I’m Back Proposes a New Shutter Button as Its APS-C Kickstarter Closes-in on $1M

I’m Back’s Kickstarter for the Roll APS-C has become incredibly popular. The idea of slipping a digital sensor into existing film cameras is proving to have legs, and as the crowdfunding campaign closes in on $1M raised, the company has proposed a new solution to one of the system’s glaring issues.

PetaPixel has covered the I’m Back Roll at length, but in the week since that story was published, I’m Back has not only raised nearly $100,000 more, but now has a new proposed solution to the issue of how to tell the sensor to activate when its’ not directly coupled with an analog camera’s shutter.

As noted previously, the original design required an external component to tell the sensor to turn on, otherwise the battery drain to keep the sensor on all the time would burn the system out far too fast to be useful. I’m Back would include a small wireless Bluetooth remote that communicates with the image sensor to create a controlled exposure window.

“We tested automatic detection methods (light, motion), but they were not reliable,” I’m Back says.

Once the I’m Back Roll has been installed and the remote control fixed to the camera, a photographer will actually capture images by first setting focus, aperture, and shutter speed, then they would need to press the remote control button to activate the digital image sensor. Then the photographer would need to press the camera’s shutter release within about one to two seconds.

That is not an ideal workflow and would take the spontaneity out of a lot of photography. Today, I’m Back is proposing a new solution to this problem.

“One of the most common feedback points we received was very clear: no one wants to use two buttons [and] no one wants external controls breaking the analog experience. So we went back to the basics. We’ve developed a new dedicated Sync Button that allows you to take photos with a single click,” I’m Back says.

When you press it, it first activates our digital system [and] then immediately triggers your camera’s shutter all in one natural movement,” the company continues.

“The Sync Button is designed to work with a wide range of cameras.For cameras with a threaded shutter button, it can be screwed directly into place. For cameras without a thread, we will include a high-strength adhesive solution, allowing you to securely fix the button on top of the shutter. This ensures that the button remains stable and reliable during use, regardless of your camera model.”

The button appears to communicate with the sensor directly via a flat cable that leads from the button, into the closed rear door of the camera, and then into the sensor unit. The layout of I’m Back’s Kickstarter doesn’t yet reflect the shift from the wireless button to the new wired shutter, nor does it explain if current backers will pick between them, be automatically swapped to the new design, or if it will cost anything extra.

PetaPixel strongly encourages anyone interested in this Kickstarter to be sure to read full coverage of the project here.

Image credits: I’m Back. Some product images are computer-generated versions based on prototypes.

Disclaimer: Make sure you do your own research into any crowdfunding project you’re considering backing. While we aim to only share legitimate and trustworthy campaigns, there’s always a real chance that you can lose your money when backing any crowdfunded project. PetaPixel does not participate in any crowdfunding affiliate programs. Coverage of a Kickstarter campaign is not an endorsement of any campaign, company, or product.

To hold projects accountable, all crowdfunding campaigns on which PetaPixel reports are financially backed with the lowest tier option in order to give the publication visibility into all backer-only communications. If a campaign owner acts in a manner inconsistent with its promises, PetaPixel will share that information publicly.