Two Old Guys Astrogear is pleased to announce the last DSLR exposure management tool you'll ever buy; the TOGA Intervalometer.
The TOGA IV is a handy, versatile, stand-alone exposure management tool
which is completely programmable. The menu-driven interface is
displayed on an 8 character, two line LCD panel with red backlight that
won't destroy your night vision. The displays brightness and contrast
are adjustable. While designed for astrophotography, the TOGA IV will
find a lot of use in the kit of a terrestrial photographer wishing to
do 'time lapse' or other multiple-image projects with their DSLR.
The TOGA IV will run for more than 9 hours on on a single easily
replaceable 9v battery (rechargable batteries are fine) or use an AC
adaptor that provides 8-12v (not provided) or build yourself a cable to
bring 12v into the DC power connector from your telescope gear.
Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and designed to be usable
single-handed even while wearing gloves
, the TOGA IV is the most feature-rich stand-alone exposure aid you can
buy. No more running back to the camera to start and stop exposures and
no more 'close enough' exposure times.
Now you can spend more time time enjoying your imaging session and less time worrying about your exposures.
FEATURES
Firmware version 1.16
Microprocessor controlled
The TOGA IV's 'brain' is a 16MHz 8-bit RISC processor that was selected for its low power usage and ability
to maintain accurate timing of the sequence events while providing a lag-free display through all of the unit's functions.
Optically isolated shutter and focus circuitry
The TOGA IV's camera control circuitry is fully isolated from the camera's control circuitry to
better protect your investment while providing reliable, consistent function.
Red backlit LCD display with controllable brightness and contrast
The 2 x 8 character display provides for easy to read menus and information while being small enough
to keep the TOGA IV down to 'palm size' for single-hand operation. The brightness and contrast of the
display are controllable so that it can be readable during the day while not overpowering in the dark.
'Sleep' mode to save power
In order to allow longer sequences on a single battery charge the TOGA IV's display can be programmed
to turn off after one to five minutes, or it can be set to stay on all the time.
Exposure times to 9999 seconds
Not many people need to take shots lasting over 2 hours and 45 minutes, but someone might; therefore the
TOGA IV will allow exposures of this length. Exposures are repeatable to within a few milliseconds, but the
resolution is 1 second.
Between exposure delay to 9999 seconds
As above
Up to 999 exposures
While most exposure sequences in astrophotography run in the teens, the TOGA IV is designed to allow you
to shoot up to 999 (or as many as your memory card will hold) for time-lapse star motion sequences or other
projects.
Ability to pause exposure sequences
At times you might want to pause a sequence of exposures in order to miss a small cloud, change a mount or
camera setting, or for other reasons. This is simplicity with the TOGA IV and after being paused you can quickly
re-start your sequence as needed.
Mirror lock-up
To minimize shake, if your camera supports mirror lock-up the TOGA
IV can make use this feature. While the Canon
cameras generally use a 'double press' schema many of the rest use
their self-timer. The TOGA IV can use either
methodology and as a bonus, if you have a Canon camera, or other camera
that uses the 'double press' method you can program the settle period
after mirror lockup from
one to nine seconds.
Time-programmable focus/exposure time before each exposure for terrestrial use
If you are a terrestrial photographer using the TOGA IV in automatic mode, you can tell the TOGA IV to redo the
camera's focus and exposure values prior to every shot in a sequence. Again, you can program the TOGA IV to allow
from one to nine seconds of 'prefocus' time prior to every shot.
Programmable self-timer
No more setting a 10 second self-timer and running to get in the
shot. The TOGA IV allows you to set a
self-timer for up to 9999 seconds. That should give you lots of time to
get where you want to go. Works with the mirror lock-up and prefocus
settings.
10 non-volatile preset 'slots' for frequently used settings
Many photographers have 'favourite' settings. If you do you can
store up to 10 presets in the TOGA IV's non-volatile EEPROM memory for
quick recall at a later time.
Auto-save of last values
The last values that are used are stored in a dedicated preload slot and automatically re-loaded on boot of the unit.
Simple user interface
The TOGA IV's 'diamond plus two' button layout rapidly becomes second nature to use while the display is
large enough to be easily read. The displayed menu items and output information is simple, concise and readable
at a glance. No small icons that can be mis-read or just missed.
End of sequence indication
The TOGA IV will let you know if your sequence has ended as long as you are within sight of the unit. At the end
of the sequence the TOGA IV will flash it's display for two minutes after which it will follow the
directive of the programmable 'sleep' mode.
Efficient form factor
The TOGA IV is small enough for one-handed operation while large
enough to be operated with gloves on during cold weather imaging
sessions.
Manual cable remote functions
The TOGA IV also has a manual mode allowing it to take the place of a simple cable release.
CAMERA CONNECTION
The TOGA IV uses a 3.5mm in-line stereo jack for it's camera interface
and is compatible with just about any DSLR on the market that has the
capability to use a cabled remote shutter release. For tips on how to
make a cable for your camera or modify your current remote unit click
the link below.
Finally, a full-featured exposure management system is
available to the astrophotographer that doesn't require hauling an
expensive laptop computer out into the field. A full, no-nonsense one
year parts and labour warranty is offered with the TOGA IV and the Two
Old Guys will pay your shipping one way if we can't solve your problem
by email.
The TOGA IV is available for the introductory price of $179.00 (US Dollars). Contact us at dedtoga@gmail.com or ozzzy1@gmail.com to order.
