A lot of you asked about motion controllers, so we put a little more effort into getting it to work smoothly, so we can show you in a quick demonstration. The guys from Black Forest Motion even sent us one of their latest PINE II controllers, that just came out a few weeks ago. With all the updates it got, the most relevant update is that it now supports two concurrent Bluetooth Low Energy connections. One for the PINE app, where you set up the keyframes of the motion paths, and one for the Unleashed which tells the controller when to move to the next frame! While it already worked well with the older PINE controllers, it was a bit of a hassle always disabling one to allow the other to connect. Now, it just works, and we made a quick demo for you guys. Be sure to check out all their cool motion control equipment on blackforestmotion.com
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Just last week, we also implemented the protocol to communicate with the API we got from Syrp a while ago. We’re proud to announce that it also works like a charm, and have another quick demo to show you. At the moment, Syrp only allows a single connection, so after setting up keyframes in the Syrp app, you need to disconnect to allow the Unleashed to connect. Hopefully that’ll change soon though! Even so, it’s really cool to see the wireless synchronisation working so well already.
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Over the last 2 years we’ve worked hard on developing an Unleashed for more brands than just Canon and Nikon. We’re so excited to now finally announce the new Unleashed ‘22! It is compatible with Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic as well as Canon and Nikon cameras. With Bluetooth 5.0 and huge internal improvements, we managed to make it 10x faster, enabling us to add great new features! Check it out on Kickstarter!
Update: Since the campaign ended on November 30th, the Unleashed ’22 is available on Indiegogo.
Update
The campaign was fully funded in just 2.5 hours and is going very well, but to make it really successful, we need your help! We’d really appreciate if you told friends, family or colleagues about our campaign, by simply sharing this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/foolography/unleashed-22?ref=5f9mlb and any (or all) of our posts on Social Media (@foolography). It’ll take only a few seconds of your time and be a huge help for us. Thank you so much for your support!
Great news for our Unleashed users: We reworked every part of our firmware and much of our apps in preparation for a new version of the Unleashed that we’ll be announcing next week: the Unleashed ’22. And we’re making all these improvements available to our Unleashed ’18 users as a free update!
Most of the time we spent developing the new Unleashed was on reworking every part of our firmware and much of our apps. We’ve been beta testing this for quite some time with about 200 users (thank you so much for your support!), have since fixed many bugs and even added a small feature or two along the way. We fixed many edge cases after getting customer feedback, or that we found during the rework. So if you’ve ever had an issue or been unhappy with your Unleashed, you should really give it another try. And for most of you who are already happy with it, this update will make you even happier 😉
The most noticeable improvements in the 2.0.0 update for your Unleasheds are in speed and stability, Bluetooth connectivity on Android, as well as autoramping reliability in all cases! For a complete list of changes, please see our changelogs. After months of beta testing and internal testing, we’re confident we’ve ironed out virtually all bugs and issues. But amongst thousands of you using the Unleashed in creative ways, of course there’s a chance you’ll find something we missed. If you do, please don’t worry, and simply report it to support@foolography.com or on our community forum, and we’ll get right on fixing it.
Just before Christmas we finally received the custom made USB-C cables from our supplier. This means that now the Nikon Z7 and Nikon Z6 are officially and fully supported by the Unleashed N2!
Even though the Unleashed N2 was already mostly compatible with the Nikon Z6 and Z7, the optional USB cable gives you access to a few more features, such as photo review. We already had 3 different USB cable types for the various Nikon cameras, but unfortunately, Nikon added yet another USB socket when they released the Z series: both the Z6 and Z7 have USB-C sockets. And while it was possible to use the Micro USB cable with a USB-C adapter, that setup would protrude significantly from the side of the Z series camera. So of course we went and designed another custom cable with a beautiful, tiny, right-angled plugs – one end with our custom plug that fits the Unleashed, and the other end a USB-C plug that fits the Nikon cameras perfectly, without the need for any adapters. Now, it’s finally here!
