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Using your Camera Wirelessly

There are many benefits of using your camera wirelessly especially in an Event Photography environment. The main benefit is that images are transferred to your PC or Mac without the need to remove your Camera's memory card which leads to significant improvements in workflow and therefore profit.

Some people use wireless camera technology where cable lengths or other reasons don't allow tethering your camera

Note: This is an OVERVIEW and not a technical how-to, as wireless setups can be complex due to the many variables involved. We do however offer a service where we can offer you this support, Contact Us if you require more details.

What do you need?

In essence there are two ways to setup a camera and computer wirelessly; Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure. In this example we will be concentrating on "Infrastructure Mode" as this in our opion is far more reliable and the only mode that we use for this purpose.

You will need the following:

• A computer, which can be a desktop or laptop and must be running Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 or Mac OSX 10+
• A wireless router or access point (we can supply this if required) - usually connected to the PC via a network cable however some PC's can communicate with the router wirelessly
• FTP Server software (usually free of charge)
• A Camera with a Wireless adapter, various adapters are available from the Camera manufacturers or third parties.

How does it work?

Setup is all important with wireless configurations, one small detail set incorrectly and it won't work, however once a wireless system is setup then you should have very few problems.

Basically the camera takes the image and attempts to send it to the wireless access point or router. This is then connected (usually by a cable) to the computer which is running the FTP server, which accepts the image and saves it to the hard disk of the computer. You are then free to print or work with the image as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Q: Does the Camera send all the images?
This depends on how the camera is setup and what Wireless Camera Adapter you are using. Usually this option can be set to either: Send all images, send only .JPG's, send both (Raw and .JPG) if you are shooting both file types. or don't send any images unless the operator selects them

Q: Are the images deleted off the Camera when they are sent?
This again depends on how the camera is setup, usually the option is yours.

Q: What size images can be sent?
Any size images can be sent, although common sense says that there is no need to send a 21mb images if it is only going to be printed as a 6x9 image!

Q: What is the range of Wireless equipment?
This depends on the adapter you are using. In camera cards like the Eye-Fi Wireless Card will have a much reduced range as the aerial is in fact inside the camera wheras adpaters with external aerials will work upto 100 metres depending on the environment in which they are used. It is possible to extend this range using a variety of extra equipment which is available seperatly

Q: What is the range of Wireless equipment?
This depends on the adapter you are using. In camera cards like the Eye-Fi Wireless Card will have a much reduced range as the aerial is in fact inside the camera wheras adpaters with external aerials will work upto 100 metres depending on the environment in which they are used. It is possible to extend this range using a variety of extra equipment which is available seperatly

Q: How easy is it to setup Wireless Camera Equipment?
If you have experience of, or an understading of IP addresses, FTP servers and SSID's then you should be able to set the equipment up yourself. If you wish however we can set your equipment up for you, just Contact Us for more information.