I've been using the Eye-fi Mobi card for a couple of days. Unlike the Eye-fi pro, it won't transfer raw files and it only sends the jpgs directly to an iOS or Android device.
The big feature is that it doesn't need a computer or network for set-up or use. It establishes it's own little wi-fi network to transfer the photos directly to the phone or tablet. I've tried it with an SLR and a point-n-shoot and it worked well. Setup was quick and easy. And using it is simple. You view and mange the photos with a free app. Turn on the camera, select the Eye-fi card network and any photos that haven't already been transferred are sent to the phone. If both devices are powered up while your shooting, the photos transfer as soon as they are shot. The photos are saved in the iOS camera roll so they can be used by other apps. I edited a couple of test shots in Snapseed. This is a relatively inexpensive way to use a tablet as a "tethered" monitor. When I tested the card with an iPad there was one minor inconvenience. I had to remember not to turn off the camera. When the camera was turned off, the iPad would revert to my home wi-fi network. After turning the camera on again, it was necessary to re-select the Eye-fi network, on the iPad, to re-establish the connection. This has more to do with the iPad than the Mobi. I haven't found a way to prioritize network selection on the iPad so it would automatically switch to the Eye-fi network when detected. I don't know if Android is similar. Battery life may be reduced. I didn't notice a drastic difference, but there will be some battery power drawn by the Mobi card. The specs say that the Mobi card has a range of up to 45 feet indoors and 80 feet outdoors. There was never more than about 15 feet between my camera and phone or tablet so I can't comment on that. The Mobi cards aren't horribly expensive given what they do. The 8Gb card is $49.95 and the 16Gb card is $79.95. It's most likely going to find it's home in my point-n-shoot camera for casual use. Now and then I'll probably move to the SLR when I want to use the iPad as a monitor. Long term, I don't see myself using it regularly in the SLR. I think it will be a lot of fun at family gatherings. I can also see possibly using it in the classroom. I currently tether my camera to the computer and mobility is limited by the length of cable. This could eliminate the cable. I'll try that when classes start again in August. gs George Sinos -------------------- www.GeorgesPhotos.net www.GeorgeSinos.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
