This is just one of several similar menus I configured in the hopes of wirelessly transmitting JPEGs from a Canon EOS 5D Mark II to an Apple iPad. My efforts were for naught.
For the past week I've been working on a series of "cheatsheets" for Canon's Digital Learning Center website. I've written several of these before and will probably write several more--if I survive this session. This experience is showing me that although it sounds like fun to get to use a boatload of fancy new photo equipment all at once, the reality is it's a headeache.
Let's start with the fact that today's digital cameras and flash units have far more setup options than similar equipment of the film era. That's why I'm writing the cheatsheets: To provide a detailed explanation of features that were only summarily explained in the instructional manual. In some cases the explanation is clear enough but the implication isn't. For example, it's one thing to tell someone how to do something and another thing to explain why they would want to do it. In one particular case, the why was obvious enough, it was the how that caused me to throw in the towel.
In theory (I say "in theory" because I haven't been able to prove it) it's possible to attach a Canon Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E4 to a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, configure the WFT-E4 as a wireless FTP server, and configure an Apple iPad as an FTP client. The reason you would do this is so that every photo you take with the EOS 5D would automatically be transmitted and displayed on the beautiful 9.7"-diagonal screen of the iPad. This is a boon for photographers who want or need to have their images monitored by clients or models during the shoot--that is, if you can get it to work, which I could not.
Attaching the WFT-E4 to the camera was simple enough. Things went swiftly downhill from there. The screen below offers visual insight into why. I had to wade through at least a dozen screens similar to this one, each requiring me to select some arcane option (such as ad hoc vs. infrastructure mode) or enter an exact sequence of numbers that will have to be mirrored on the iPad setup.
That's right: You have to set up the iPad too. But before you do that you have to download and install an app called Shuttersnitch, after which you have to open the wireless network that shows up on the iPad (assuming you've configured the WFT-E4 correctly) with a static IP address.
Are your palms beginning to sweat yet? But that's not the worst of it. What's worse it that after four solid hours of effort and many different permutations I couldn't get it to work. Some photographers could, as evidenced by their testimonials on various web forums, and others couldn't. I happen to be one of those who couldn't. The kicker is that even if I had been able to get it to work it would have taken roughly five seconds for each file to transfer from the camera to the iPad. That's no problem for a catalog shoot or a portrait session. It's a tad slow for a modeling session.
I'm sure there are some of you who are reading this and saying to yourselves, "What? You couldn't configure a simple ad hoc wireless FTP connection? Child's play. I did the same thing but in infrastructure mode with a battery-powered wireless router. You get greater range and reliability to boot." You're probably the type who configures your smartphone to receives photos from spy satellites. You're a freak.
In anticipation of those who will feel obliged to inform me that Shuttersnitch is primarily designed for easy link-ups with DSLRs equipped with EyeFi cards (SD cards that have a built-in wireless transmitter), I know this. The point of this exercise was to do it with the Canon WFT-E4, not a third-party solution.
I sent the EOS 5D Mark II and WFT-E4 back to Canon. I continue to use the iPad, but only for simple things like browsing the Internet and keeping track of e-mails. As for taking photographs, I'm feeling the urge to use my EOS 1n film camera for a while. It will be a relief to use a camera that doesn't do anything more than take pictures.
Thanks to those "freaks" you can enjoy your super easy to use iPad. Don't know if you said that in a derogatory way but don't mess around calling people freaks, you are not gonna win.
Posted by: Albert | July 02, 2011 at 07:25 AM
Albert,
It appears you didn't appreciate my attempt at humor. Trust me, my most sincere desire is that Canon had hired a few "freaks" to make the WFT-E4 interface easier for non-IT network engineers to use. I wish I possessed such valuable skills myself. Unfortunately I don't.
Posted by: Gordon Lewis | July 02, 2011 at 08:43 AM
You might check out the app File Transfer for the iPad. Or talk to Paul Lester's friend Earl.
Posted by: Dennis Allshouse | July 03, 2011 at 04:12 PM
Gordon, I'm not a true IT nerd but I've often been the local (relative) expert. Don't worry, your joke came across. Hope you're having fun with the EOS 1n.
Posted by: Andrew Burday | July 04, 2011 at 11:08 AM
It could have been easy enough for Canon to set up the transmitter as a mini Web server to serve up the photos in the Canon, but no they had to make it harder for the average user to use. If something like that were available it would just be a matter of looking up the local IP for the transmitter and viewing the photos from the iPad's Safari browser.
Posted by: Syed | July 04, 2011 at 09:09 PM
I, too, got your joke!
Posted by: MikeW | July 06, 2011 at 06:50 PM
Oh, I know how to do it. Have done it for years. Yet I refuse to do it in 2011.
Why?
If you force users to manually configure IP addresses for something, the software in your device sucks. We've had auto configure and automatic service discovery for ad-hoc networks for many years now. If you haven't implemented it, you show disdain for your customers, especially if you're selling devices for mobile use.
To add insult to injury, as soon as the user has their manual config working it will suddenly stop working for no apparent reason. Usually because some part of the automatically configured network changed around them. It is 2011, after all.
Canon isn't the only company which gets this horribly wrong, by the way. That's no excuse, though, they're more than big enough and the WTF-E4 costs enough too.
Posted by: Pascal | July 08, 2011 at 04:17 AM
Paul,
You and I are on the same page here. In this day and age it shouldn't take specialized skills or knowledge to install and use a product of this type.
Just to be fair, I have to point out that the WTF-E4 does have an auto-configuration option. Unfortunately, I couldn't get that to work either. The best I could do was to get the iPad to recognize the WFT-E4 and establish a wireless connection. ShutterSnitch, however, would not receive and display photos I took with the camera. This could be the fault of the WTF-E4's software or ShutterSnitch; I don't know for sure. What I do know is that it shouldn't be this hard. FWIW, I'm working with Canon to see if we can come up with a reasonably straightforward and reliable solution.
Posted by: Gordon Lewis | July 08, 2011 at 06:10 AM
Yes, I gathered as much from your post. I've looked into it previously and know it has very basic auto-configuration. Professional gear means it should work reliably, not that it should be hard to use. This can be achieved in numerous ways, and auto configuration is just part of it.
Good to hear you're working with canon on this. In my opinion, this type of capability should just be a standard feature of at least 5D, 7D and better camera's. The range below that would also hugely benefit from it, IMO. With mass production comes price reduction after all. And it should be Wireless-N, of course. At roughly 450Mbit, a 30MB raw file would take less than a second.
Posted by: Pascal | July 09, 2011 at 05:49 AM