Shoot Tools: Point Grey Research FirePro LDR

LDR requires no special software or drivers. Price: $295

With the final touches on the next-gen USB 3.0 spec recently announced (it will offer about 4.8Gbps throughput, about 10X today's ubiquitous USB 2.0), some suspect the days of FireWire are limited. This past October, Apple added to that feeling by dropping the connection from its latest generation of notebooks. But specialty camera manufacturer Point Grey Research, which still sees a place for FireWire in offering easy camera hookups, delivers a new solution to enable longer-distance connections. Its LDR (Long Distance Repeater), the latest model to the FirePro family of IEEE 1394b components, allows multiple FireWire devices to extend beyond the standard 4.5-meter cable length by hitching a ride on a Gigabit Ethernet physical layer. The device is claimed to transmit and receive IEEE 1394b 800Mbps data in realtime through more than 100 meters of standard Cat-5e cable.
www.ptgrey.com