Digital Lifestyles Reference Guide

Aug 27, 2004

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One of the key features of camera phones is the ability to immediately share images with friends and family via computer. The downside is lousy image quality thanks to a tiny camera jammed in the body of a phone. Ideally, you want great image quality combined with connectivity for optimal pictures in every case. With wireless networks on every corner, the viability of a wireless digital camera as your gateway to great pictures in a networked package is starting to look like the best alternative to traditional camera phone solutions.

There are three main reasons to get a Wi-Fi camera. The ability to transfer pictures from the camera to a PC as the digital images are captured is one key advantage. Printing directly from the camera to a printer without wires is a second advantage. The third advantage is the option to send photos to the Web over wireless networks either via email, FTP or other transfer protocol.

Let's take a look at the current crop of Wi-Fi-enabled digital cameras.

Kodak EasyShare-one Zoom Digital Camera

Kodak went from being the dinosaur of film photography to the top seller of digital cameras at a time when many had written them off. While their cameras will never offer the image quality of a pro camera from Nikon or Canon, Kodak delivers digital cameras at a price point most consumers can't help but love. The EasyShare-One is the only Wi-Fi camera with a complete end-to-end experience. A 4.0 megapixel image resolution is good enough for 4x6 prints, with approximately 185MB of internal storage meaning you have a solid storage capacity even without a memory card. SD storage is an affordable add-on for picture taking. A Li-Ion rechargeable battery supplies power for both Wi-Fi and photography. 3.0x optical zoom is comparable to non-Wi-Fi cameras in the same range.

Kodak requires the use of their software for all Wi-Fi enabled features. Considering what this adds in flexibility, it's a minor annoyance. Kodak supports all three features of Wi-Fi enhanced photography. From the camera you can upload images to the Web, print photos, or email images to friends (as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection of some kind). While you don't get quite the immediacy of using the cellular service of you phone to send pictures, if there's a Starbucks or free Wi-Fi alternative nearby, you can send images with relative ease. The downside is the massive drain on the battery caused by all Wi-Fi services. If you aren't sending images, it's best to keep the Wi-Fi turned off. Retail price is $599, which is steep compared to similar cameras lacking Wi-Fi, but fitting for the flexibility in posting images.

Nikon P2 and P1

Nikon offers both the P1 and P2 cameras with Wi-Fi on board. The biggest difference between the two digital cameras is image quality. The P1 is an 8.0 megapixel camera while the P2 is 5.1 megapixels for about $150 less. The battery is rechargeable, both cameras include 3.5x optical zoom and SD memory handles image storage. 32MB (P1) or 16MB (P2) of onboard memory gives you a small padding in case you fill up your memory card.

Wi-Fi support handles most of the popular functions. Immediate image transfer to a configured PC or wireless transfer of images are both supported. Wireless printing is supported with a special Nikon adapter attached to the printer. Automatic uploading of files is where the camera falls short because it lacks the ability to address a server or send email.

Nikon D2X

At the high end of the Wi-Fi camera spectrum is Nikon's D2X. The camera body is one of Nikon's SLR offerings, delivering 12.84 megapixel photos from interchangeable lenses. Wi-Fi is one of the many available add-ons for the D2X, including an assortment of features to extend the cameras range using external antennas. Nikon offers two different Wi-Fi bundles for the D2X. The older WT-1A supports FTP file transfer over 802.11b while the WT-2A offers support for the faster 802.11g option. Of course the pro image quality from the D2X is an exciting alternative to consumer cameras, but what really makes the Wi-Fi support for the D2X interesting is FTP file transfer. Because the files are transferred using FTP, you have the option of uploading images to any FTP server. Image the possibilities for capturing time sensitive events and posting new photos in almost real-time.

Conclusion

While the price of the D2X puts it in a different class than either the Nikon or Kodak consumer offerings, it also offers the pro level features required for some users. On an experience basis, Kodak EasyShare-one integrates the flexibility of their EasyShare online experience with the idea of networked photography. Nikon offers better image quality than Kodak in both the P1 and P2 Wi-Fi cameras, but require a local PC for most functions. The P1 and P2 make transferring files from your camera to your PC easier by eliminating the need for a USB cable, but don't really address the idea of mobile photo uploading. If you need pro image quality, Nikon's D2X is the creme-de-la-creme, with Kodak getting my vote for maximizing the advantages of putting Wi-Fi in a digital camera.

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