Eye-Fi Share 2 GB Wi-Fi SD Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-2GB (OLD VERSION)
by Eye-Fi
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Eye-Fi Share 2 GB Wi-Fi SD Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-2GB (OLD VERSION)
Customer Review: The cards get better and better -- Shame about the excessive capitalism
Summary: 4 Stars
I first bought an Eye-Fi card several years ago when the Apple store was running a great promotion.
The card is quite reliable and seems well-made, but I have to say the software is a bit bumpier, though it has improved over time.
Generally everything works as advertised, but lots of details are omitted from any documentation.
My biggest complaint is that notifications about uploads starting and stopping only get sent if you have sharing to an external site like Flickr enabled; if you've only configured uploads to your own computer, no notifications are sent. This is a problem for me since it means I have to manually keep checking the Eye-Fi Center on my computer against the filenames in my camera to know when an upload has completed and I can safely delete the files from the card using my camera and turn the camera off.
Much of my frustration stems from the fact that the Eye-Fi card is unable to relay any sort of status information to the user via the camera itself, nor accept any adjustments using only the camera.
But I actually have devious scheme that might fix these problems.
Since cameras all have screens that let you preview your photos, why not have the Eye-Fi card maintain a "special" photo of its own, which shows the current status of the card and the photos it contains (such as whether they've been uploaded successfully and are safe to delete, for instance)? The user would know right away just by viewing this "photo" on the camera's display.
Second -- and much more ambitious -- why not teach the Eye-Fi card to recognize QR Codes (or maybe legible printed messages) that signify commands and configuration information it should interpret. The user would carry around a small booklet containing QR Codes to photograph with the camera; the Eye-Fi card would spot these as the snapshots were taken; it would handle the commands (like, for instance, "connect to wireless network X using password Y"); and then it would update its status "photo" to indicate the action has been handled (or provide an error message if it wasn't); and finally it would automatically delete the command photo after handling it.
My current card is a little long in the tooth today, and I'm seriously considering moving up to a Pro X2 card so I can take advantage of the new router-less ad hoc connection and "endless memory" capabilities. It's a shame the firmware on older cards can't simply be updated to add these features, but I suppose Eye-Fi has to give us some reason to upgrade. Too bad they take the low road instead the high one... but that's capitalism for you, I suppose.
All in all, I'd have to say if you're intrigued, go for it -- these products are good. Happy shooting!
Customer Review: Great Product After Initial Problem
Summary: 4 Stars
We received this as a gift for Christmas. I followed the very simple instructions (plugging the eye-fi card reader with the card inserted into a USB Port on my Windows XP Desktop). Nothing happened. When I removed the Eye-fi card from the reader, I could insert a 'regular' SD card into the reader and it would work fine. I suspected a problem with the card itself. My camera would not read it either and I could not reformat.
It was a little frustrating as the Eye-Fi website did not have this problem listed under the troubleshooting section; I used the Amazon.com reviews to troubleshoot my problem. Long story short, I called the company and they agreed that there was a problem with the card (they were really nice, no long hold time or confusing menus to navigate). I mailed back my old one and they sent me a new one. I plugged it in yesterday and it works great!
Some of the other comments say that this isn't for a computer novice, but I found that the menus and overall setup were super simple. I have a very standard, simple internet system (cable modem with one wireless router attached), and many of the reviews where people had problems seemed to be when they tried to use the product with a more-than-basic wireless home network setup (multiple routers, etc).
One thing that would be nice is if there was an option to allow the card to 'roam' for available wireless networks instead of requiring it to connect to a specified network. I understand that this is largely for security (and so that the card isn't using other's bandwith to upload photos), but I do a lot of real estate things, and it would be really nice to take the pictures and then pit-stop in a coffee shop with free wi-fi while the pictures upload to Picasa (you can choose a ton of photo sharing programs) so that the people in my office could immediatly start using them. Perhaps this capability will come with a software upgrade in the future and won't require a replacement of the whole card.
One other review stated that it's a pain that the pictures don't automatically delete from the card after uploading. I can see where this might be a concern, but the card is huge and can hold a ton of pictures. I like the assurance that my pictures are being stored in three places (card, Picasa and my computer). If these things could roam as I stated above, it would be really nice to have the auto upload in the event of a camera theft on a vacation or something. If you have ever had a camera stolen with a bunch of pictures on it that you really wanted, you know what I mean.
Looking forward to using this product more and to improvements in the future.
Customer Review: What it Is and What it Isn't
Summary: 5 Stars
The Eye-Fi is a remarkable device that was quite the buzz at the recent CES and MacWorld shows, and with good reason in my book. What it is a standard 2GB SD Memory card with good read/white performance that also packs in a built-in Wi-Fi connection that has been seen a feature on a few digital cameras over the past year or two. What it isn't--is without a few minor limitations you should be aware of.
After you have set the card up using the Windows or Mac software included on the card (or downloadable from the manufacturer's website), including finding and registering the card on your local wireless network, then each picture you take with your digital camera will begin uploading after a few seconds to your favorite photo sharing/storage website. It will also support uploading as well as to your networked computer--if you choose.
