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Question for travel shooters


michael_taylor9

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I'm working on a project to revive the Sundicator and would like any

feedback from members to see what, if any interest there is in the

product. Used in conjunction with a compass this battery free,

hand-held dial type device can very accurately tell you when and where

on the horizon the sun will rise, how it will cross through the sky

and more. It can also be used as a compass if you get lost (and you

don't have a compass). I've used one on architecture shoots with great

success. All you need to know is the latitude of the subject, day of

the year and hope the weather is on your side. Any thoughts on the

tool is appreciated.<div>00ER7y-26859584.jpg.eefca5a1a47a88632078d5efab3d6c1f.jpg</div>

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I purchased a similar device back in 1996 called a "Sunrise Sunset Compass" manufactured by a company called Flight Logistics. I don't remember from where I purchased it, but the device has the name "Grip House" stamped on it with a UK phone number, 0181 575 0528. You line up the device with true north and lines indicate where the sun will rise and set each mid-month.
Jeffrey L. T. von Gluck
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Michael,

<p>For the past year, there is one tool that has become almost as indispensable as my camera: a PalmPilot</p>

<p>Mine is loaded with two essential pieces of software/hardware:</p>

<p>1. TomTom GPS software with a wireless Bluetooth GPS receiver</p>

<p>2. Sol! software (http://www.mew3.com/palm/sol2/doc/)</p>

<p>The Sol! software is very accurate and I have used it extensively to reliably be in position for twilight/sunset and late afternoon images. The Bluetooth GPS receiver is very compact and rides along in my bag most of the time. I have a very poor sense of direction and I'm often in places I've never been before, so it has saved me a lot of time and grief. </p>

<p>As a result, I no longer carry any manual navigational aids.</p>

<p>Best regards,</p>

<p>Rubens.<br>

<a href="http://www.TheImageNation.com">http://www.TheImageNation.com</a><br>

Travel stock photography<br>

</p>

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  • 2 weeks later...

I often get responses that boast about the latetest electronic gadget with the latest software that will give the sunset/rise. I have no problem with that and certainly there is a market for that technology. I on the other hand and along with many others on the planet do not own PDAs and do not want to rely on an electronic gadget that could very well be dropped and destroyed in an instant. Never mind the original cash outlay for the thing. More than just giving the suns position at two times of the day, the Sundicator also acts as a watch, compass and will tell you where in the sky the sun will be anytime of day(sunrise to sunset of course), any day, any location.

And it won't cost you the $200 + that a good PDA will.

Thanks again for your replies. Your input is very appreciated.

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I often take pre-dawn, late-afternoon, evening, twilight, and night shots, but I've never felt the need to know the exact position of the sun as a travel photographer. Usually knowing the general direction is good enough. Furthermore, I don't see how it can be that useful because if you really need to know the exact direction of light, you'll also need to see the layout of the subject to see what is going to be highlighted. The best way to do that is to scout the location and you'll see where the light is falling anyway.

 

I guess it might be useful for very specific shots such as taking a picture of Machu Picchu with the sun rising over a specific mountain peak. But if I needed to do that, I would figure this out well in advance of a trip.

 

What I really need to know is where is the best vantage point to take a picture with the morning or evening light hitting the subject. Generally, other factors such as the layout of the terrain and possible obstructions (such as big buildings) will determine where I shoot from and not the exact location of the sun.

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