Over the last year or two I’ve been watching a very unique product develop – the Wireless Memory card. This is a combination SD memory card and Wi-Fi transmitter. The idea sounds like a good one, take your pictures as you normally would and they will automatically download to your computer wirelessly.

The typical wireless card is made by Eye-Fi, and the package comes with an SD memory card and a small USB card reader. On first inspection, it’s difficult to see any difference between this memory card and any other you may have used. The only thing I noticed is a slight thickening of the bottom plastic shell, possibly to contain the added wireless transmitter. The USB card reader is also unremarkable.

The instructions will lead the user step by step through a pretty easy installation. Insert the SD card into the reader and then plug both into a USB port. After the computer’s operating system recognizes the reader the typical Windows software installation wizard starts up. After a few clicks and less than two minutes the software is installed and all but configured.

The final configuration of the Eye-Fi device is where I started noticing some problems. First, the Eye-Fi software assumes a constant internet connection is present. If the user is connecting to a home based desktop computer this is likely to be no problem. The second issue is that the device only wants to connect to a network router and won’t connect directly to the computer in an ad hoc network.

To explain what all that network techie stuff means. The assumption of the Eye-Fi device is that the user has a wireless network setup in their home. There was a misconception when the device first hit the shelves that the card reader was also a wireless receiver and it’s not. If the user doesn’t have a wireless router and network setup in their home (802.11 g, b, or n), all that the Eye-Fi will be is a standard memory card that can use only direct wired download.

The second issue I raised that refers to an “ad hoc network” means that the device isn’t portable. Let’s say that the user’s main computer is a laptop. The Eye-Fi device is installed onto this laptop and everything is working fine. However, now the user wants to leave home and travel, taking the laptop and Eye-Fi along on the trip. Even though the laptop is wireless and the memory card is too, they can’t talk to each other directly (called an ad hoc connection) because the card will only communicate with the wireless router as mentioned above.

OK, so maybe that’s asking too much of a $100.00 accessory. But I’ll bet many Eye-Fi’s were purchased by users expecting to be able to download to a laptop directly.

In use, the device does work within its connection limits. If the user takes pictures within the reach of their home network’s wireless router images are transferred to their computer and to the Eye-Fi online web site. If the computer is not turned on, the card uploads directly to the website and then updates the computer when it is turned on again at a later date.

I would strongly recommend that the computer be on every time the Eye-Fi is used. The Eye-Fi upload process is slow at best when the card “talks” directly through the home network to the computer. If the computer is off and the card must upload directly to the website performance changes from slow to nearly catatonic.

The fact is that I was soon frustrated by the slow transfer speed between the camera and the computer. More frequently I took the card out of the camera and used the supplied memory card reader because the speed of transfer was so much faster with the reader.

Oh, and the extra drain on the camera’s battery was horrendous. I think I got 1/2 of the number of shots I normally got from my Li-Ion batteries and 1/3 the battery life on a “AA” powered camera. By no means was this a scientific study of power consumption, but the device was definitely a major power drained on the camera!

Who is the Eye-Fi wireless memory card for? On the surface it seems to be a clever answer for the camera user who is very technically challenged. A user who really can’t (or won’t) remove their memory card from the camera for direct download through a card reader. However this solution merely trades challenges from handling cards to handling a network. Either way the user must still be able to handle their computer well enough to find and use the images.

For the photo tech geek (that would be me), the process is slow enough that any cool factor is lost. Image transmission is slower than direct copy and paste from card to hard drive. Oh, and I forgot to mention that most cameras will go into sleep mode and end the transfer before the card can fully transmit it’s cache of images during download.

Wireless technologies for professional Nikon or Canon cameras are more advanced, powerful and far more expensive. However they do work. The Eye-Fi device attempts to bring this kind of shooting flexibility and downloading ease to the consumer market. The Eye-Fi device does work. However it is slow, too simple and inflexible yet still requires moderate technical skills to get it setup and managed properly.

On the whole, the Eye-Fi does exactly what it claims. If the end user is your computer challenged uncle you will need to set it up for him and set aside time to answer questions on most holidays. For the technically capable, I’d suggest sticking with a standard SD card and card reader. That is unless you’re like me and you just want to own a very interesting gadget.

Buy the Lexar version here: Lexar Shoot n Synch

It’s early in the morning on December 23rd. More snow has fallen, the temperature hovers around 18 degrees and I have to shovel the drive and walks before heading in to work. All I want for Christmas is a really big snow blower!

2008 is winding down and our plans for 2009 are about to be put into action. I can’t get into very many details yet because at this point in planning the details can change quickly. But here are a few highlights:

The Porter’s and Tamron Calendar Contest – a very popular contest on the Porter’s site (http://porters.com/images/tamron_entries/gallery/index.php). One major change for this contest is anticipated. Beginning in 2009, Porter’s will use the Calendar contest as part of a national support drive for food banks. Professionally printed calendars and note card sets will be created from the entries for sale over the counter and through our website. All proceeds will go to support Second Harvest nationally and local food banks. (Each image will be credited to the photographer)

This is a commitment that I am bringing to the table after spending time with two organizations struggling to feed people in need. Food banks get a lot of attention over the Holidays, but their need is across the entire calendar year. At Porter’s we are going to make this our major charitable focus.