Unleashed N2 on Nikon Z6 with USB-C CableUSB-C is reversible – both directions work
This means you can now use the entire Unleashed feature-set on Nikons Z6 and Z7! In addition to geotagging, shooting time lapses, remotely changing settings, and starting and stopping video, and all that was already possible without the cable, you can now also get thumbnails transferred to you phone, see a few more setting details, and try out the LRTimelapse-based auto-ramping algorithms for smooth day to night “holy-grail” time lapses! See this FAQ for the exact details.
So now is the perfect time to get your Unleashed for your Nikon Z6 or Z7!
A few weeks ago, we released app and firmware updates that enable a handful of external GPS receivers to be paired directly with the Unleashed, to provide GPS location data for geotagging without the need of a smartphone.
This is great news for those customers that were unhappy with their smartphone’s location precision, or simply prefer a more independent geotagging solution. This might be to extend battery life of the smartphone, or to enjoy longer battery life of external GPS receivers, especially on long trips off the grid.
The compatible GPS Receivers are:
Holux M-241 Plus
QStarz BL-1000ST
QStarz BL-1000GT
QStarz BL-818GT *new*
Transystem GL-770
After pairing one of these GPS receivers with your Unleashed through the app (Menu->Your Unleasheds->Edit Unleashed->Accessories), you will see new GPS Modes in the first picker of the GPS settings. In addition to “OFF” and “Smartphone”, you will now also have the options “External GPS only” as well as “External GPS with smartphone fallback” (We hope the new icons make it clear which is which). The first new option will exclusively use GPS data from the external GPS, and not of the smartphone, whereas the second option will use the external GPS while it’s available and providing valid data, but will automatically fall back to using the smartphone location otherwise.
We’ve also added a few new LED colors/sequences to make using the Unleashed without the app a little easier:
Lightblue: when an Accessory (such as a GPS receiver) is connected, but the app is not connected, the led will slowly pulse lightblue instead of turqoise.
Red blink: alternating with the normal sequences, the Unleashed will blink red to show that there is an error, until now mostly GPS related errors. You can then start the app to see details about the error, or simply check that the the external GPS receiver has a Fix and is connected. Some of these errors are:
External GPS receiver not connected (even if it then uses Smartphone fallback)
GPS data not valid (even if using last known position)
GPS accuracy too low
Comparing the receivers
The Holux has the Unique feature that it uses a single AA battery, for which you can buy replacements anywhere in the world. At the same time battery life is not as good as with the rechargeable Li-Ion batteries of the other options. The QStarz devices provide a little more data than the other two receivers [update: Transystem caught up], and we’ve implemented a neat little feature where you can use the POI button on the Receiver to trigger the camera. But they are also the most expensive. We recommend the BL-1000ST rather than the BL-1000GT, since the Unleashed will not make use of the 10Hz update rate, so it is not worth the extra cost. The BL-818GT doesn’t support the triggering functionality, as it lacks logging, and thus the button is not for POI saving. The Transystem device is more affordable than Qstarz, while providing just as precise position data, but has a quirk that it uses a non-standard USB-A to USB-A charging/data cable. So don’t lose that!
Right from the start, we had planned to make the Unleashed directly compatible with external GPS receivers, but technical challenges forced us to decide against pursuing backwards compatibility to GPS receivers using Bluetooth Classic. Unfortunately, at the time of Launch that basically left us with no options, since virtually all GPS receivers used Bluetooth Classic. However, in the past few years, the above devices were released, so we put a lot of effort into making the Unleashed compatible with external accessories in general, and added support for each of the GPS receivers one after the other.
While we had to reverse engineer Holux’s Bluetooth Protocol (and we got the Date portion wrong for a while), QStarz was kind enough to provide documentation that allowed us to implement support for their devices much more quickly. Transystem went one step further: They used a standard protocol defined by the Bluetooth SIG, and when we found a small issue with their implementation and had additional wishes, they swiftly made changes and added support for those in a firmware update. So a big thank you to both QStarz and Transystem for your support!
So, finally, the Unleashed now enables direct geotagging with external GPS receivers for Nikon as well as Canon DSLRs!
