Immediate Transfer to Computer

kristenkristen Registered Users Posts: 446 Major grins
edited April 22, 2014 in Sports
Does anyone know of an effective way to immediately transfer images to a computer while I'm shooting? I purchased the eye-fi and so far I am not impressed. Maybe a tethered cord will be the answer? I am shooting sports and need the images to upload to my computer ASAP for parents to be able to select the image number and order. Thank you!
Kristen Mendes
www.kristensphoto.com

Comments

  • jheftijhefti Registered Users Posts: 734 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2014
    There are certainly ways to do this, though any decent throughput will require you to spend a bit of money. Eye-Fi is worthless for this; it's really designed for the occasional snapshot here and there. If you are shooting raw files, all the more challenging because of their size. If you can shoot tethered, it's much faster, more reliable and cheaper.

    Take a look at the wireless file transfer accessories for the camera brand you have. If it's any of the name brands, you'll find devices that do the job...for a price.
  • kristenkristen Registered Users Posts: 446 Major grins
    edited March 20, 2014
    jhefti wrote: »
    There are certainly ways to do this, though any decent throughput will require you to spend a bit of money. Eye-Fi is worthless for this; is really designed for the occasional snapshot here and there. If you are shooting raw files, all the more challenging because of their size. If you can shoot tethered, it's much faster, more reliable and cheaper.

    Take a look at the wireless file transfer accessories for the camera brand you have. If it's any of the name brands, you'll find devices that do the job...for a price.

    My friend seriously steered me wrong here. Eye-Fi is pointless. It looked like it would work, but as you said... The files are large and it just takes too long. :( Want to buy an eye-fi? HAHA.

    I think I am going to find a long cord and try the tethered approach. I will be inside in Martial Arts academies so it should be ok.... I think.

    Thank you for the feedback!
    Kristen Mendes
    www.kristensphoto.com
  • JimKarczewskiJimKarczewski Registered Users Posts: 969 Major grins
    edited March 21, 2014
    Again, depends. Most cameras are NOT USB3, and don't download that quickly tethered. Even a 1Dx connected to a laptop via a network cable (it has a gigabit Ethernet port built in) doesn't download super fast. I mean, it's fast, but not immediate and can take time to catch up. However, I've been told the wireless transmitters, at least for Canon are better than the hardwired option because they have a buffer, but I can't say this is 100% true, something that would have to be researched. And if Nikon, I'm completely clueless as to the options.

    Also, wireless transmitters are typically only available for the higher end cameras. 5DMk3, 1Dx, 7D, but not the Rebel, etc. Then again, some new cameras like the 70D and 6D have wireless built into them. Again, I can only speak for Canon equipment.

    From the Sports (at least 1 gallery I saw) you're using a 5DII.. So you would need this for wireless - http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/consumer_cameras_wft/wireless_file_transmitter_wft_e4_ii_a
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2014
    kristen wrote: »
    Does anyone know of an effective way to immediately transfer images to a computer while I'm shooting? I purchased the eye-fi and so far I am not impressed. Maybe a tethered cord will be the answer? I am shooting sports and need the images to upload to my computer ASAP for parents to be able to select the image number and order. Thank you!

    I believe the best way to currently do this is to swap out memory cards and have an assistant, download while you shoot.

    Sam
  • perronefordperroneford Registered Users Posts: 550 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2014
    Since the original post was several weeks ago, I am hoping she found an answer that works for her. Fundamentally, there are two ways to do this.

    1. Tethered. Connect the camera to the computer via USB cable, use tethering software to get the images into a particular folder on the computer, and run other software that scans that folder for new images and posts them somewhere people can see them.

    2. Network connection. This can be wired if your camera has a cat 5 connection, or wireless if you've got the network speed to make it work. This is how most of the big sports shoots are done. Image goes over wired or wireless to the edit desk, and images are published by an assistant or editor.

    3. Cheaper but slightly less immediate is to use a runner to pull cards every 5-10 minutes, process them and publish them. Honestly, this is the route I'd take for most amateur work since you can use a photography friend to help out, you don't need to have a $6k camera, don't have to build a hot network, don't have to be constrained to a wire, etc.
  • ZachUZachU Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
    edited April 20, 2014
    I'm also looking into tethered solutions/shooting to computer.

