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Nikon D2H: Digital Camera + 802.11b Option
k_stamour writes "Wow, the Holy Grail of Digital Cameras! -- the Nikon D2H. Considering the ever-dropping cost of 802.11b gear, it may not be too long before WiFi is found in lower-end Digi-Cameras. The remaining cost would be to get decent performance out of a small embedded Wifi antenna.
This Nikon is Geared for Sport/Action/News Shots. Think about it: a photographer can be on a scene of a newsworthy event, and over the hours of attending, the publisher could already be printing/posting the photographer's pics before he removes the camera strap from his neck! With this cam, a WiFi access point, and Internet access, they could post their pics in real time on the web from anywhere in the world. Of course, the above conditions would need to be meet every time for real time uploads." The 802.11 access is through an optional external transceiver module, model WT-1.
It only uses power when it is on. You could turn 802.11b on only when you want to upload pictures.
No electrons were harmed creating this post, though some may have been subjected to electrical and/or magnetic fields.
The camera's 802.11b thing plugs into the camera in two places, one to the USB port and the other to the power source. It then has the ability to transmit the photos to an ftp server.
No mention of WEP or any other type of net xfer.
Seems to me you'd want to set up an upload only account on the ftp server. Just in case someone gets some bright idea to start grabbing ftp accounts.
Don't know why it requires two plugs (later hack more than likely), but this thing looks like it takes up quite a bit space and it doesn't look like you can keep the camera on the trripod when it's plugged in.
Ignore the "p2p is theft" trolls, they're just uninformed
Digital SLRs have excellent battery life, normally. The Nikon D100 (a consumer DSLR) can happily take 1000 photos on a single charge, in real life applications. You can also add a power grip which takes 2 of the D100 proprietary batteries - you're not likely to run out of power in a week.
The D2h has a newly designed battery, and whilst nobody has tested it yet, all the specs point to it being better than the old NiMh batteries used in the old D1 series cameras.
The transmitter on the D2H takes about 20% of the overall battery use.
The WiFi is interesting, but the lack of firewire is a disappointment, and in terms of shooting features (resolution, frame rate, etc) it is pretty much the same as the Canon 1D, a camera which Canon is expected to replace this fall. The low resolution and high frame rate show that it's intended for photojournalists rather than the general consumer market. The D2H will probably slow or stop the flow of photojournalists switching from Nikon to Canon, and maybe put a little more pressure on Canon to improve their own cameras, but I'm not sure it will have much other effect.
The D2H uses a different battery pack than the D1h, but the review said it had a larger battery. That being said I've used the D1h extensivly, and with minimal LCD use you could take 1000- 1200 pictures on a single battery. These camera's aren't aimed at the average user, but rather at professional photographers shooting for newspapers and the like. Battery life isn't their biggest concern beacuse when you're already carrying two D1h bodies, a small array of lenses, and a monopod it doesn't matter if you have to toss in four extra batteries.
*Not a Sermon, Just a Thought
*/
No it's not! Bluetooth is too slow for transferring hundreds of megabytes at a time... -James.
The Nikon D2H is a camera specifically targeted to sport photographers. You don't need 8 frames per second if you're in the studio or even out covering events. Instead, this camera shines when used to capture fast action like sports.
Here's where wireless is a GOOD thing: one wireless access point can be placed on the mid-field sideline and allow the newspapers and magazines to grab images while the photographer shoots. This is a major advantage on nightly deadlines. Even when shooting just regular digital and using a laptop with wireless, newspapers are limited to getting the photographs at the end of each half because photographers can't risk missing a critical piece of action.
Battery life doesn't matter as much in sporting events. The game is pretty much a set length and an appropriate number of batteries can be brought and traded out at the end of each half/quarter/etc.
As someone who has worked at a daily newspaper that has used both film and digital and where football is a front page event, this is a great announcement. We used to have to send someone to night games to pickup and develop the film at halftime. Now pictures can be downloaded, selected and corrected for newspaper use in realtime. Newspaper staff never complain about finishing earlier rather than later!
That said, I think wireless makes sense in THIS camera. I'm not sure I'd want it in the field or even in a consumer camera to take pictures on vacation and on holidays. In those situations, I would take the longer battery life any day.
Unfortunatly, this isn't the holy grail of digital camera. I'm not even sure what the holy grail would be, to be honest.
It's a very specific camera aimed at sports/news/action photographers. The Wifi addition is also a niche product, mainly for photographers in large agencies like the AP
It probably wouldn't suit anybody else, especially since most people complain about the 4mp resolution.
Anyway, here are some links to other previews:
Handson Preview:k on/slr/D2H_UK1.html
http://www.letsgodigital.be/webpages/firstlook/ni
Preview:
http://www.digitalreview.ca/cams/NikonD2H.shtml
Nikon expert spec analysis:
http://www.bythom.com/d2h.htm
Personally, I'm excited because this is the first Nikon DSLR to do 8fps, plus they have a new TTL flash system, and the 2.5inch LCD on the back is the biggest yet (great for "chimping", a term for gaping at your images instead of watching the action)
Someone up there ^^^^ mentioned costs of digital cameras. I'm not sure how many here have followed these DSLRs but they're not cheap by a long shot.
This Nikon will probably arrive at a street price of around $3000 USD for the body alone. Add to that the fact that your lenses will have to be adjusted (if you own Nikon equipment already) as there is a multiplying factor that has to be taken into account for the size of the sensor; I believe with Nikon cameras it's 1.5x. This is due to the fact that the sensor is not a full 24x36mm (i.e. full frame film).
Unless your a professional photographer or an advanced amateur that's spending his/her weekends shooting weddings in 35mm or you're independently wealthy; you're probably going to have to wait a few years before the price of these puppies comes down to the "consumer" level.
Cheers
Zip
"The answers are always inside the problem, not outside"- Marshall McLuhan
The D2H is aimed at newspaper or online (read: not magazine) photographers that shoot sports among other things and have a quick turnaround time.
The 4MP is plenty for newspapers.
8 fps is great for sports shooters.
When you're shooting 8 fps at 4MP per frame Compact Flash cards fill up quick. I personally would rather spend $300-500 once for the little wireless attachment than $250 a pop for 5-10 512MB Compact Flash cards.
Most digital photographers have laptops in their car at the event they are photographing. Having a PTP wireless network between your camera and your car unloading your CF cards on the fly would be nice.
At events that you have to park more than 300 meters away chances are, eventually, they'll have an access point set up.
Bottom line: It's going to be a nice perk unless Canon makes one too.