Is it possible to tether a smartphone or a tablet such as my Nook HD+ as a monitor to view images before taking pictures?

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

Nikon WU-1a + Android smart phones and D3200. There are other variants for other cameras, eg WU-1b.

I have used Lightroom and ControlMyNikon for tethered shooting from a laptop via a USB cable. But this is not what you are asking.

Regards, Antero

Leonard,

I'm not familiar with the Nook, but if it has a USB (host) port. There is probably a way.

I've used both an ASUS Transformer 101 and a Galaxy Note II (The Galaxy required a cheap adapter to convert the port) to tether the D800 to the phone.

Key words you are looking for are USB host mode. Until recently most tablets and smartphones didn't bother with a USB host port.

I hope this helps,
Dan Meier

>Leonard,
>
>I'm not familiar with the Nook, but if it has a USB (host)
>port. There is probably a way.
>
>I've used both an ASUS Transformer 101 and a Galaxy Note II
>(The Galaxy required a cheap adapter to convert the port) to
>tether the D800 to the phone.
>
>Key words you are looking for are USB host mode. Until
>recently most tablets and smartphones didn't bother with a USB
>host port.
>
>I hope this helps,
>Dan Meier

I've been considering upgrading my smartphone, so the Galaxy Note II would be one possibility. Where can I find a description of the "cheap adapter"? Is the Note II something I can carry easily as a smartphone? Would it fit in a hirt pocket, for example?

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

>Leonard,
>
>I'm not familiar with the Nook, but if it has a USB (host)
>port. There is probably a way.
>
>I've used both an ASUS Transformer 101 and a Galaxy Note II
>(The Galaxy required a cheap adapter to convert the port) to
>tether the D800 to the phone.
>
>Key words you are looking for are USB host mode. Until
>recently most tablets and smartphones didn't bother with a USB
>host port.
>
>I hope this helps,
>Dan Meier

There seem to be cables to connect to the Note II which allow it to be used as a USB host. Does that mean if the camera is connected that way, the smartphone look like a computer to it? If so, what app on the phone would enable me to see what is happening with the camera? Finaly, is there any chance of damaging the camera by such an arrangement?

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

Leonard,

USB Adapter:
Here is the adapter I am using with my Note:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-S2-Multi-functional-Connection-Kit/dp/B006MJZOMW/ref=pd_sim_cps_7

Phone Size:
As far as size goes, it's the reason I chose it. The screen is what does it for me with this phone. When I were it with tighter fitting jeans I am careful when putting on my shoes! You do notice it in your pocket. With that said, it fits fine in most pockets/pants. I've never trusted my breast pocket in a shirt to hold anything valuable, but it will slide into a dress shirt pocket.

Apps:
I've used "Remote Your Cam" app with the d800. It's a little clunky but gets the job done. I plan to evaluate others. Here is a short list of recently reviewed apps.
http://geeknizer.com/control-canon-nikon-dslr-with-android/

Let me know if I can test something specifically for you. I'm sure I'd be happy to.

Dan Meier

I forgot to mention that I do not suspect any potential to damage my D800. From time to time I am a little to risky when adopting new tech, but I would run into a burning house to retrieve my D800. If that helps you understand where I am coming from.

>Leonard,
>
>USB Adapter:
>Here is the adapter I am using with my Note:
>http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-S2-Multi-functional-Connection-Kit/dp/B006MJZOMW/ref=pd_sim_cps_7
>
>Phone Size:
>As far as size goes, it's the reason I chose it. The screen
>is what does it for me with this phone. When I were it with
>tighter fitting jeans I am careful when putting on my shoes!
>You do notice it in your pocket. With that said, it fits fine
>in most pockets/pants. I've never trusted my breast pocket in
>a shirt to hold anything valuable, but it will slide into a
>dress shirt pocket.
>
>Apps:
>I've used "Remote Your Cam" app with the d800. It's
>a little clunky but gets the job done. I plan to evaluate
>others. Here is a short list of recently reviewed apps.
>http://geeknizer.com/control-canon-nikon-dslr-with-android/
>
>Let me know if I can test something specifically for you. I'm
>sure I'd be happy to.
>
>Dan Meier

Dan,

Thanks a lot for the help.

I will try this out at some point in the future. For the moment, I am still learning how to use the D800. I've been reading Thom Hogan's D800 guide, and trying some things out. I've only had the camera for a week or so.

