Photography News | Issue 39 | absolutephoto.com
67 First tests
VARIDESK Pro Plus 48 £375
Specs
The very notion of standing to work at your computer might sound weird, but I think it’s a great idea. I’ve been using a VARIDESK for a fewmonths and I don’t think I coulddo without it which is a total turnaround frommy initial scepticism. The press release does make all sorts of claims: You burn off more calories standing rather than sitting and it means you are less likely to suffer from heart disease and obesity problems; you’ll also be 62% happier and 66%more productive. I’ve no idea how these stats were arrived at, but telling your boss that you are going to be more productive if you fancy a VARIDESK is sure to work. Perhaps. I tried a Pro Plus model which has two tiers – one for themonitor and one for the keyboard and mouse. I went for the 48 version as I use two 27in monitors. The Pro series has one work surface, and there are other options in the range, too. I spend upwards of eight hours a day staring at a screen, using a keyboard and a mouse – like many people. Also like many people, at the end of the day I know I haven’t moved much – except for comfort breaks, cups of tea and for lunch. The VARIDESKworked forme. My workflownow is that I often sit during the morning and after my three-pint liquid lunch I like to stand. That’s a joke, by the way. But I do find standing helps workflow and concentration even if it is just the ability to take a Most of my picture editing is done with a few clicks in Lightroom and I rarely, for example, make selections, complex or otherwise, in Photoshop. So the humble mouse works for me, but it’s by no means perfect so I am often on the lookout for workflow options. One option is Contour ShuttlePRO v2. It works with a wide range of editing softwares including Lightroom and accompanies the mouse rather than replacing it. Start by installing the software, which needed a restart afterwards despite what the website said, plug the unit in and you can start to configure how you want to work. It will take time, practice and probably a few revisits to change settings before you get a workflow that works for you. A downloadable button ‘map’ for Lightroom from the website tells you which button does what so that gave me a start and I went from there. There are 15 buttons, nine at the front, two to the side and four to the rear of the large jog/shuttle dial. A sheet of sticky labels is provided in the box to mark what each button does and a sheet of buttons is downloadable from the website. Applying them is a tad fiddly – especially with the latter because you have tomess aroundwith double-sided tape – but the labels do very much help. Later, after much familiarisation, when you know which button does what instinctively, youmight not need the labels.
Price VARIDESK Pro Plus 48 £375 (free delivery) Weight: 20kg (without batteries) Features Good for twomonitors Separate tier for keyboard and mouse Footprint 121.9x75.5cm. See website for adjustment range Contact uk.varidesk.com
Above right As photographers we probably devote more thinking time to what lens to buy next than the environment we work in. Yet, a good working situation will make us more productive and even more creative. So, think about your desk, monitor position and more. I often sit during the morning and after my three-pint liquid lunch I like to stand
stretch or step back and have a ponder. This definitely helps when you’re working on pictures. And the thing is, you can sit or stand as the mood takes you because changing the VARIDESK’s configuration takes seconds; you might stand for a few hours and feel like sitting, then when you want to stand back up again, no problem. To adjust height, you grip the two locks – accessible through holes on top of the work surface – and release them, then gently pull the desk to the required height. Release the grips and it settles and locks solidly in position. I’m no Mr Universe, but I managed to get it in place with little effort. Open the app and you’ll see it has detected all the software installed on your computer that’s compatible with the ShuttlePRO and if you highlight each program you can see which controls do what. Using the app you can change the defaults to make them more appropriate to the tools and features you want quick access to. The more you use the device the quicker you’ll learn its controls. If you edit, say just once a week, that period of getting used to the Shuttle’s button layout is clearly going to be much longer. A crib sheet next to the screen is a good idea, too. The other option, if you have the space on your screen is to have the app itself open and you can see what the unit does as you move from software to software. It won’t help that features you assign to buttons might change as you get used to the device. So if you have time, before doing anything, prioritise what features you want to use before you start assigning buttons. You will, as I did for a while, The more you use the device the quicker you’ll learn its controls
In terms of working height, the keyboard can be raised up to 48cm from the desk the VARIDESK is sitting on and that is plenty enough to suit most people. For me, I have the keyboard 31cm above the worktop. Build quality is impressive and it’ll probably last well in a typical office with constant use. If you do order one, be warned, the box is heavy and the unit arrives ready for use so no self-assembly is needed, although youmight need a hand to lift the VARIDESK onto the base desk. Set up is as easy as that, although you might need longer cables to cope when the VARIDESK when used in its elevated position. WC
Verdict
A VARIDESK is definitely worth thinking about if you spend hours in front of your screen, whether that is for word processing or picture editing. At £375 for the 48 version that’s a considerable outlay, but in the longer term it could be a very sensible one. Pros Build quality, easy to adjust the working height Cons Needs a mat for the keyboard to stop it slipping around
ShuttlePRO v2 £89.99
Specs
Price £89.99 Operating system
Windows 2000 through 10 Mac OS 8.6 through OS 10.9 USBport Direct or via a powered USB hub Harddrive space 9.3MB Compatibility Suitable softwares include Adobe Creative Suite, Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Pro Tools, Avid Media Composer, web browsers andmore. There’s a downloadable up-to-date Excel list on the website Dimensions 5.3x2x9.3cm Contact ergo.contourdesign.com
Verdict
Above The ShuttlePRO v2 is not a mouse replacement; rather an accompanying accessory that can speed up your workflow, whether you are editing still pictures or video footage. wonder if the ShuttlePRO is worth the effort, but it is and it does make aspects of using Lightroom faster and more comfortable. Even something really simple like scrolling through images with the Shuttle’s jog wheel is an improvement on, for instance, using the keyboard’s arrow keys. A couple of months on, though, I am much more at home with the ShuttlePRO and enjoying it. WC
Is the ShuttlePRO v2 worth it? Yes, it is, especially if you are handling a lot of images/video and edit a great deal. But getting to appreciate what the ShuttlePRO v2 can do takes time, so don’t expect to plug it in and fly with it instantly. You have to persevere and set it up to suit you, but once done it makes a practical and worthwhile addition to the mouse in your editing set-up. Pros Works, versatile, great to use once you get the hang of it Cons Price, takes time to enjoy
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