Eye-Fi Share 2 GB Wi-Fi SD Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-2GB (OLD VERSION) by Eye-Fi
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Digital camera reviews of Eye-Fi Share 2 GB Wi-Fi SD Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-2GB (OLD VERSION)
Digital camera Review: Amazing Product, but *CAUTION!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just received my EyeFi the other night. It is amazing, I use this item in a Canon A540 and the uploads are nearly instant at the highest settings (6MP). With my set up it is safe to assume the picture is already uploaded after the 2 second picture preview on the camera.
I originally purchased one of these on an Auction site. *Never purchase one of these USED on an auction site. The item I received was still locked with the previous users email address and no way to recover. the EyeFi customer service is Amazing! any question they will answer and the turn around is sometimes less than a day. Without the MAC address, which is only accessible after logging into the card it was totally locked... now I'm still waiting for the auctioneer to return my money. Amazon's service was amazing. I received the item fast and it was Brand New and I was up and running in only a few moments.
It doesn't take much to set up the card. If you set up your own home wireless router it is even easier. I limit MAC addresses allowed into my router - all I had to to was authorize the Eye-Fi's MAC and everything fired up instantly... I didn't even have to leave my laptop :)
Digital camera Review: Amazing Technology - The future is here!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a gadget guy who has to have the latest and greatest of everything, and I think this is the latest AND the greatest. No, it's not perfect, but it amazed me and that is hard to do these days!
The setup worked as it should, except for some reason I had to enter my WEP password a few times before it took.
I use Kodak Gallery, and that set-up step was as easy as telling the EyeFi program my email and Kodak password. Instant connection.
I then put the card in my camera, took a picture, and saw from the computer it was already being uploaded to my PC and to Kodak Gallery. SLICK!
I take hundreds of pictures every week, and I sort of dread the hour or so I have to spend doing this task. It is especially frustrating when I am taking pictures of something to post on-line because I will take a picture, take out the SD card, transfer it to my computer, then realize I need another photo, place SD back in the camera and repeat. THOSE DAYS ARE GONE NOW!!!
I am using a Nikon D40. The setup program had specific instructions on how to change the Nikon power settings so that the card stays powered long enough to upload the photos. No noticeable additional battery drain, but the Nikon battery life is a wonder unto itself anyway.
Room for improvement: Well, it isn't perfect. The WIFI range appears to be about half of what my laptops get. I was hoping I could be in the back yard or at least the living room (100-200 feet away) and have this magic process work, but I pretty much have to have the camery in the bedroom where my WiFi router is.
Overall, highly recommended!
Digital camera Review: Amazing idea, needs a lot of work
Summary: 2 Stars
I really like this product but there are a few things you should keep in mind before purchasing:
1. In order to use a wireless network with the card you have to have a computer with the manager software installed and connected to that network. For example, you can't pre-configure the SID of an open access point at your local coffee shop then just take your camera there to upload. And, you can't have it search for any open access point; you have to pre-configure it using your computer with the card connected.
2. You can only upload to one photo service at a time. To change them you need a computer with the manager software running.
3. It takes a LOT of battery life! It drains the batteries on my Nikon D70 SLR in hours verses the weeks it would normally last.
Digital camera Review: Antique interface, not well thought out
Summary: 1 Stars
I had high hopes for this gadget. After all, I've been happy with my old Hawkings WiFi webcam for years. Imagine being able to upload pictures from my camera without having to lug a laptop around! That would be sweet.
Unfortunately, the software is very 1960s, closed, corporate and proprietary. Worse, the clever stubby USB plug means was not as clever as it seemed. The Eye-Fi was not what I expected.
I expected the Eye-Fi to make my camera a WiFi accessible device. Maybe it would require some software like Apple's Airport Express, and I could configure it that way. Even better would be for it to join the nearest open network, then I could just connect to it via telnet or a web browser and configure it that way. As a backup, the little dongle could have done ethernet, perfect for downloads, uploads and updating. I always carry an ethernet cable so I can use my Airport Express.
Instead, you have to plug the gadget into your USB connector. This means you have two WiFi radio stations only a few inches apart. That means they interfere, so you can use EyeFi or you can use internet, but not both. Unfortunately, their EyeFi manager software assumes you can use both. I used a USB extension cord and managed to get this working. Maybe I'll get a shorter cord. The stubby USB connector is a great idea, but it doesn't work, not without some outside help.
As for the software. I imagined that I could just mount the camera like a disk, except over the network. Look ma, no wires. Unfortunately, the 1973 code for an FTP server is still patented, encrypted and inaccessible to modern corporate cultures. Newer network file systems, post 1970s, are way off EyeFi's radar. Imagine, just finding my camera on the network, hit connect, start up iPhoto or whatever and accessing my photos. No such luck.
Still, I pressed on. It would be neat to have my camera talk directly to my Airport Extreme on the road, when I didn't feel like lugging my laptop and USB extension cord. (Yes, I know, I could just take the little camera cord with me and leave the EyeFi at home). So, having configured the EyeFi to work with my household network, I decided to add a few of my favorite remote networks. I figured that all Holiday Inn Express's are the same, so that would make sense, but first my Airport Express.
Needless to say, that wouldn't work without the Air Express actually being up and running and having a network connected to the internet. I usually leave it in my bag, but I dutifully set it up, plugged it into my router and so on. Well, that was a pain, but it will save me trouble on the road. Now for the CAVU Cafe at Boeing Field. They have great coffee and great WiFi. Unfortunately, I have to fly there to use it, so EyeFi said no dice. Rather, the EyeFi manager wedged itself into some weird state half updating my Airport Express network, half updating the CAVU Cafe info, but in no way usable.
Well, that's my signal. This card is unusable, and $100 is way too much for a 2GB card these days. Still, it was educational.
I hadn't expected much to be honest. After all, I really wanted to upload my pictures to my website, not to some commercial outfit like Flickr or Webshots. I'm paying several dollars a month for hosting, so I should get something out of it. I had planned to run a little server to move my photos from Flickr to my online site, but I can't even get this thing to take the first step.
I've been trying to figure out who is using these cards. It uploads your pictures to Flickr, but not to your computer. It doesn't work with a WiFi laptop. It doesn't let you configure it for use on the road without also lugging your laptop along with you. I imagine there are people who don't look at their pictures, but just upload them to Flickr, and I know there are people who still have desktop computers, so there is some market. Still, the whole neat idea was to be able to shoot pictures, collapse at some jungle internet cafe and have all your shots waiting for you on your home machine.
Oh well, Amazon has a great return policy.
Digital camera Review: Awesome
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great idea. The included software works great. No problems at all installing this and getting it running in the camera. Having the pictures show up on the computer and online by just turning the camera on while at home is great.