Flucard issue

Chaps,

I'm hoping someone can help who has experience of the Flucard. I've just bought a K3 and also a genuine Flucard. What I wanted to do was tether the camera either to a laptop or to a cheap Google Android tablet I have just bought for the purpose. I don't want to do anything fancy to remote control the camera, all I want to do is be able to shoot pictures and see them come up as I shoot them (or a few seconds afterwards) on the tablet or PC. So far I have been unable to make it do this. Basically when I connect the two to the flucard wifi I seem to have 2 options:

1. Remote capture which seems to essentially enable you to get Liveview but on the tablet. You lose the pic through the viewfinder though and even my rear liveview screen on the K3 is blank until I take a picture and then the picture I have taken flashes up on the rear LCD for about a tenth of a second so essentially unless you're looking at the PC you're shooting blind.
2. Image view which so far just seems to provide a small clickable Jpeg of the pictures you've taken but it's useless for 'on the fly review' because you keep having to click on each image to enlarge it to see it properly - why doesn't it just display the last image taken automatically and in full screen? - I'm taking pictures, I don't want to have to keep going back to the PC or tablet after every shot!!

Unless I'm using it wrongly I think the whole thing is a complete waste of £75!! What I really wanted was to be able to see my pictures on a bigger screen as I shoot them just to be able to notice things better than I can by looking at the on camera LCD screen such as hair over eyes, missed focus or something small and distracting in the frame. In short what I want is what you get with cabled tethered shooting on a K5.

So far this is about as much use as a chocolate teapot!

Can anyone help?

Merry Christmas to all (PS tablet is a Dragon Touch Y88X running Android 4.4 on a quad core processor.

I look forward to reading your replies.

Saxon

Seems you need Safari or Chrome as your browser, and the Pentax branded FluCard, and you'll get;.

•16GB Class 10 SDHC card
•802.11n Wi-Fi transmitter
•WEP & WPA security
•11 possible channels
•Up to 5 concurrent connections
•7.5m / 24 ft (7.3m) recommended range
•Connection via web browser (Safari or Chrome); no software or app to install
•Remote live view with 10x zoom to the AF point
•Tap-to-select and activate AF point (in live view with CDAF)
•Remote shutter release (single frame)
•Adjust shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exp. comp (based on shooting mode)
•Pentax 'green button' hyper program
•Full-size JPEG transfers to connected devices
•Live updates to image catalogue as shots are taken
•Save in Raw & JPEG to one or two SD cards
•Image browsing & download of any JPEG on the card

Take a look here>link

Unfortunately I don't have a K3/Pentax Flucard, so can't help further.

You have to shoot either JPEG (or RAW+ (I think)), if you shoot RAW only you will not get a preview, too much data.

I am shooting RAW+ with the RAW going to a conventional card in slot 1 and a Jpeg going to the Flu card in slot 2.

Grateful for the replies but still can't undertsand where I'm going wrong!

Saxon

Does the Flu Card work in Slot 2? I have a feeling only one of the slots is compatible.

Q：Can the O-FC1 be used in either memory card slots 1 or memory card slot 2 in the K-3?
A：Yes, but the wireless functions will only be available when the card is used in memory card slot 2.

John,

According to the instructions the Flucard should be put in slot 2 and the normal SD in slot 1. Then the camera is set to write Jpeg to slot 2 and RAW to slot 1 in RAW+ mode. What I expected to get was a tethered view of the last picture taken on my laptop or tablet but so far no joy!

I have no need for it otherwise!

Anyway if anyone has any insights that would be great and a very Merru Christmas to all!

Saxon

I use an Eye Fi card and I know its not quite the same, but based on this, you'll get quicker results if the jpegs are set to the smallest possible size.

I rather regret buying the flu Card especially as I paid £99. I thought it might be useful for seeing a magnified view when shooting macro subjects, but the resolution is a disappointment but the main issue is that the camera keeps dropping the connection all the time so it is more trouble than it is worth. Another disappointment is that a windows phone can not be used as the latter does not not run Chrome.

Miles,

Right now I regret buying the Flucard too. As you say connection is unreliable and worst of all it doesn't do what I thought it did. So what I want is for it to work like this video on the Eyefi card if you watch it from 1min 20 secs in you'll see all you need to see and skip all the setup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNAgzdga__0

Grateful for any views but to me looks like the Eyefi card is the one I need.

Saxon