A couple of weeks ago we published a new app update for iOS and Android. Not only does it fix many bugs and improves overall performance and stability, it also includes a first firmware update for your Unleashed. This firmware update will fix all known bugs and issues that were caused by, or had something to do with the firmware on the Unleashed. Check out our forum entry “What are UNLEASHED’s 1.0 known issues?” to get detailed infos on what’s exactly been fixed.
In case you haven’t done the update yet, here’s a quick explanation. To get the firmware update you need to update the app first. Once you did this, the update will be available in your Unleashed profile in the app. To install the firmware update, make sure the Unleashed is plugged in, the camera is turned on and the app is connected. Tap “Install Update” and the magic happens. Updating will take about two minutes and once it’s done, a big checkmark will appear. For all Canon users: Please keep your camera “awake” by half-pressing the shutter button of the camera every ten seconds. This is necessary so the Unleashed gets power.
We are continuously working on the Unleashed and are planning to provide app and firmware updates on a regularly basis. The next update will probably include new features that we will announce at some point in the future.
If you have any feedback, please let us know. You can either have a look at our forum or write us an email to our info@ address. Thanks for your on-going support. Let’s continue to make a great product even greater! :-)
The Foolography team hopes that everyone had a great start into 2019. We’re super excited about this year as we have big plans for the Unleashed and other products. One of our goals is definitely to grow the community around the Unleashed so we can help each other to get the most out of our cameras and become better at taking photos and videos. We’re very grateful for everyone who supports us and the vision!
We’re also thankful for all the great feedback that helped us to fix many bugs and make the Unleashed more stable. It’s great to see how so many people love using the Unleashed and what you can create with it.
As the 1st batch of Unleasheds was already sold out in October, the 2nd batch is in the making and will arrive at our office soon. We initially planned to have it by December to be able to ship all the other pre-order before Christmas, but unfortunately, we’re experiencing delays in the last steps of production. To give you a little more insight: The only step still missing before we can start packing and shipping the Unleashed, is that the casing is being ultrasonic welded around the PCB. So basically, all the chips and components are already assembled, the firmware is on the PCBs, but the plastic casing still needs to be attached. Right now, we’re very much dependent on our production partner and hope that we’ll receive the finished Unleasheds in the next couple of weeks. Once we have them, we’ll start immediately with packing and shipping.
After an amazing photokina 2018 – watch Kai W’s photokina roundup on YouTube – you might find something interesting in there ;-) – we’re all back in Berlin, ready to get the Unleasheds to everyone who backed us on Kickstarter and Indiegogo as well as pre-ordered a 1st batch Unleashed on our website. The first backers (about 50) already picked up their Unleasheds at photokina so we don’t want to keep the rest of you waiting much longer.
This upcoming week we’ll start packing and shipping. We will ship in batches, probably starting with Nikon Unleasheds N1 + N2, then Canon Unleasheds C1 + C2. You’ll get a shipping confirmation mail as soon as we shipped yours.
Passion. It’s what takes things from one level to another. From: “I like doing it” to “I love doing it and cannot stop talking about it”. If you have a hobby and do it without passion. Well, you probably won’t do it for long and probably won’t excel and flourish. However, if you’re passionate about whatever it is you’re doing, you start thinking out of the box, beyond boundaries – you will find yourself in a place of: “No matter what, I will try it and make it happen.”
Well, this basically describes why we do what we do. We’re passionate. We’re passionate about photography, we’re passionate about videography. We love cameras and the things you can create with it. The products we develop mostly come out of our own needs. That, we think, is very helpful to ensure that something in the end is actually solving specific problems. And in best case, helps you, whether you’re a professional, hobby photographer or filmmaker, to flourish in what you’re doing.
We believe the Foolography products do that. But there are definitely other products out there that are awesome and incredibly helpful. This is why we want to introduce another new series that we will continue over time: “What’s new?” This is a place where we introduce new gadgets, have a look at cool products or try out helpful software.