In fact, if you place an order for prints in our stores you can get 10 of your 4X6’s free any time you bring in a non-perishable food item for donation.

The Porter’s Digital Success Pack 2.0 CD - Beginning in 2009, Porter’s will provide a new value added package with each regular priced digital camera sold in-store, online or through the catalog. The Success Pack CD contains Quick Start Guides for every type of camera we sell. The Quick Starts are designed to get a camera out of the box and into your hands ready to shoot in less than 5 minutes.

The CD also contains two full self-study tutorials 1) The 35 Best Photo Tips – Ever! 2) Preserving and Displaying Digital Images. For camera buyers who can make it in to either of our stores there are certificates for free live classes too.

Over $80.00 in coupons for free or reduced cost products and services! Twelve different monthly coupons including 3 free 8X10’s, 50% off on blank CD’s. There are even coupons that total over 125 free 4X6 prints.

And for fun and education there are a few dozen web links included. Find instruction and inspiration on the web using these provided links.

These are two of our projects for the next year. Porter’s is also working toward a complete website overhaul, increased offerings online for printed products, online delivery of photo classes that can include live one on one web chat, creating a library of web video tutorials and a whole lot more.

I’m looking forward to 2009; it’s going to be a banner year for some positive change. But right now, I have to go shovel that snow…

The other day I mentioned a few features that were deemed the most important for Holiday 2008: Color, Megapixels and a new camera format. To that list there are a couple more key features I need to add.

Image Stabilization, Vibration Reduction, Mega OIS. You’d think that the entire population of photographers has become unstable and palsied. I dare you to find a camera without some sort of camera shake reduction. I know of a few that sell for under $100, and Nikon’s D40 kit doesn’t include it either. However at just over two years old, the D40 can be forgiven this oversight. Way back in November of 2006 when the D40 was introduced very few cameras featured camera shake reduction.

Is it important? Yes, no and yes. Yes, stabilization is a great feature to have. It can help capture fine detail that would otherwise be blurred. Plus small sensor cameras at longer lens lengths need all the help they can get in creating a sharp image. No, it’s really not necessary. Built-in stabilization is trumped by good camera handling technique or a solid tripod / monopod. Yes, it removes worry. One reason many people didn’t take a lot of pictures with film cameras was uncertainty. Experience taught them that the pictures they wanted to take (mostly in living rooms or at parties) didn’t turn out very well. Toss in a guarantee of image stabilization and a lot of worry is eliminated.

Live View. Most of the offered DSLR’s today have the provision for live view. This is the ability to see the subject your camera is aimed at on the LCD panel on the back of the camera. This is a feature that compact cameras have always had. As more and more compact camera users have been enticed to make the switch to larger DSLR’s they have created a demand for this feature.

Is it important? No, not at all. If your camera has this capability, avoid using it outside of some special circumstances as described below. In fact, this one feature will do more to make bad pictures than anything else.

By holding a DSLR in the fashion required to use the live view LCD, the photographer is creating the least stable platform possible. Arms extended with the camera at eyelevel may work for small and compact cameras, but on a heavier DSLR – especially with a telephoto zoom lens – the results will usually be a poorer picture. And isn’t the ability to create high quality images the very reason you would shoot a DSLR?

Live view helps when the camera is in a position that prevents the user from getting their eye to the viewfinder, such as having the camera mounted on a high tripod or an extreme low angle shot.

I know I’m swimming against the current with my opinions on these two features. And I don’t hold these opinions because I’m some sort of purist. I do believe that good camera handling technique eliminates the need for most image stabilization. I have seen for myself that live view is a nice gimmick but not a useful tool for everyday shooting. Both of these technologies have been added to cameras at some expense. And by adding them camera prices have been able to remain higher than their old school film camera equivalents.

Do I use image stabilized lenses on my cameras? No, but I would under certain conditions. If I had to shoot sports with a long telephoto and I couldn’t use a monopod for some strange reason, then I’d like stabilization. (Have you noticed on the sidelines of pro games that even with IS lenses most pros still choose a monopod instead?)

How about Live View? There are times when I have staged a product shot or a still life that I have had to rely on a ladder to see through the viewfinder. If I had a camera equipped with live view I’d be more likely to use that camera in such a situation. But even then I’d probably hook the camera up to my laptop so that I could see the live image on a 17” screen.

I do agree that these are exciting features to have on a camera. These features can be helpful as I have described above and in many other situations that if listed would fill this whole blog. I am suggesting that we shouldn't give them more weight in our purchasing decisions than they really deserve.

Wow, seven weeks since the last entry. What's amazing to me isn't that it has been so long, I'm amazed that as busy I have been getting ready for this Holiday season seven weeks seems like yesterday!

