Triggertrap is an ambitious app that enables you to control your iPhone camera, and with accessory dongle and connecting cable, your DSLR. Its functions range from the expected (cable release, sound trigger, and time lapse) to the impressive (eased time lapse and distance-lapse). It sells for $9.99 in the iTunes App Store, so expectations are high for its performance (as reflected in the user reviews on iTunes).

I tested Triggertrap on an iPhone 4S, and with a Pentax K-5 and Canon 60D. After my recent review of ioShutter, my expectations were "plug and play" for Triggertrap. But I quickly learned that this app is a bit more complex.

Triggertrap is an accessory for photographers who like to fiddle, experiment, fail, then ultimately succeed. You can do amazing things with it, like having the GPS in your iPhone measure your movement, and program the camera to release the shutter at a specified distance. That way, if you're documenting a road trip via time lapse, you don't burn a ton of useless frames while sitting in traffic.

But simple functions, such as using your iPhone as a cable release, have a degree of difficulty too. Suddenly I found myself reading the mobile manual trying to figure out delay settings and pulse lengths. If you like this stuff, you'll love the control that Triggertrap allows; if not, you'll feel the app is unnecessarily complicated.

There were some performance inconsistencies too, especially when controlling the DSLRs via the cable. Sometimes one tap would equal a single exposure, other times multiple. I double-checked my camera settings to make sure I was in single frame mode, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

For some functions, such as time lapse, this wasn't an issue. Everything worked great. But the sound trigger (Bang) and simple cable release were sometimes more of an adventure than I expected.

Triggertrap accessory dongle and connecting cable. Check the Triggertrap site to get the correct cable for your camera.

Bottom Line

If you're looking to create something out of the ordinary with your DSLR, take a look at the Triggertrap functions. For a $30 investment ($10 for the app and $20 for the cables), you can use your camera in ways you might not have imagined.

But, you if want a simple remote release with a handful of expected functions that doesn't require any fussing, Triggertrap probably isn't for you. It requires engagement, experimentation, and sometimes frustration before providing you with the rewards you're seeking.

I'm planning a project with it where I'll use the eased time lapse function with the StarLapse motor mount to create a new time lapse movie. I'll keep you posted on the results.

You can find more photo tips and "photography how tos" on my Pinterest page.