PICTAR Perfect!

Chasing Ninoy
Dec 1, 2017
4 min read

Are you a traveler or a tourist? Whichever you are between the two, a must-have beside your passport is the camera. The convenience of having a camera anytime is only within pocket-reach. Thanks to the advancement of mobile technology.

When purchasing for a camera, the usual question is "what is the best camera to buy?". The right response to that will be the best camera is the one you have at the right moment. And what is it? Your mobile phone camera most probably. People may forget everything but not the beloved mobile phones. Today's phone cameras is great or might be greater than our digital cameras years back. We can even consider not bringing our bulky DSLRs during the trip nowadays. Enough memory space and battery juice can already suffice to cover the whole journey. We can even consider not bringing our bulky DSLRs during the trip nowadays. Enough memory space and battery juice can already suffice to cover the whole journey.

But why not make the mobile phone shoot like a DSLR if possible, right? Anyway, mobile photography started to become a new genre in photography. During my research, I stumbled on one possible solution- MyMiggo Pictar. I recently purchased one for my iPhone 7 Plus. I luckily found it in a Virgin Store near my place. There were two units left, I got one so good luck with the remaining last piece!

Pictar One Plus is an ergonomic grip that can make an iPhone shoot like a normal camera. There are external working buttons present in the unit. The first dial can control shot mode (A, S, M, ISO, Sport, Macro, Selfie) and the other one for the exposure (+/-). Advanced photographers can choose to program it. Set it to control other functions, such as manual, shutter priority, and more. Shutter's half-press works to lock exposure and focus on the subject. You'll get a beep sound if it is already locked like normal cameras would do. The front dial switches camera when pressed (Rear cam to front cam or vice versa), zoom in/out when slide left or right. Focusing on a certain area is possible by touching the screen during composition. I opted to put a thumb grip for better control and unwanted screen touching during shooting. All the buttons are customizable according to personal ease of use.

MyMiggo Pictar has a dedicated app with patented ultra-sonic operation system. Its unique interface uses sound frequencies to activate the camera. As a result, it saves battery power compared to the standard Bluetooth connection. According to their website, one of the app’s most exciting components is the operating interface powered by sound frequencies. When the user operates one of the external controls it produces a sound frequency (18,500 – 20,000 kHz) which is inaudible to the human ear. When the app detected the frequency, it generates an appropriate action. This method reduces battery drainage by both the phone and the Pictar device. More juice means more pictures!

Inspired by classic camera look and one-hand operation is highly possible with this device. It has a rubber grip that could prevent the phone from slipping out of the hand while shooting. In case you need to mount it on a tripod, a standard 1/4" 20 connection at the bottom is present. A hand strap, neck strap and a neoprene casing inside the box is part of the whole package.

This is a very useful tool especially to those who take mobile photography to a higher level. With all the good things, I may found one setback. Of course, it needs a battery on its own to work. The battery is not available to common stores which is a pain. There's no on/off button on the Pictar device. It will remain turned on as the blue light indicator will keep on blinking as long as the battery has charge. One solution is to remove it when not in use to conserve its energy and put it back if needed. The battery is not rechargeable and a little bit pricey for a single unit. The battery's code is ER14250 as shown in the image.

Finally for the ultimate question, the unit price. I bought my Pictar for AED419 (around $115). There are two versions available in the market- Pictar One for iPhone 4s, 5, 5s, 5c, 6, 6s, SE, 7, 8 and Pictar One Plus for iPhone 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus and X. Pictar One is a little bit cheaper than Pictar One Plus which makes sense. You may visit their site at www.mymiggo.com for more information.

If you find it a little steep for your budget, there's another cheaper option I found online called Cat Claw Shooting Artifact. It is way lot cheaper than the Pictar device. From my understanding, it has the same concept and functionality. Utilises Bluetooth technology for connectivity, uses AAA batteries and doesn't have a dedicated app like Pictar does.

For whatever it is worth, the important thing is to enjoy the whole trip, create moments that will last a lifetime and capture images that can bring you back memories anytime you want!