EasyTravel

We examined BonfotonUP, a gadget that turns your room into an upright digital camera obscura

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Have you ever ever tried turning your room right into a digital camera obscura? It’s a easy and super-fun mission that lets the view of the skin world mission onto your wall. However attributable to digital camera obscura’s nature, there’s a catch: the picture shall be the other way up.

Enter BonfotonUP, a bizarre and fairly superior machine that hacks digital camera obscura. By sticking it onto your window, the picture rotates and seems in your wall because it does exterior. I obtained the prospect to check and evaluate this gadget, and I’m sharing my impressions, ideas, and a few images I took.

First impressions

You possibly can’t think about how lengthy it took for BonfotonUP to succeed in me. I don’t know any longer if it was the fault of FedEx, Serbian customs, or the forwarding agent, however I assumed that Hell would freeze over earlier than I obtained my gadget. Fortunately, guys from Bonfoton had been so form and keen to assist that my BonfotonUP arrived to my handle towards all odds.

The products

My very first impressions when receiving the package deal had been optimistic. Every part was so nicely packed and guarded that it even survived the “light” folks of the Serbian Put up.

What’s within the field

Upon opening the cardboard transport field, I used to be nonetheless fairly excited. This isn’t important, nevertheless it’s a plus: the BonfotonUP field is attractive and moderately compact, contemplating all the pieces you get inside. It will get further factors for being shiny! 🙂 It opens like a cellphone field, which is vital to say for one more a part of this evaluate.

Shiny!

This needed to be finished 🙂

Mounting BonfotonUP to your window requires you to make use of its suction cup. Nonetheless, should you suppose you want further security, you possibly can add a tripod to it. Sure, it has a tripod gap on the underside, which is all the time a plus. You additionally get extra security bits and a rope that allow you to cling the machine and get some assist from the ceiling. Thankfully, I didn’t want it, and I don’t suppose you’ll both.

Amongst different belongings you get within the field, there are additionally two lenses for various room sizes. Relying on the lens, totally different objects exterior will seem sharper when projected. You can even change the machine’s angle and select to indicate roughly sky – however extra on that later.

Lastly, there’s the construct of BonfotonUP itself. The design is elegant, nevertheless it doesn’t lack sturdiness. It even survived being dropped on the ground! Keep in mind I discussed the field opening like smartphone packing containers? Properly, my boyfriend didn’t realize it. He grabbed the package deal from the espresso desk, wanting to maneuver it to my desk. Earlier than I might react, the underside a part of the field slammed onto the ground, and all the pieces fell out. I used to be amazed to see BonfotonUP and the lenses survive, however I wouldn’t advocate tossing them round.

The neutrals

A trait I discover impartial is the load of BonfotonUP. It’s fairly heavy (nearly 1kg/2lbs), so I used to be afraid to mount it at first. Nonetheless, its suction cup lives as much as the promise and holds extremely nicely. I didn’t even want a tripod, and the factor stayed mounted for 2-3 days.

One other trait I discover impartial is the directions you get within the field. They aren’t detailed sufficient for me. Though, this was the primary time I really learn the directions earlier than assembling one thing (and messing it up). Nonetheless, there are intensive video directions and extra detailed directions on Bonfoton’s web site, so this actually isn’t a giant deal.

The bads

I used cardboard on two out of three home windows, together with the one I used to mount the machine. When utilizing cardboard, there are some gentle leaks round BonfotonUP, which isn’t welcome while you’re attempting to make a digital camera obscura. Fortunately, it’s a simple repair: I simply added tinfoil round it to completely darken all the pieces. It’s not fairly, nevertheless it will get the job finished.

One other factor I missed, evaluating BonfotonUP with the usual digital camera obscura room, is the projection on the ceiling. With BonfotonUP, you solely see the view proper throughout your window. With the “poor man’s digital camera obscura room,” I’d additionally get the parked automobiles projected onto the ceiling within the morning, and I assumed it was epic! This isn’t a common minus, however simply one thing I personally missed when enjoying with this gadget.

