In defense of WiFi...

[limr]

OP, if you didn't like 'getting flamed' for supporting wi-fi on cameras, why are you now flaming those who don't think it's the best thing since sliced bread?

 

[Derrel]

Who remembers when tethered shooting was going to "revolutionize photography"? Ohhhh, you haven't been in photography long enough to have lived through that phase? Oh, I see...

Remember that technology??? It was supposed to take over the world, buuuuuuut, the thing is, that was mostly hype coming from the inventors/sellers of the tech. It never proved to be all that necessary.

It's easy to get caught up in what is technologically possible. Just because we "can" do something does not mean that the technology or working method will catch on to any great degree, nor does it mean that it is necessarily "good", "great", or "better", nor anything else. It's just...one way among multiple ways...to achieve an end result.

Uploading images right off of a memory card, and presenting them straight out of the camera to an audience...wow...that's utterly,utterly,utterly counter to the actual working practice of most people in this thread, and yet we had one worker who shops his images pretty extensively advocate that as a "good idea". I understand, it's fun to debate, and even argue, but putting forth ridiculous assertions that "instant photo display" is a good thing, and better than spending a few minutes in post to properly prepare each image is...ludicrous.

The main use for WiFi or FTP transmission of images direct from camera to a server has been for news and sports shooters to transmit to editors who cull through the dreck, and make selections, and then send the images to be toned, and inserted into layouts, on deadline. It's a great system for people doing that. But JUST like tethered shooting, direct to computer, the technology itself, by itself, does absolutely nothing without a skilled shooter pressing the shutter release. And it does nothing to "improve" one's photographic abilities. So, in defense of WiFi...cough,cough...

Next up, my post, "in defense of tethered shooting--the next major revolution in digital imaging."

 

[Gavjenks]

Perhaps the better path for manufacturers would be to make cameras a bit more modular in general.

Like, for example, have a compartment or two in the camera somewhere, sort of like a much smaller version of the battery compartment, but have a few different modules you can stick in it that do different special things and are sold separately.

* Wifi module
* GPS module
* Maybe a more expensive one that does both
* Maybe a module that can hold an extra SD card or two for redundancy?
* Modules that provide you with additional jacks that your camera might not have natively? Like a PC cord jack, or an external mic one, or whatever.

Then wifi and all those other options become essentially available on EVERY camera, but nobody has to pay for them if they don't want to use the stuff.

 

[amolitor]

Manufacturers HATE that kind of modularity, for a couple of excellent business reasons.

 

[Gavjenks]

Well yes I see that. But it might be a viable route for a company that is currently an underdog anyway, like Sigma. Sacrificing a bit of product turnover in exchange for capturing more market share with an attractive-to-the-consumer modular product could be worth it for them.

I mean, highly modular products do exist in other industries. There are circumstances where it apparently makes sense. I don't know if any DSLR companies happen to be in those circumstances currently, but they might be.

 

[Derrel]

Ricoh introduced a pretty interesting modular camera system, the GXR a few years back. It offered some VERY nice options, including one module that would allow Leica M-series bayonet lenses to be used. It never has sold well. ProPhoto Supply closed out its entire inventory at fire-sale prices not too long ago,

GXR / Digital Cameras | Ricoh Global

And THIS season, Sony is hitting the streets with its two new QX-series modular lens/camera clip-on-thingies that attach to smart phones, and integrate a camera and zoom lens with smartphone technology....Sony Smartphone Camera| Smartphone Attachable Lens-Style Camera Review | DSC-QX10 | Sony USA

Reviews I have read of Sony QX cameras say that they are kludgy, and the phone integration is poor on iOS devices, so, a large part of the tech/geek/hipster crowd's iPhones are not gonna be of much use...once again, Sony shows itself incompetent in interoperability in the most-critical aspects of their products...

 

[TheLost]

OP, if you didn't like 'getting flamed' for supporting wi-fi on cameras, why are you now flaming those who don't think it's the best thing since sliced bread?

Because on a boring Wednesday afternoon what's more fun then to play "armchair quarterback/camera executive"...


Adding fast, long range, fully featured WiFi to a camera is innovative..
Adding slow, short range, unsupported WiFi to a camera (built-in or add-on) is pathetic..

once again, Sony shows itself incompetent in interoperability in the most-critical aspects of their products...

I see Sony thinking outside the box. Hit or Miss... at least they are trying (Sony QX = controlled via WiFi... BOOYAH.. that just happend!)

 

[Derrel]

Now, if this thing (the Chrysler New Yorker) woulda' been outfitted with WiFi, it woulda' been a big,big seller! I just KNOW that was the one,single missing feature...

 

[Steve5D]

Can you provide links to where you've been flamed for doing that? I may have missed that obviously large collection of posts...

Here you go... typical post...

My son enjoys the free WiFi at my local McDonalds! He uses it to download larger game and software applications for his Android phone.


WiFi is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yeah, the short attention-span generation needs to have its stuff NOW. No deferred gratification!!!


An hour or two or three is a looooooong time to go without Facebook status updates!

How about this one..




How about this post from you again..? maybe you should take your own advice....



Quick off topic.. but relevant to the whole 'blow back from new tech': I'm going to quote you here again...

Wow, dude, settle down. No need to get the panties in a knot over this. You're getting upset because some people don't share your opinion. Get used to it. It's called "life". You'll understand this once you get out in the real world.

