Photography News 03

Technology

15

Olympus

Wi-Fi remote control provides a shutter release and lets you zoom if the lens you’re using has a powered zoom. You have no control over focusing though, and you can’t change any shooting settings except to turn the flash off or activate the self-timer. The Send to Smartphone function lets you send images fromthe camera to the phone, or you can use the app to browse previews before selecting which to copy. Full-resolution JPEGs are transferred, so it’s good for backing up your keepers. Alternatively, you can upload images to the Internet through the app without saving them on your phone. Perhaps the most useful tool for photographers is theShareShot function,whichautomatically transfers images to a connected device as you capture them. This is done via a Wi-Fi Direct connection, which requires no network or passwords, and you can have your phone or tablet in your pocket or bag and it still works. The drawback is that you can only transfer in this way when shooting JPEGs alone, so you have no Raw files on either device. If that’s not a problem though, then each image takes just a few seconds to transfer and it’s saved at full resolution, so it provides a real-time backup on a second device. Transferring images over Wi-Fi goes beyond the app too, and you can set up aWi-Fi Direct connection for automatic transfer of each image straight after it’s captured. This can be to a smart device, or if you’re within range of a network, to a computer or cloud storage service, so it’s ideal for backing up on the move. You can specify whether the transferred JPEGs are full resolution or smaller. Switch to playback mode, and you can flick through images on the camera’s card in thumbnail or full-screen views, and you can just drag and drop to save full-resolution images to your device. take a few seconds to load, so if you browse through them, you’re held up at each picture. You can select photos to save to your device – JPEGs that are saved are resized to 2048 pixels on their longest side. Where Olympus’s Wi-Fi system comes into its own is the remote control on the OM-D E-M1. Remote control on the E-P5 is limited to Intelligent Auto mode, but with the E-M1, you can not only use it in PASM or auto modes, but you can change mode remotely and have full control over exposure settings and more. It’s the most comprehensive Wi- Fi remote control you can currently get.

Wi-Fi first debuted in Olympus’s CSCs in the E-P5, and has since made appearances in its new hybrid camera, the Stylus 1, and its flagship, the OM-D E-M1. Olympus’s approach to setting up a Wi-Fi connection is unique and more elegant than most. Turn the camera Wi-Fi on, and you’re presented with a QR code on screen that you scan with your smartphone or tablet using the Olympus Image Share app to make an automatic connection. When you’ve done it once, there’s no need to do it again. Once connected, you can browse and import photos from the camera’s card. Full-screen images

VERDICT

PROS Simple and elegant set-up, comprehensive remote control on E-M1

CONS Resizing of transferred images

Panasonic Panasonic’s newest CSCs, the GX7, G6 and GF6, and the premium compact L-F1 all feature in-built Wi-Fi that integrates with Panasonic’s Image app. If you’re likely to use Wi-Fi frequently, then Panasonic’s set-up will help because the cameras have a Wi-Fi button. Press this and you’re led through menus and options that tell you what you can do and how you can do it. There’s a good variety of options too. Connection to a smart device via the app provides good remote control; you can change the exposure settings and a number of functions such as the focus mode, metering mode and image quality.

VERDICT

PROS Wi-Fi button, remote control, Wi-Fi Direct connection CONS Set-up menus are a touch slow to use

Samsung

Most of Sony’s CSCs and top-end compacts come with Wi-Fi, although it’s yet to feature in any of its DSLTs. It’s included in the new full-frame mirrorless cameras, the A7 and A7R, and all cameras that do have it use Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile app – I tried this with the RX100 Mark II premium compact. One excellent aspect of this system is that it’s only switched on in the camera when one of the wireless functions is activated – Wi-Fi is a battery drain, so this saves on power. One-time set-up is needed, and after that simply opening the app when the camera’s Wi- Fi is active is enough to make a connection. Samsung’s Galaxy Camera and Galaxy NX run on the same Android operating system as most smartphones, so you can easily link them directly to networks and there’s no need to transfer images to your phone or tablet before uploading them online. That’s not to say that you can’t connect the Galaxy cameras to another smart device though, and Samsung’s other CSCs that don’t have Android, such as the NX300, also feature Wi-Fi connectivity. With the appropriate Samsung apps, this allows image sharing and remote control options similar to most other Wi-Fi systems.

VERDICT

PROS Direct connection to networks, ShareShot as a backup CONS Can’t shoot Raw if you want to transfer JPEGs

Sony

VERDICT

PROS Wi-Fi only on when needed, full-resolution JPEGs copied CONS No focusing control in remote control

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