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Nikon Releases WiFi Digital Camera
LegendOfLink writes "Nikon just revealed the world's first WiFi-enabled camera! It runs 802.11b/g and allows users to send files over a network. From the blurb: "Wireless shooting automatically transfers each picture to a selected computer as soon as it is shot. Pictures can then be viewed with Nikon's powerful yet fun-to-use and easy PictureProject software. And wireless printing delivers the convenience of cable-free direct printing to PictBridge-compatible printers. All these functions are easy to implement, too. Just set them up with the Wizard utility to enjoy easy wireless capabilities that add outstanding flexibility to the digital photography experience. "
I can't help but think that adding wifi will seriously hurt battery life.
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
I think Slashdot has slid down hill more in the past 2 weeks than it has in the past 2 years. This has to be the 5th "advertisement" article that I've seen in 3 or 4 days. And it isn't even new technology as many posters have already noted.
The gendarmes can confiscate the camera, but the photos are already on a server outside the country's jurisdiction. This should be handy for journalists, demonstrators, etc.
I too have felt the cold finger of injustice.
and thus, the internet was flooded with pictures of trinkets in people's bedrooms
It doesn't say anywhere whether you will be able to operate the camera remotely from the software provided...
1 /
Does anyone know if it supports this feature?
Their previous protocol WT-2 did...
"I agree. The Remote Camera Control function offers PC control over various settings and operations, including focus and exposure adjustment, through USB cable connection of a PC installed with "Nikon Capture 4 (version 4.2)" and camera. The WT-2, however, lets you use this function without the USB cable connection, making it useful for shooting birds in their natural habitats, for instance."
from: http://nikonimaging.com/global/technology/scene/1
WI-FI just seems to me to be pointless on a camera. It's not like I'm going to be out taking photos near hotspots all the time (for example, backpacking through Costa Rica) What I really want to see is a GPS-enabled camera that records not only time and date in the metadata, but also latitude and longitude. I always seem to have a hard time recalling where it was I took my photos once I have all of them on my hard drive. Imagine being able to integrate these photos with, say, Google Earth (a satellite flyover slideshow!). Or, imagine being able to search for photos using Spotlight in OS X Tiger by location. I can see real geek appeal to something like this, instead of adding a battery-sucking feature that would only be functional in a narrow slice of locations.
Hardly an issue really. Most software can do entirely without it anyways - and that is only the case with ONE single body - every other body is fine.
:) Not that Canon is perfect, but I want out of Nikon's ever increasing mediocrity.
If you want to pick issues about Nikon's stuff, there's lots of REAL ones to pick...
I, for one, didn't buy a Nikon DSLR body to replace my old Nikon SLRs. I went with a Fuji DSLR instead. The flash system is just a mess. Not that it doesn't work. But why change the flash gear like 3 times in a row? From *real* TTL to eTTL/iTTL oddball stuff. So you had to ditch your 500$ SB-28, replace it with a SB-28DX for another 500$, then ditch it, buy a SB-80DX instead for another 500$, and ditch it again, and buy a SB-800 instead for another 500$!?!
If you make a living out of it, sure, that may not seem like a big expense, but otherwise... Ouch! That's assuming you only need 1 flash, and also assuming you don't use other flash types like macro ring flashes. Otherwise you'd have to chance those as well. I didn't have yet another 500$ for a SB-29s macro ring flash to replace my perfectly good real TLL macro ring flash.
And then what about all the preflashes that trigger the studio strobes and can't be cancelled on many (most? all?) of their DSLRs? So the strobes give all they got during the preflash, and then are out of power for the real flash... Useless! Most of their bodies (D100/D70 etc) don't have PC sync cords either - gotta buy the expensive wireless triggers and rely on them to work properly... Yeah right. Some bodies only have mechanical screw-in type of "remotes" too, no infrared or cabled remotes.
New DX lenses? That's OK. As long as you don't mind paying as much for a non-full frame lens that's not particularly good. It's not an issue until the day they decide to change the frame size again... Because out of the current one, having a maximal theorical resolving power for 35mm lenses... We're approaching max resolution that can ever be attained - unless they go full frame again. In which case you can just throw away your DX lenses... Or for usually less money, you can buy BETTER 3rd party lenses that are full frame. Point in case: Nikon DX 12-24mm VS Sigma's and Tokina's. Both 3rd party lenses are cheaper, full frame, and have better pic quality. Full frame also means it'll work on any F-Mount camera, be it a Fuji, Kodak, Nikon, or some Nikon film SLR of any kind. Why would one spend MORE to get such inferior, short-sighted stuff like that? Amongst pros and prosumers, I've seen exactly 0% interest in their DX lenses.
Nikon has been listening to their north american (and european?) consumers less and less these days it seems. It just seems like they're putting out stuff that THEY want to - not what WE want.
The D70 might not be bad right now, but they tend to be slow at coming up with new / equivalent stuff to canons, like VR lenses, whose selection is still very limited and quite expensive... Note how you see canon stuff sold EVERYWHERE? Even at best buy! But nikon? Nah... Only Nikon authorized shops. Old mentalities...
Being a nikon system user is becoming less and less attractive everyday.
I'm pretty much locked in with their stuff (lots of $$$ invested in good lenses) - the mount at least. Keep it or sell it all at a huge loss... If it wasn't for a Fuji DSLR I would have bought a Kodak DSLR instead (uses Nikon lenses too; F-Mount stuff), the SLR/N is very nice but I'm not that rich... I'm a coder - not a CEO.
As for Nikon's stuff... I just may sell everything at a huge loss before I buy one of their DSLRs. I hate Nikon (the japanese company) a LOT more than I'll ever hate microsoft.
There's times like that I wish some sucker/looser would trade my Nikon gear for equivalent Canon gear
Is the protocol open? (My guess based on current information is: NO)
Can you send commands to the camera through WiFi? (No hint that it is, so probably NO).
Can the camera be run off a power supply? (Probably YES)
If you could do all those things, the camera would make a great web cam and Nikon could sell huge numbers of it. But probably it won't work again.
It is truly frustrating that there is so much great camera hardware out there and camera manufacturers screw up on the software, the protocols, and openness. I have yet to see even a working, fairly complete PTP implementation over USB.