When YOU get out in the real world maybe you'll understand video is more important to some people then still images.. With 5D in your name i thought you'd understand that.

A question which is still waiting an answer: It was mentioned that you could show clients photos instantly. Why would I want to do that?

I know youth and high school sports shooters that make more sales (aka.. $$$) when they show parents images instantly.

All you've done is post a myriad of whines regarding posts I made regarding my view of wi-fi. That's called "expressing an opinion". Now, had I expressed my opinion about your opinion of wi-fi, you might have a point. I didn't, so you don't.

If you think my saying "I have no use for "wi-fi" is flaming you, you're in for a tough life. You didn't even bother to respond to any of the questions I asked. All you wanted to do was complain.

But, more to the point, you claimed you were flamed in your initial post; before I said a single word about it. Using my replies to your initial post to support a point made in your opening post is asinine.

Let's see the offending posts which compelled you to whi... er, post about being "flamed". Unless it didn't actually happen, which I'm strongly starting to suspect...

 

[Steve5D]

OP, if you didn't like 'getting flamed' for supporting wi-fi on cameras, why are you now flaming those who don't think it's the best thing since sliced bread?

Because on a boring Wednesday afternoon what's more fun then to play "armchair quarterback/camera executive"...

Nice to see you admit to being little more than a troll.

Shouldn't you be in class?

 

[runnah]

Let's see the offending posts which compelled you to whi... er, post about being "flamed". Unless it didn't actually happen, which I'm strongly starting to suspect...

Some people get angry when they find out that their opinion is not held by others. They get even more upset when their opinion is shown to not be well supported.

Rather than changing their mind after being presented with countering information, they dig their heels in and start name calling.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

I guess taking pictures at high school football games, editing them on a tablet, then posting them to twitter&facebook in near-real-time is a gimmick. I'll make sure to tell all the parents that cant make it to games... that their praise is unfounded. I'll tell the other schools that have started copying our workflow they are wasting their time.

And your right... Tethered photography is a joke. Nobody in a studio situation wants instant access to what the camera see's.

And golly.. It is so much easier to pull the memory card out of a camera and plug it into a card reader. Why would anybody want to skip that step and just pull the images off the camera wirelessly.

I think many in here have exceeded their logic quota for the week. So don't be using THAT in your argument!

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

For wireless tether shooting to remote storage. I can see professional photographer can take a photo and that photo end up in a secured cloud storage in less than a minute. By the time the photo session is done, he/she already has a backup copy of his/her work. Since it can upload the photos during the shooting without the photographer do anything.

OMG that is, like, SOOOO Gimmicky! Rain detecting windshield wiperss... harr harr

WIFI SUX!!!

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Why limit it at wifi? Why not add 4g to all nikons. Now my photos can go to my Facebook anywhere!

Dude, I know you're trying to be cute here. But you're basically making a joke about something that already exists. Most phones have 4G (or will have in the very near future). So DSLR Wi-fi + 4G is already a very real possibility in many areas. Which means you can back up your photos through your cell network at reasonably fast speeds, even with large files.

And just FYI, there are many people who would be delighted with the possibility of sharing a photo to Facebook or other places INSTANTLY. Not everyone requires the traditional Raw workflow for every image. Ask Imagemaker. I think he does this for a living, and shoots JPEG only, and sports.

I saw a video one time regarding a sport photographer (not sure if it was olympics or worldcup) that he needed to RUSH back to his laptop in the common room where everybody trying to dump the photos to their laptop and then upload them during break so that the company can publish them right away. And then RUSH back to the field to continue to take photos. During that time inside that room, which was designated for the sport photographers or photo journalists, were packed with people. Looks like everybody were trying to send their work ASAP. If technology allow them to do it easier, why not?

Absolutely, we've definitely established in the sports world in general this will be/already is a key features of DSLR. But DSLR wi-fi can be used in MANY other applications for the hobbyist/semi-pro/and pro, many of which I've listed.

Can I shoot with PC cords for the light? Yes, but I like it better with radio trigger.

We are a society about cutting the cords. We talk on cell phones (not wired rotary phones). Everything is transmitted wirelessly. Everything is moving to the cloud.

Maybe you need to read my first post... my point was "I get flamed (a lot ) for bashing manufactures lack of WiFi support in their products".. we are on page 8 of this thread.

Can you provide links to where you've been flamed for doing that? I may have missed that obviously large collection of posts...

Sure, Steve, I had to dig pretty deep to find a few examples, but I think you'll see what he's talking about here.

 

[Dao]

For wireless tether shooting to remote storage. I can see professional photographer can take a photo and that photo end up in a secured cloud storage in less than a minute. By the time the photo session is done, he/she already has a backup copy of his/her work. Since it can upload the photos during the shooting without the photographer do anything.

OMG that is, like, SOOOO Gimmicky! Rain detecting windshield wiperss... harr harr

WIFI SUX!!!

Well, it is not for everyone at this point. And I agree. But for the wedding photographer who could not locate one of his memory card after wedding, it could be a life saver. (I believe he said he found that eventually later on. It stuck between one of the lens and the front lens cap and he did not recall how it got there in the first place)

Just like liveview, it is not for everyone. But in comes in handy in some situation.