GNARBOX 2.0 SSD
Today we want to give a shoutout to a company that actually revolutionizes how we save our photos and videos while we’re in the field. Two and a half years ago the team behind Gnarbox introduced the first version – the Gnarbox – on Kickstarter. This month, they launched their newest iteration on Kickstarter: The Gnarbox 2.0 SSD. This is how they describe it: “GNARBOX 2.0 SSD is a rugged backup device for content creators who prefer to travel without a laptop.” So basically, you can save all your content on a SSD without the need of a laptop. You even get an app where you can already see and organize your photos that are on the Gnarbox, using your smartphone.
www.gnarbox.com
Here some technical specifications we got from their website:
Intel Quad Core, 2.40GHZ CPU
4 Core Intel HD Graphics GPU
867mbps 802.11 ac/b/g/n WiFi
2/4GB LPDDR3 RAM
NVMe SSD up to 1TB
SD Card Backup: 75-100MB/sec write
USB-C Backup: 400-500MB/sec read/write
2x USB-C, SD & Micro HDMI ports
3200mAh 7.4v removable lithium ion battery
Battery Life: 5 hours backup / 3 hours editing
IP67: Waterproof to 1m for 30minutes
Dimensions: 6” x 3” x 1.16” / ~1.1lb
It’s available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Check out their Kickstarter campaign or website and let us know what you think about it in the comments below.
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30th of September 2016:
Against all odds, the Foolography office in Berlin Mitte is filled with over 50 people. Not employees, but friends and family who want to celebrate the successful funding of the new Unleashed on Kickstarter. 186,723 €, more than 300% of the initial funding goal. All achieved by a couple of people committed to a dream and passion. Honestly, we could have never imagined of the amount of support we got – from the people around us, and especially from the Kickstarter backers and supporters who also believed in what we were trying to achieve.
11th of April 2018:
Looking back today, we’re still amazed by the journey we are on and the development of Foolography and its employees. Being finally able to ship the Unleashed in a couple of weeks, we decided to give people the opportunity to be part of that journey: The journey of the Unleashed.
In this three part series we want talk about crowdfunding, what it’s like to be and run a hardware startup and where we see Foolography in a couple of years. The goal is to give you valuable insights, tips, dos and don’ts and hopefully encouragement to chase your dreams and hang in there – whether you have or want to start a business, are a photographer yourself or just interested in what we do and wondering how we do it.
Why crowdfunding?
This is the question we asked ourselves two years ago when we decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign for the new Unleashed – a smartphone DSLR remote control. And to be honest: We’re still asking us this question today from time to time. Clearly, crowdfunding is one of the best things that ever happened to help you to turn ideas into reality. Kickstarter puts it this way: “Our mission is to help bring creative projects to life.” However, what many people don’t know or at least underestimate: Doing a crowdfunding campaign is a lot of work – before and after it. Especially after it.
Maybe you didn’t know, but there is a Berlin hardware startup community. And many of those startups actually started off with a successful crowdfunding campaign. This is great and was especially helpful to us when we were playing with the idea of doing a Kickstarter campaign ourselves. We met with people who were further along the journey and absorbed all infos and insights we could get. Even though Foolography has been around for a couple of years at this point, doing a crowdfunding campaign was definitely a step into the unknown.
After a couple of weeks we had our “whys” and essential reasons why crowdfunding could be helpful and, what is even more important, why it might be the right next step for us. This is why we launched the new Unleashed on Kickstarter:
1. Money for production.
Marc Andreessen, a pretty famous investor, once said: “Hardware is hard”. Well, we couldn’t agree more. Building a technology hardware company is by far much harder than building a software company. There are many reasons why that is and one of the biggest is: In order to deliver the product to your customer, you need to produce it first. Meaning, physically produce it. Including finding the right parts, producing the PCB, the casing, the packaging, taking care of the assembly and much more. All things you don’t really have to worry about when having a digital product. And those things mentioned are usually pretty expensive and most important: You have to pay for it in advance before you are actually able to sell your product. So crowdfunding definitely is a big help when it comes to production of your product.
