Just over a year ago, I upgraded my Camera from a Canon EOS Rebel T2i to a Canon EOS Rebel T6. While there were sacrifices (Image stabilization on the 18 – 55mm kit lens and a remote control sensor) there was an increase in Megapixels and image quality. As I went through the settings and read the manual, I discovered that it had WI-FI! “Scuse me…? A Camera with wi-fi?” In telling my buddy John Draper about it, I wondered why I’d need wi-fi at all… After all, as I said to him, “I won’t be sending e-mails from the woods.” Last week, I found a use for it.
Backtrack a moment to 2017, just after I got my T2i. Digital cameras have an LCD Monitor screen on the back for “Live” viewing; so one can see a rough display of the finished image before the shutter is pressed. This helps Photographers with composition, showing us whether our settings are correct and if what we’re shooting will look the way we anticipate it will. This screen however, is quite small, and my eyes are less than perfect, so I often wondered if there is some way to connect an external Monitor to the camera; something with a larger screen, such as a Cell Phone or Tablet.
As it turns out, there IS, and that is via wi-fi! An app is required, (there are many to choose from) and there is a setting on the camera that enables it to operate as a wi-fi device, sending and receiving signal to the phone or tablet. Not only does this allow the phone to be used as a larger monitor screen, but it also makes awkward shots possible. In some situations, it is difficult if not impossible to use the viewfinder or LCD screen due to the position of the camera. With the phone and app, I can set the camera where it needs to go and monitor the image on the phone.
There are of course, a few drawbacks to this method; the app will take over as your Camera's operations to a degree, including focus (which can still be operated manually, but why bother?) and shutter, but I honestly can’t see any issues with that. Any settings you’d want to control such as ISO, aperture, shutter speed etc are easily controlled by the phone anyway, so it’s not a big deal. While I haven’t verified this yet, I think even the Focal Point can be defined by touching the screen; a feature some cameras don’t offer. The other drawback I’ve noticed, and this one is to me the most serious, is that it tends to eat up your battery life much faster than normal.
That said, the images come out just as sharp as they do using the viewfinder or LCD screen, if not sharper.
Thinking back to 20 years ago when I got my first computer, I was always afraid I’d do something that would mess up the machine. I made dozens of phone calls and sent as many e-mails to a number of friends asking scores of questions. I was very hesitant to do ANYTHING without consulting someone with more experience than I, and the number one answer always boiled down to “You can’t do very much that can’t be undone."
I have embraced the technology and befriended it. While not all of it is suitable to my needs, it’s all there should I choose to use it.
Have a great week everybody. Keep your shutter finger warm and don’t forget those extra batteries!