Eye-Fi & 5D3

[pwp]

There is a current thread on CR discussing the pros and cons of CF vs SD with the 5D3. Rather than take that thread OT, here's a new tangent on the subject.

What interests me is the potential to stream small JPEG files to an iPad using the SD sized Eye-Fi and Shuttersnitch, while saving RAW files to the CF card. Rob Galbraith sounds impressed, but there's a scent of advertorial about this particular reporting. It's important to get real-world user experience feedback.

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-11663-11812
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-11663-11812

This would be very cool checking files on a decent sized very high res iPad screen vs the camera display. Also good for assistants keeping an eye on things or give the iPad to a client to stop them hovering over your shoulder and to deliver the client another all-important bit of "wow-factor".

Posts on the Eye-Fi forums http://forums.eye.fi/index.php don't necessarily paint a picture of trouble free use of Eye-Fi. Wouldn't it be cool if it was a seamless, low anxiety setup? It's completely mystifying why Eye-Fi doesn't produce a CF wi-fi card, but that's another story.

So here's my question. Who on this list uses Eye-Fi with Shuttersnitch & iPad and is it a simple matter to set up as a reliably useful accessory?

Paul Wright

 

[thatcherk1]

I'd like to know as well. However I'm going to be getting my 5d in a couple days and I already have my eye-fi card. So soon enough I'll have an idea of how it works, and I'll post my experience.

I shoot for a small newspaper, and often I'm on the go and want to just send an image over wifi to my iphone, edit quickly in the filterstorm app (great app by the way), upload to the server from there for the reporters and web guys to get articles up asap. I plan on getting an ipad for this same purpose supposing it turns out to be a good workflow for my iphone.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The 5D MK II supposedly has eyefi support, so it should work. However, I think it is a little work to use it, and it is slow.

I'd probably get the wifi grip for production use, but it will be interesting to hear how the eyefi/ iphone connection or ipad connection works.

 

[AKCalixto]

You can use eye-fi sd card to transfer pictures to your pc or laptop and then tether your iPad to your pc/laptop.
Keep in mind that the transferring rate of eye-fi cards is very low.

 

[AKCalixto]

FYI

http://www.everythingicafe.com/how-to-wireless-tethered-shooting-to-an-ipad/2011/11/29/

Eye-Fi wirelessly tether to device

 

[loudpictures]

I have also been interested in using the eye-Fi-pro-thingy with geotagging - but what I have found out so far is, that eye-fi always needs a connection to the eye-fi Servers. All your pictures will be going through it, no matter what you try. For me, that is enough reason not to buy an eye-fi. What a pity - I would have loved to transfer jpegs via iPhone.

 

[briansquibb]

I am waiting for wireless USB dongles so I can get a wireless connection to the laptop and use the EOS utility

 

[rwmson]

I got an Eye-fi card to use in my to-be-delivered-today 5D Mk3 kit but I couldn't wait to try it out so I put it in my Rebel T1i and used the Direct Connect mode to stream photos directly to the iPad. I even powered off my wireless router to verify that I can stream directly to iPad regardless of where I am. It works great! About 7 seconds to stream a photo. I was impressed with the product.

 

[CanineCandidsByL]

I am waiting for wireless USB dongles so I can get a wireless connection to the laptop and use the EOS utility

Are you talking about the WFT-E7A Wireless File Transmitter or something different, that hopefully is cheaper and on the near horizon?

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

I got an Eye-fi card to use in my to-be-delivered-today 5D Mk3 kit but I couldn't wait to try it out so I put it in my Rebel T1i and used the Direct Connect mode to stream photos directly to the iPad. I even powered off my wireless router to verify that I can stream directly to iPad regardless of where I am. It works great! About 7 seconds to stream a photo. I was impressed with the product.

So it does work even if you were way out in the woods and not connected to internet. It can go straight to the ipad? I heard in some places that wasn't possible and in others that you at least need one of those $70 wifi portable hotspots.

 

[JerryKnight]

I have both a 5D3 and a Eye-fi X2 Pro, and they work flawlessly for JPEG transfer to an ipad or computer.

The 5D3 explicitly supports Eye-fi cards - there's a menu option available when you plug one in. It lets you enable/disable the wifi transfer and view the connection info. You cannot change the connection details directly from the camera, though. Also, on the shooting info screen (hit info while you're shooting) it will show a ))) icon whenever it's connected and transferring.

I have only tried it on JPEG, but RAW should work as well, and it might be great for shooting in a studio. It has an option that effectively turns the card into an infinite storage card (as long as it can keep up with transfers).

No word yet on how it affects battery life.

To answer a few issues I've read here.

It is quite easy to set up. You start by putting the SD card into your computer and initializing it. You teach it what networks to use, and what device to transfer the files to. (You get separate options for JPEG, RAW, and video files.) The destination has to be set before you start shooting, but the iPad/iPhone can tell the card to send photos to it instead of your computer. It can't update many of the settings on the Eye-fi card except with your computer, but you can at least change the transfer destination.

The geotagging does work, but it's entirely dependent on your surrounding wifi networks. It does not use GPS.

No, you do not need constant wifi network if you're using the wifi direct mode. You load the Eye-fi app on the iPad and it will use the ad-hoc connection the card creates, as long as you're not using an existing wifi network on the iPad. If you are, then the card will have to use that wifi network as well... network+network or direct+direct, can't have it both ways. Also, the files only go through Eye-fi servers if you tell it to. ie. If you use the public hotspot transfer option or the Eye-fi branded photo sharing service. If you tell it to go directly to your computer, it shouldn't touch Eye-fi's servers.

Yes, the Eye-fi will work out in the woods, as long as you have direct mode enabled, and your iPad/iPhone is with you.

Overall, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Eye-fi cards. They aren't quite the caliber of the Canon Wifi device, but it's only $99, so it's much easier to try out.

 

[rwmson]

Here's a shot of a 5D3 with an Eye-Fi card in Direct Connect mode sending pix to my old iPad.

 

[Wideopen]

Might have to try one of these eye-fi cards out. It seems interesting.