How cool is that?

One other minus is the worth: BonfotonUP prices €359 (round $380), which I discover just a little pricey for a gadget like this. Nevertheless it’s subjective: what “costly” means is dependent upon your revenue, priorities, and your nation’s commonplace. Additionally, that is nonetheless cheaper than when BonfotonUP was first launched, and transport is free worldwide. By the way in which, your BonfotonUP will arrive to your nation in a matter of days. I simply dwell in a rustic the place nothing works so it took a very long time for it to succeed in my handle from the customs.

Mounting

Mounting BonfotonUP is fairly easy. Truthfully, probably the most difficult half for me was approaching my home windows, as they’re behind my work and craft desks. I darkened one window by spraying it with water and urgent tin foil towards it, and I used massive cardboard sheets for one more window and the balcony door.

I precut the outlet on a chunk of cardboard utilizing the supplied template. Once I taped it onto the window, I mounted BonfotonUP with its suction cup. Ta-da, all finished!

The view by means of BonfotonUP stored amusing me

Altering lenses

As I discussed, you get two lenses within the field, they usually correspond to the scale of your room. Altering them is so simple as mounting BonfotonUP. The how-to video exhibits the method with the machine mounted onto the window, however I discovered it extra handy to do after taking the machine off and altering the lens on my desk.

Image high quality

As soon as I mounted all the pieces and turned the lights off, I used to be most sincerely blown away! The picture projection was so detailed, as if I used to be wanting exterior. I might even see the flickering of the sunshine on the leaves. The sharpness you get with BonfotonUP is simply unbelievable! It obtained just a little cloudy in the course of the first day of my evaluate, however the picture was nonetheless clearly seen on the wall.

Additionally, since you possibly can modify the machine’s angle, I switched between projecting the sky and projecting extra of a sensible view. Sadly, there was solely sooner or later after we had these puffy, white clouds, so I used to be left with solely crappy-quality timelapse shot on my cellphone on day one. Sorry about that!

The images

Lastly, we get to the outcomes. As I discussed, the quantity of element is mind-blowing, and I did my finest to seize it within the picture. I haven’t been too inventive and impressed to take photos recently, so there’s no story in any respect in these photographs. However hey, they do an important factor for a evaluate: they present you what you get with the gadget we’re reviewing at present. 🙂

Listed here are some images of the BonfotonUP’s projection, taken with my cellphone and digital camera.

Simply take a look at these particulars!

For comparability, listed here are some photographs with the common digital camera obscura.

Professional ideas

Firstly – tin foil and daylight don’t match. It’s approach faster to make use of tin foil, however you’ll find yourself with bizarre stains on the glass if it stays uncovered to the daylight for a couple of days (ask me how I do know). So, when you have the skin blinds like mine, shut them should you resolve to make use of the foil. For the window you utilize to mount BonfotonUP, you should use cardboard. Nonetheless, should you solely plan to maintain the room darkened for a couple of hours, I feel you’re secure, and you should use the tin foil in every single place.

I stored the blinds down so I didn’t get the stains on this window. My balcony door wasn’t so fortunate the earlier time I made a digital camera obscura room

As I discussed, the tin foil technique is faster: all it’s good to do is spray the glass with some water and press the foil towards it. Nonetheless, be sure to use distilled water, so that you don’t find yourself with limescale stains on the glass.

Lastly, get rid of the cardboard sheets and aluminum foil correctly while you’re finished. They’re recyclable!

The underside line

Is BonfotonUP value shopping for? Properly, it’s a fairly unordinary gadget, so all of it is dependent upon your wants and what you propose on capturing. However since I really like unordinary devices, it’s one thing I’m positively glad to have in my assortment! Despite the fact that I wasn’t too impressed when taking images for the evaluate, I’m already planning for future tasks I might do with it. And as quickly as I seize just a little free time, I’ll be sure to follow-up with what I got here up with.



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