Stupid question: the point of wifi on DSLR?

EverydayGetaway wrote in post #16089776
Interesting... I'll be honest, I leave mine off because of all the reviews that said how badly it screws your battery life

I also noticed that when I had it on for the self portrait shoot I did my battery level dropped faster than normal, but I was also using it in LV the whole time I used it...

Of course Live View is going to eat battery. But don't attribute that to the capability!

xinvisionx wrote in post #16089801
Of course Live View is going to eat battery. But don't attribute that to the capability!

I'm not. I'm just saying I realize that you're right, it doesn't really make much sense that the WiFi would eat up the battery, I just never gave it much thought since I don't need it that often, but when I do I'm super glad to have it.

New hardware like this is like a new highway going off into an empty desert. At first there's just a few off ramps and gas stations (what canon puts together in time for the release). As folks tinker and more and more models have the same hardware, new and improved software finds more and more uses. The limits are only what canon allows (think iOS) and how many people are ready, willingly and able to buy up a well executed idea (think App Store).

powerslave wrote in post #16089435
I noticed I was asked what unique feature, well, for one, a remote could be used to do the same thing, but this let's me sample my shots on the fly, let's me adjust settings and FOCUS manually (and AF) without having to go near the camera.

How do you get AF to work on the EOS app? I can only do manual focus and it is difficult due to the delay on the live view.

As has already been mentioned, the smartphone or tablet app lets you control all of your camera's exposure settings and see the result. Remote shutter release won't do that. I will also add that I find it MUCH easier to control and change settings in the EOS app than I do with my camera in liveview. I have always found it cumbersome to change settings in liveview, not so with the EOS app and my 6d.

I am looking forward to using the wifi setting to shoot fireworks this evening, it is much easier to control the camera by phone in the dark than trying to use the light on the top LCD screen or using a little flashlight.
Here's a shot that I wouldn't have gotten without the wifi app. I set the camera outside on a tripod in a protected area and I sat inside and shot and adjusted until I got the desired result.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/jvthept/8874193​258/

xinvisionx wrote in post #16089445
I didn't think much of the Wifi on my 6D. Then I took a trip to Vegas and it was nice to take photos and immediately upload them to Facebook instead of crappy cell phone photos. I also like the fact I can use my iPhone as a remote...especially when I have forgotten my wired remote and use bulb mode at night. WIN

cmon mon what happens in vegas stays in vegas.

I don't have a camera with any built-in wifi features
but I do use EYE-FI cards from time to time, and simply having the ability to save RAW to CF, and much smaller jpg to the eye-fi card and have it auto-transfer to iPad is awesome. I mostly use at family functions, so much easier for relatives and friends to look at pics on ipad screen than on camera screen... and they get to see almost as quickly as I can shoot!

Personally I think it's just a bit gimmicky, same as GPS. Surely with that you can remember where you took a photo

richardhurst wrote in post #16090502
Personally I think it's just a bit gimmicky, same as GPS. Surely with that you can remember where you took a photo

I am no big fan of the GPS myself (having used it for a total of 0 shots so far), I do see its use.

When you go off-road into trails etc, this should help you pinpoint where you took it. I have found myself going back to a map and trying to figure out which part of the trail I took certain pictures at.

So the feature may not be as a big deal as the WiFi, it's still a feature and is absolutely priceless to those who need it.

In short, think '27.9881° N, 86.9253° E' instead of 'McDonald's, Main Street, BigTown'.

+

If I was traveling, it would be sweet, but I'm not. I've used GPS only to set the clock. Others are the reverse. Gimmicks are features with false value. I would call these split value: some care, some don't. There was a point when Ethernet (never mind wifi) was a third party upgrade to laptops, now it would be unthinkable not to have it standard on even the cheapest model. Here too, it's only a question of time.

I've been having fun with the Wifi on mine, not the least of which is the ability to sit in the comfort of my car while my camera is in a bug infested field snapping long exposures =)

wifi would be great in live event service. GPS would be great when you want to build 'interesting' 3D panoramic images...

more documentation is also nice when you want to be able to re-create a shot under other circumstances...

I think have very useful with wifi, in the wild, u can set the camera in a rain(with water proof cover) and control the camera at the place with shelter.

I use wired Ethernet with my 7D more often than Wifi, though.
Bluetooth I've used a lot, but only as a method of getting GPS in there. GPS I've found very valuable, to see where all different shots were taken in different parts of the world, both near home and far away. Like now, when I'm in England for a few days. I would most certainly not be able to remember where all my pictures are taken. GPS also allows letting the computer scan a large number of pictures, and show the locations on a map. Then you can point at those interesting to look at, so it works as a search tag as well.

With Wi-Fi you can sit in your house and take pictures with your camera mounted somewhere else.

Actually, in theory, you can control your camera from anywhere in the world (of course, there are issues with this, such as sleep mode, battery power, etc.). But the point is that you can climb a tree, mount your camera next to an eagle's nest, then go home and start taking photos when the birds come back.

Also, it allows your camera, in everyday situations, to communicate with your smart phone. So even if you aren't in a wi-fi zone, your phone can be set up to instantly store the photos from the camera. Then you can send the photos out to anyone or any website you choose.

So, for example, you can technically take a photo of your friend and say, "Check your phone. It'll be there in a couple minutes."

Yes, this can be done with a cell phone camera, but the quality isn't the same.


NOTE: here's what I'm really excited about: I just ordered the EOS-M a few minutes ago. I'll install a wi-fi card (eye-fi) and then I'll be able to actually use the camera's touch screen feature through my Iphone. Every single setting will be accessible.