New item: I've seen advertised a new item that fits on your hot shoe that tells you how to set your camera settings, I think. Can anyone help this brain dead old man with what the name...

Fishbrain

I've seen advertised a new item that fits on your hot shoe that tells you how to set your camera settings, I think.
Can anyone help this brain dead old man with what the name of this thing is? It's driving me crazy.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Fishbrain wrote:

I've seen advertised a new item that fits on your hot shoe that tells you how to set your camera settings, I think.
Can anyone help this brain dead old man with what the name of this thing is? It's driving me crazy.

light meter??

Libbypics

I have been bombarded by ads for two such products. One is called "Pluto" (as I recall) and the other is called "Arsenal". They both claim to be able to make you the world's best photographer, though not in so many words. With Pluto, and a special accessary (at additional cost, of course), you can actually take a photo of a drop of water. Wow!

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

https://witharsenal.com/

https://plutotrigger.com/

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Libbypics wrote:

I have been bombarded by ads for two such products. One is called "Pluto" (as I recall) and the other is called "Arsenal". They both claim to be able to make you the world's best photographer, though not in so many words. With Pluto, and a special accessary (at additional cost, of course), you can actually take a photo of a drop of water. Wow!

Yes, I've been getting these, too.

Pluto is a glorified remote trigger, which looks like it will help you do long time lapse sequences, as well as triggering by visual or audio events. It looks like it might be useful for certain tasks, although not really something that I'd need.

Arsenal seems to be a sort of personal assistant system that works through your smart phone, and can make exposure, focus, and other decisions for you. It looks like it might be useful for beginners, but not so much if you already have the basic knowledge of how to achieve your photographic visions.

Andy

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Fishbrain wrote:

I've seen advertised a new item that fits on your hot shoe that tells you how to set your camera settings, I think.
Can anyone help this brain dead old man with what the name of this thing is? It's driving me crazy.

Save your money. They are both glorified gadgets designed to make your wallet lighter.

SandMan72b

I agree. Might be good for a beginner, but in the end it's just one more thing to take the thinking and creativity out of photography.

SandMan

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Well, set on Auto and press and it will give you starting parameters and you can go up down in speed etc based on what you are going to capture.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I can see where the Pluto might have some usefulness, but not a lot compared to its pricetag. Long time lapses, are really a PITA to set up, and if you're inexperienced at capturing the critical moment in action photography, it could help - with the equally spendy accessory trigger. But, agree, these are not going to improve your photography skills as much as a book, online course, or even watching some YouTube videos.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Perhaps thinking through the photographic process and determining for yourself what you should do will keep you more involved in the process. That device will only reduce you to the position of button pusher. But, if you really feel you want to lower your status the device is called Arsenal.

The next photographic improvement will be a robot that will take your camera and wander around taking photos with it while you sit and drink a beer on your porch waiting for award-winning work to be delivered to you. Sheesh.
--Bob

Fishbrain wrote:

I've seen advertised a new item that fits on your hot shoe that tells you how to set your camera settings, I think.
Can anyone help this brain dead old man with what the name of this thing is? It's driving me crazy.

tomad Loc: North Carolina

rmalarz wrote:

The next photographic improvement will be a robot that will take your camera and wander around taking photos with it while you sit and drink a beer on your porch waiting for award-winning work to be delivered to you. Sheesh.
--Bob

Hey that sounds pretty good, I want one of those!

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Those things are all gimmicks.

Fishbrain wrote:

I've seen advertised a new item that fits on your hot shoe that tells you how to set your camera settings, I think.
Can anyone help this brain dead old man with what the name of this thing is? It's driving me crazy.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Gee, preorder for $175 and get it in September....
Wow, what a deal!

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

These things are designed to help you become an average photographer. If being average is your aspiration, go for it.