Bluetooth, iOS Enable Digital Camera Remote Control

If you've ever found yourself trying to take a family photo and having to sprint into position after setting the camera's timer, a new device has come up with a potential solution. Canadian-based company XEquals this week unveiled a Bluetooth accessory to remotely control certain digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras with an iOS device.

The small blueSLR camera connector is geared at both professional photographers and consumers and works with Nikon cameras. It will soon be available for Canon cameras as well, the company said. Because of its size, users have the option of keeping it attached to the camera. It is the brainchild of a husband and wife team who said they "wished for an accessory with remote functionality to snap photos wirelessly so that the entire family could be in the picture."

Once the connector is plugged into a compatible digital DSLR camera, it can be paired with an Apple iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch device with Bluetooth. When the device is synced, companion software allows the user to control shutter speed, auto focus, timer, and other options remotely, up to 300 feet away. It also has GPS geo-tagging functionality to record where photos were taken and enables sharing on sites including iPhoto, MobileMe, Places, Flickr, and Picasa, the company said.

BlueSLR is one of the first certified accessories to use Bluetooth to interact with compatible Apple devices, according to the company's blog.

It is compatible with the Nikon Essential DLSR D3100 and D5000; the Nikon Advanced DLSR D90 and D7000; and the Nikon Professional DSLR D2Xs, D3, D3s, D200, D300, D300S, and D700 models. XEquals said support for Android and Blackberry devices is also coming soon.

BlueSLR retails for $149 and the companion app is available for free with the device and through the Apple App Store.