2. Proof of concept.
Whenever you have an idea for a new product it is wise to find out if there is a market for it. What do other people say about it? Are people already signing (or lining) up to get your product? And with people I don’t mean your grandparents or close friends. I’m talking about people who don’t know you but who could potentially be your future customers. Do you have a proof of concept? The cool thing about a good proof of concept is that it not only helps you to understand whether there are people out there who want to have your product, but to understand whether people like the way and method how you present and sell your product. See, the proof of concept is not a single yes or no. It’s a commitment to pay for what you offer. And usually that happens – yes, because of the greatness of your idea – but also because of how you marketed and sold it. So a proper proof of concept not only confirms your idea but also helps you to find a the right go-to-market strategy. Crowdfunding definitely is a good tool for that since people are supporting you not only with words but with money.
3. Building a community.
Having a community (or even customers) when you start shipping your product is one of the best things you can have. It literally is a kick-start. You will have people talking about it, testing it and in best case recommending it. And in the end, this is something worth more than thousands of online ads: People that recommend and advertise your product to their friends and family, in their own personal and unique way.
How to do crowdfunding?
You can find thousand of infos, you can read hundreds of articles and you can talk to dozens of people on how to approach this whole crowdfunding thing. And to be honest, I believe all of that is good and necessary. Because as it is with most things in life: Preparation is the key. So you actually can prepare a crowdfunding campaign and you actually can increase your chances of getting funded. We did all of the things listed above and they definitely helped us. But nonetheless, people still keep asking: “What are the biggest tips you can give me, when I want to do a crowdfunding campaign?” So here are the top ten of, I believe, most important things to consider and prepare well when doing a crowdfunding campaign.
1. Have a working prototype.
Oh yes. Something that is super important (probably the most important) and non-negotiable. Before you go public on a crowdfunding platform, have a working prototype of your product ready. (This is something we will discuss more in detail in part two of this series.)
2. Talk to people who (successfully) did it before.
I mentioned this before and cannot emphasize it enough. Reach out to people who did a crowdfunding campaign before and get as many insights as possible. Come prepared and ask questions.
3. Have a strategy, including a Plan B and C.
This seems to be an obvious thing to do, but it is those simple things that you forget or don’t do properly. Take enough time to write down your vision, goals and strategy. Try to sharpen your product’s USPs, verbalize them and get feedback.
4. Have a CI. Or at least PI (Product Identity).
It should be clear who you want to reach out to and what people perceive when getting in contact with your business or product. This includes a logo, slogan and everything you learn in Marketing 101.
5. Have a website or landing page outside of Kickstarter or Indiegogo.
You could argue about that point, but I personally think it’s necessary in order to be able to provide further information, have an official point of contact and most importantly to build trust.
6. Have a (large) newsletter list before.
This is something that can determine whether your campaign is successful or not. Having people that are ready to support you at the very start will push you forward in many ways. One way could be that the faster you get a lot of support, the more you become interesting for press or the crowdfunding platform itself. And this in return will generate awareness of your campaign.
7. Have a good video.
When looking for tips on the internet this is one of the things you will find the most. And yes, it’s very important. But what makes a good video is such an enormous topic for itself. Write us if you want further infos. ;-) Maybe we do an own article just about that – let us know in the comments if this is something you’re interested in.
8. Spend time on an appealing crowdfunding page.
The page of your campaign probably is the first or second point of contact for your potential customers. Make sure it’s visual, appealing and nicely structured. For example, remember to not overload it since most people will only have a look at the first few paragraphs and just a few will scroll down to the bottom.
9. Have a PR strategy.
This is something that certainly needs quite a bit of preparation in advance and is something we definitely could have done better: Have a good press release prepared and a well chosen list of people ready that potentially could write about you. If possible send product samples to those people beforehand.
10. Think about (but not necessarily do) online advertisement.
We didn’t do it, but could have done it and certainly would have gotten a bigger funding. Have a strategy and decide whether it’s helpful and possible due to production, pricing and production cost.
Well, this is it for now. There are certainly more things that are important to consider when thinking about doing a crowdfunding campaign. These, however, are some things that we learned along the journey and are telling most of the people who ask us about our campaign. We hope this gives you a little insight and helps somebody. We’ll continue with this series another time and will then talk about what it’s like to build hardware and what challenges can occur along the way – and how to overcome them.
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