Wireless image transmission

Hi,

I know its possible to immediately send your photograph across to a laptop(or desktop) for immediate viewing. Ive seen this at weddings (where the image was then deleted or post produced by a second), and also this seems to be used at model photoshoots, so the client can see the shots there and then.

I've tried google but any search either comes up with
* wireless CCTV cameras,
* wireless dongles to connect a laptop to a wireless network
* wireless mouse
etc.


What do I need to search for, and anyone got any experience with it on a Pentax?

Cheers

Bob

Two options :

1. Eye-Fi (works as advertised) : link
2. PK Tether : link

Good luck !

Careful... much as I love my Eye-Fi card, it's not the same as tethering.

The image files don't go directly to the computer - they go via whatever is providing the wireless network, usually a wireless router.

It does work brilliantly, though. I've found several times now that I put the camera down, get distracted, and the images are on the computer before I remember that I'd taken them.

That's true Chris - not the same but I imagine it would work well for the first example Bob gave (Weddings). Though PK Tether would be best for model shoots / clients who want to see the shots immediately.

Great stuff. Thanks. I was coming up a total blank on any search.

OK. Looked at this a bit more and done numerous searches on tethering and the K5. A lot of 2010 speculations on stuff, and loads suggesting various software.

PK_Tether seems to be a good recomendation for the software. However, forgive the noob question but Im amazed that absolutely no thread said what else I need. Surely I need some form of hardware to get the camera to link to the laptop?

The only shots Ive seen seem to imply its a USB2 cable. But unless I want to strap the laptop to my thigh I presumably need to buy a much longer one from a retailer.

If I dont want to have a wire dangling about. Is there not a wireless solution? What hardware is this?

TIA

That's the big problem with tethering..... just a USB cable
between the two

At least only 2 items can get damaged when you pull the
cable.... the camera.... or the laptop.... or both!

Eye-Fi is a lot safer

am i right in thinking eye-fi is only suitable for jpeg transmission and not dng raw

The Pro version is twice as fast and does RAW and JPG.

thanks algi

Yes absolutely. It wouldn't be all that hard to set up a wireless router as well as the laptop - it's not as if it needs to be connected to the internet as well.

I haven't done any quantitative measurements of transfer speed vs. distance from router, but it's not bad even some way away. I was photographing the moon outside my house, and by the time I'd taken the camera upstairs the photos had already transferred. It was quite spooky!

In terms of ease of use, and ease of setup, it's first rate. You start off by putting the card into a supplied USB adapter and plugging it into the computer. The software is all on the card, and once it's installed, it prompts you to put the card into the camera and try it.

Shortly after I'd installed it, the software on the computer told me there was a firmware update available for the card, and to put the card back into the adapter. It installed the new firmware, updated the software, and restarted.

You can tell it where you want to store JPGs, RAW files (I've been using DNGs but it works with PEFs too), and videos. These locations can all be different if you like.

Transfer isn't super fast - about 15s per 20 MB DNG with the camera two feet from the router, and a lot more than that if you're a lot further away, but once you've factored all the fiddling about with cards and readers you'd have to do otherwise, it's not bad for small batches of images.

Thanks again guys

Frogfish. Ive read a bit more and I think it is more like the otherway around.
I would think that Eye-Fi would NOT be useful for Weddings/events unless I could set it up with an available wireless network, which may not be available.
I would think it would be better for the studio to not have the wires and use the benefit of a known network.

Any view? I would primarily want it for an event scenario to try to sell on the night.

Tethering seems to limit me to the maximum length of USB2 ability which is 5 metres.

Neither seems an ideal scenario.

Also, Eye-Fi website doesnt have it as it seems to refer to point and shoot type cameras rather than the more pro stuff. Is it compatible with a K5 (semi-pro)?

The thing is, if you're going to set up a space with a laptop, you could easily take your own wireless router there too (or just buy another one!), and connect the router to the laptop either wirelessly or with ethernet.

Then you have your own private wireless network - you don't need an internet connection, and you can set up whatever security on the wireless network that you please.

Yes. It uploads my K-5 DNGs and PEFs perfectly well.

I think you need the pro-version Eye-Fi card for it to do RAW files.

Mine's only the normal card so it only works at slow
speed.

The Pro card can use a higher speed router (Type N)