    If you decide to go wried, from what I've read, there can be issues w/ cords getting yanked, data connections being munched, etc.

    Right now, I'm looking at either a Tether Tools table or TetherBlock to hold hdmi and usb cables in place.

    If anyone has firsthand info on either piece of gear, I'm curious to hear more.

    kristen wrote: »
    My friend seriously steered me wrong here. Eye-Fi is pointless. It looked like it would work, but as you said... The files are large and it just takes too long. :( Want to buy an eye-fi? HAHA.

    I think I am going to find a long cord and try the tethered approach. I will be inside in Martial Arts academies so it should be ok.... I think.

    Thank you for the feedback!
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited April 20, 2014
    kristen wrote: »
    I am shooting sports and need the images to upload to my computer ASAP for parents to be able to select the image number and order. Thank you!
    kristen wrote: »
    My friend seriously steered me wrong here. Eye-Fi is pointless. It looked like it would work, but as you said... The files are large and it just takes too long.

    Depending on some other details which you haven't stated, the Eye-fi can actually be perfect for this. Assuming these two facts are true:

    1) If the purpose of the uploads is just so the parents can review the photos (as was stated),
    2) If you are shooting with a dual-card camera such as the Canon 5DMKIII

    Set your camera to send small JPGs to the Eye-fi and keep the original size photos (RAW or JPG) in your camera. Then it's actually pretty snappy and solves your problem quite nicely. I do this all the time when I want clients to be able to review the shots I'm taking on a tablet without wires.
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited April 20, 2014
    ZachU wrote: »
    I'm also looking into tethered solutions/shooting to computer.

    If you decide to go wried, from what I've read, there can be issues w/ cords getting yanked, data connections being munched, etc.

    Right now, I'm looking at either a Tether Tools table or TetherBlock to hold hdmi and usb cables in place.

    If anyone has firsthand info on either piece of gear, I'm curious to hear more.

    Welcome to Dgrin, Zach. I share your concern about tether cables damaging cameras, especially being the klutz that I am.

    I don't have experience with the products you linked. However, I do use this strain relief from Really Right Stuff that I really like. It requires that you have an L bracket on your camera though. http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/s.nl/it.A/id.2258/.f
  • GlortGlort Registered Users Posts: 1,015 Major grins
    edited April 21, 2014
    I have tried Eye fi cards and other brands and none of them are what they are cracked up to be.
    When I wanted to do this when I was doing sports I got an angled USB plug and secured it to the camera. I plugged it into a laptop and had a wi fi connection through a usb wi fi stick in a directional antenna to beam the signal back to the event trailer which was often 200M away.

    The images went to a hot folder and the server in the trailer monitored this folder and pulled the images across as it found them. I used jalbum which monitored that folder and updated the gallery's on the fly. Took a bit of learning but once we got it, the system worked well and I had up to 3 cameras all feeding the images back this way. Looked pretty cool with a " radar " Dish next to you as well. I put the long range antenna's I made on light stands that we aimed back at the trailer. People told me that the wireless would be too slow and laughed when I said I wanted to beam it 200M but it didn't take much searching on the web to work out this was actually a piece of cake. The antennas make all the difference and it wasn't costly to set up at all.

    The images don't have to be there instantly, if parents are watching their kids it takes at least a few minutes for them to get to the stations to see the images and if they aren't there they are happy to wait a few minutes if they know they are coming. With what I did the images were always there before they were so it was always an amazement.

    I paid through the nose for one of the Canon wifi units and it was complete and utter junk. I was unable to find ANYONE that could make the thing work and no matter what I looked up on the web I couldn't make it work either. I found it up the shed just last week and lamented what a total rip off the thing was. I threw it out in total disgust thinking what I could have used the money on.
  • HackboneHackbone Registered Users Posts: 4,027 Major grins
    edited April 22, 2014
    Would this product work for you. http://camranger.com/

    If it is just to show parents it might work. I have my Canon 5D mkII set to raw and small jpeg. The jpeg is sent to the cam ranger and pops up on the Ipad fairly quickly. Raw files do take quite a bit longer to pop up. Both files are recorded to your card so you have both.
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