The US company that helped to pioneer wirelessly controlling DSLRs with smartphones in 2012, CamRanger, has finally announced the upcoming CamRanger 2 system.

It’s a successor to an award-winning product that brings a variety of features including support for Sony and Fujifilm, an SD Card slot, and dual-band Wi-Fi.
CamRanger 2 is said to be five times faster than previous versions with 802.11ac WiFi and roughly two times faster when using 802.11n WiFi. CamRanger 2 will also have an effective usage range more than three times its current model.

More significantly, the CamRanger 2 system will support select Sony and Fujifilm cameras. ‘We always said we would not offer support until we could do it in a way that works for professionals,’ says CamRanger on its announcement page. ‘Our new design removes previous limitations, limitations other wireless tethering devices suffer from.’ It remains unknown what cameras will and won’t be supported.

Tethering has become a staple for many photographers, but for most that means a 15′ bright, orange cord connected to a laptop. With wireless tethering, all you need is a phone or tablet to connect to your camera. This is perfect for on-location when a laptop may be a little too unwieldy, but an iPad is better suited. Now with the updated CamRanger 2, the wireless workflow might be too good to ignore.

New features:

• Fujifilm and Sony compatibility (not available in older models)
• Built-in SD card slot (SD/SDHC/SDXC Card compatibility)
• 500 ft range (150 ft in original and 400 ft in mini)
• 300 Mbps 802.11n 2.4 GHz network (60 Mbps throughput)
• 433 Mbps 802.11ac 5 GHz network (180 Mbps throughput)
• Bridge into existing Wi-Fi networks
• Approximately 5 hrs battery life (5-6 in original, 3 in mini)
• Replaceable 3300 mAh Lithium Ion Battery (2000 mAh in original and internal 1800 mAH in mini)
• Charge in device with USB micro: 5V 2A, or with external charger

CamRanger has also released a new app with new features including:

• Barcode scanner workflow (iOS & Android)
• Photobooth app (iOS)
• Auto share/save/transfer images
• Social media upload (iOS & Android)
• Edit and crop images (iOS)
• Image comparison (iOS)
• Multiple camera control (macOS & Windows)

The new device is larger in all dimensions (4.2×2.7×1.2″/5.6oz vs. 3.9×2.4×0.7″/4.2oz), but with the increased size and weight comes to a new and improved list of features.
There’s a new 1/4 20″ standard tripod screw mount for multiple camera attachment options, and the device now has SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card compatibility. The rechargeable battery inside has been upped from 1800mAh to 3300mAh, though battery life is slightly shorter (~5hrs instead of ~6hrs).

CamRanger has also updated the accompanying apps for the impending CamRanger 2, noting it’s taken inspiration from the CamRanger Mini apps and customer feedback to make an app that both looks better and includes new features.
The CamRanger 2 is available for $349,99.

More info on CamRanger’s website.