I used the Eye-Fi at a party and told my friends that they would be able to view all the pictures on my webpage as soon as they got home. It worked flawlessly, the only issue being that really large resolution digital pictures will take some time to upload, as most home-based broadband internet connections have upload speeds capped off at 128 or 256MBS--far less than the gigabytes of download speed you might have. Again, this isn't the Eye-Fi's fault, but a limitation of your internet connection.
Don't get this card thinking it will replace the wired connection to download your photos to your computer, because it won't be as fast. Don't get it as your only memory card. Don't think you will be able to pop into any WiFi hotspot and begin uploading pictures--you have to set up the card with a computer to work with each specific wireless network.
DO get this as a fabulous add-on for your digital camera (assuming it takes SD memory cards), allowing you to shoot pictures directly to your computer or favorite photo website. DO plan to spend a few minutes setting it up for the first time--including some special set-up on your camera if you are using the Eye-Fi with a Nikon Digital SLR model camera (D40, D80, etc.) DO use the included SD to USB adapter to set up the Eye-Fi, the card may not read on other SD readers/cables (but the compact Eye-Fi SD reader does seem to work with all other standard SD format memory cards, so that's a nice bonus!) DO understand that it will drain your camera battery a bit faster because of the WiFi radio transmitter, but not horribly so.
In other words, the Eye-Fi rocks and is a worthwhile addition to almost anyone's digital camera set-up. Highly Recommended.
Customer Review: Eye-Fi delivers on its promises!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Eye-Fi Card has changed my photo taking and sharing behavior!
My husband and I work full-time, are both in graduate school, and have two young children. We don't generally have a lot of time to fiddle with wires, edit photos, or create web pages. We have family and friends overseas and across the U.S., and are often asked to share current photos of us and the kids. Until recently, we found it challenging to accommodate these requests.
A few months ago, a family friend had acquired an Eye-Fi Card as a Gamma user, and would sing its praises to me whenever we spoke. As this was right around the time of the card's public release, I decided to try it out for myself, and ordered one online. When my card arrived, I was immediately impressed by the attractive and compact packaging. The instructions for setting up the Eye-Fi Card were easy to follow and accessible, even for me (I'm not the most technologically savvy person). I ran into a set up glitch because of an outdated router, and had to call Eye-Fi for tech support. I received immediate and detailed attention, and was quickly on my way to snapping and sharing my digital photos.
Since acquiring the Eye-Fi Card for myself, I have taken to carrying my digital camera with me wherever I go, and have become an avid photographer. My subjects are usually our four-year old son and his LEGO creations, or our drooling six-month old. Nonetheless, it is incredibly rewarding to be able to painlessly share these priceless images with our extended network of friends and family, on the very same day they are taken. We enrolled in Phanfare so that others can easily access our photos, in high resolution, for themselves. We also utilize Snapfish and Facebook as sharing mediums - mostly for work-related projects. We upload all of our images onto our computer, so that if we do have a spare moment, we can edit and print or publish any and all of the images we capture. I love the versatility of the Eye-Fi Card, and am grateful for the ways in which it has simplified my life.
I would highly recommend the Eye-Fi Card to anyone who owns a camera - but can especially vouch for its benefits if you have a busy lifestyle, and possess little desire to deal with the otherwise taxing process of sharing or printing digital photos. I love Eye-Fi, and look forward to seeing how this product advances in the near future!
Customer Review: Eye-Fi - Works, but a few considerations
Summary: 5 Stars
Would like to change to 1; but Amazon will not allow rating change. I have only used for a few hundred pictures and NO Longer working. I had spent 4-5 hours with tech support getting it to work the first time; don't have more time to waste with inexperienced tech support. Good idea; not ready for prime time. I would encourage you to save your money! As the reviews are moving past the early adopters you are now seeing more NEGATIVE, than positive.
Prior review:
I would only recommend if you have very specific needs for this product. I like it because my wife takes pictures while I'm at work and refuses to load them onto the computer and upload them. Eye-fi solved that problem!
Product works if you have a single router connected to your modem; will not work properly if you use a second router in bridge mode to extend coverage. Tech support has not created a solution. Will only upload JPEG, creates a new folder based on calendar day and if you take more than 5 pictures Canon cameras will shut down prior to uploading (on max time till camera shut down.) You can not tell when it is done uploading and no way to turn off wi-fi feature if taking a bunch of pictures and willing to use card reader. It definitely eats up your battery due to setting the camera to stay on to do upload. Upload does not happen immediately after picture is taken, it pauses for a while before it does the upload. Personally I disagree with earlier review about working better with DSLR (Nikon D80.) I use with Canon SD870 for quick shots and auto upload for others to see. DSLR I shoot raw, take a ton of pictures and prefer using program like Aperture. If you find yourself doing a flow similar to this I would not recommend this product. It would add additional work/steps.
I tried multiple picture sharing sites to see which works the best with this product and have NO affiliation with any services (I'm a physician.) Phanfare does the best job because my wife can take a picture while I'm at work and after automatically uploading to Phanfare the picture downloads to my laptop Phanfare screensaver software. Nice treat at work to see new pictures of my Newborn without my wife doing any additional steps. Too bad Phanfare doesn't work with sidebar RSS or digital frames for the true closed loop experience.