can change the
amount of zoom in the setup program. You can also
re-program any of the buttons to perform other
functions. To check to see if your camera is
compatible, Harbortronics has provided a utility program
that can be downloaded and run on your computer.
If the program works, most likely the DigiSnap 2000 will
also.
What’s included in the
package? The DigiSnap 2000 with a AAA alkaline battery
installed, an RS-232 cable to connect the DigiSnap to
your computer, a small screw driver used to change the
internal battery, and the manual.
The price for the DigiSnap 2000
is $120.00 plus shipping. If you need a cable for
a Nikon 990, they can provide one for an extra
$25.00. For more information, contact DigiSnap@Harbortronics.com.
You can visit their web page at: .
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