Before Black Friday hits with its shopping frenzy, we must have every detail worked out and every product reviewed and purchased. Normally, this is the fun part of the year! We get to use and examine all of the product offerings and debate what will be hot and what will not. This year has been no exception but the variety of products offered has skyrocketed.

Here are some observations on what the industry considers the more important offerings:



Color, Color, Color! I have never seen so many camera models offered in so many colors. Canon offers one model camera in five different colors and Nikon is close behind. And the advice we get from the manufacturers? Brown is the new black. Pink will be hot, hot, hot! Red is in! Suddenly camera hardware reps have become fashion consultants.

Is it important? Not really. The camera is either a well designed model or it’s not. The color on the outside can’t change a dud into a crown jewel as Casio has found out. Camera makers are trying to appeal to a younger customer – those 24 and under. Yet most of the color offerings happen on models too expensive for this crowd. Oh, and all of that advice we got on what will be hot? Black is still the new black, black outsells all other colors combined 2 to 1.

15 Megapixels! Sadly, the megapixel race hasn’t ground to a halt. There have been a few bright spots though. In some cases, and on higher end cameras only, the imaging chip has actually been made larger to accommodate this latest increase in the pixel wars.

Is it important? In my opinion, not at all. If the image sensor remains the same size, merely dividing the territory into increasingly smaller pixels in order to cram more of them in reaches a tip over point. A point at which there is negative return. As pixel density increases and pixels are packed closer and closer together, they begin to generate more image noise. To combat the image noise increase, the internal software applies an increased amount of noise reduction (NR). Increasing the amount of NR decreases the quality of image detail. Want more pixels? Buy a camera with a larger imaging chip. The Canon G10 and Nikon P6000 are compact cameras with high pixel counts and slightly larger chips.




An all new camera format! Panasonic and Olympus both announced a new camera format called Micro- Four Thirds. This new format relies on a camera design that incorporates a live view eye level viewfinder on an interchangeable lens camera. In other words, there is no longer a need for an internal mirror to reflect the lens image up to the viewfinder. They have changed the Digital Single Lens Reflex camera (DSLR) in to the Digital Single Lens camera (DSL).

Is it important? Yes, this is an important change to camera design. Until now, the quality of the LCD panels used inside the viewfinders of other EVF cameras was poor at best. The LCD used inside the Panasonic G1 is outstanding. This dramatic increase in EVF quality means this design is very functional in use. A camera designed without the need for a reflex-action mirror can be smaller in both the body and the lens. I have used this camera a lot over the last 5 weeks, if I were in the market for a Rebel or D60 class camera I’d buy the Panasonic G1 instead. It costs about $100 more, but the smaller size, well appointed feature set and the fit / finish of the body are well worth it. Oh... and it comes in colors which kind of takes me full circle!

There are many more new ideas to relate and I’ll post them over the next several days. Right now it’s time to unlock the front doors and let in our old friends and new customers. The local economy is still off because of the floods, the national economy only makes it worse, but people still want to capture and share family memories and moments. We are fortunate to be in a position to help them.

Today I have a post supplied by Bob. Looking outside at a cool, gray and blustery day Bob recalled a brief article he had written on Photo Fatigue. He passed it on to me and with his permission I'm sharing it with you:

ARE YOU IN A SLUMP?

When reaching for the camera seems like too much bother and capturing great shots no longer interests you, you know that "photo fatigue" has set in. Maybe it is related to the weather or season. But whatever the cause, here are five tips to help you snap out of the slump and get back to enjoying photography again.

#1 REVIEW YOUR WORK
You've probably accumulated quite a collection of photos. If you're not up-to-date on filing your photos and getting your collection organized, now is a good time to do it. While you're at it, review your photos with a critical eye. See what you like and dislike about them and what you would do differently if you could. Don't be modest - give yourself some praise for some of your great photos. Print, mat and frame some of your favorites.

#2 SELF-ASSIGNMENT
This will take some willpower, but assign some photo projects to yourself. There is no limit to what the assignments might be. Perhaps take one (and only one) picture a day for a month. Or shoot a series using just one lens, ideally one you seldom use. How about shooting some black & white-only if you ordinarily use strictly color? Assignments might be subject-specific, such as pictures of water in all its forms, a particular color, close-ups, abstracts or available light shots at night.

#3 VIEW THE WORKS OF OTHERS
Spend some time in an art museum, library or book store viewing the works of artists and photographers whose works interest you. Study how they handle lighting, composition, subjects, expression and other creative elements. You may want to acquire some books on favorite artists to give you ideas and stimulate your creativity in the future.

#4 TRAVEL
There is nothing like visiting a new location to give you a fresh selection of photo subjects. Whether it is a city or park just an hour away from home or a destination on the other side of the world, new sites and experiences are a great way to break out of the doldrums.

#5 TRY OTHER CREATIVE ARTS AND CRAFTS
Exercise your creativity in other ways by writing, sketching, painting, sculpting or working in a craft that you enjoy. Exercising your creativity in a new or different medium will help you the next time you pick up your camera.