Let me explain what I intend. I have been doing view camera photography for many years, in 4 x 5 since about 2002. It is a bit difficult to lug my 4 x 5 gear around at my age, so I've been looking for alternatives. It seems as if the D800 will allow me to produce images I can print at 16 x 20 without seeing much difference compared to scanning 4 x 5 negatives on an Epson V700. I will miss most movements, but tilts and swings are probably not so necessary in FX format because of the greater depth of field. I plan to use live view to compose and trim to shift in the long dimension. But there may be occasions when I need a somewhat larger image to look at when composing. So using a smartphone would be a help.

>
>

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

I do find that the Galaxy screen is a little better than the screen on the Nikon for drilling down into a an image when in the field.

Another method I've used is the have my Eye-Fi card send shots to my Galaxy. I'll snap a shot, and a moment later a .jpg pops up on my phones screen wirelessly. I like this method for confirming focus and etc.

There is talk out there about the Eye-Fi not being compatible with the D800, but I've used it enough to know it works when you have your phone or PC in close proximity ( your pocket for example).

>I do find that the Galaxy screen is a little better than the
>screen on the Nikon for drilling down into a an image when in
>the field.
>
>Another method I've used is the have my Eye-Fi card send shots
>to my Galaxy. I'll snap a shot, and a moment later a .jpg
>pops up on my phones screen wirelessly. I like this method
>for confirming focus and etc.
>
>There is talk out there about the Eye-Fi not being compatible
>with the D800, but I've used it enough to know it works when
>you have your phone or PC in close proximity ( your pocket for
>example).

I haven't encountered Eye-Fi. They claim it is compatible with the Nikon D800/E. Is the point that this card works in the SDslot of the camera without problems and also provides Wi-Fi connectivity to a cellphone or other device. Can you just put the card in a card reader as you would a normal card to transfer images?

Can you recommend something I can read to get a good understanding of how it works?

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

The Eye-Fi card at it's core operates just like any other SD card. You could transfer images with a cable or remove the card for use in a reader.

The wireless part is, of course, what set's it apart from a standard SD card. This feature automatically transfers an image to your PC or device. You compose this image using the camera's viewfinder or live-view, but after a few seconds can review the shot you just took using your device to judge how well the shot worked.

It has modes to do this at home/studio and in the field. Either of these modes also allow you to also upload to online storage or social media sites automatically. I don't use this feature so I can't say how that works.

This Eye-Fi solution, although limited, probably stands the best chance of working with your existing Nook.

The way I use it is raws go to CF and small jpgs go to Eye-Fi card for immediate review.

> "I haven't encountered Eye-Fi. They claim it is compatible with the Nikon D800/E. Is the point that this card works in the SDslot of the camera without problems and also provides Wi-Fi connectivity to a cellphone or other device. Can you just put the card in a card reader as you would a normal card to transfer images?"

I've read that Eye-Fi cards are problematic in cameras with metal bodies, like the D800(E), as the metal blocks RF radiation. But Eye-Fi cards can be removed from the SD slot and used like conventional SD cards.

With tethered shooting, eg from ControlMyNikon, you can have the images downloaded to your computer via USB cable immediately after taking the shot. And while composing, you can adjust almost all parameters (except zoom and orientation) from your computer. The computer-controlled variables include the location of the focus spot during live view.

You mentioned that tilts and swings may not be crucial for you. If you miss them, ControlMyNikon has another approach: you can set up the software-camera combination to shoot a series of bracketed shots, each at a slightly different focus distance, and combine the shots in software. Similarly to extreme stopping down, you can extend the depth of field, but with focus stacking you can shoot at wider apertures, getting less diffraction, and outside of your indended focus range, the depth of focus ends just as abruptly as it does when shooting with a relatively wide aperture.

Regards, Antero

EDIT: to clarify, ControlMyNikon lets you take series of focus-bracketed shots, but for combining them you need additional software. I've used Photoshop but there is software dedicated for this purpose, eg Zerene Stacker.

I have a D800E with the Eye-Fi card. I use it to wirelessly to transmit images to my iPad, iPhone, and Windows 7 laptop.

One thing to keep in mind is wireless transfer speeds for 40MB files. I write NEF files to the CF card and small basic JPEGs to my Eye-Fi SD card. That allows reasonable transfer speeds.

While beyond the scope of the original question, you can use an app like Snapseed to edit the images on your phone or iPad for immediate sharing or publication.


Eric Bowles
Nikonians Team
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Nikonians membership — my most important photographic investment, after the camera

Eric,
Can you send the wifi jpegs to your out in the field(ad hoc) or do you wait to be at the hotel in the evening?
Does wifi transferring live,kill the camera batteries?

Thanks
David S

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Totally live. You can transfer jpeg's in the field. I use it in my workshops to immediately show what I am shooting, illustrate a setting, show a composition or a setting, etc. I have a friend who shoots outdoor portraits and uses the iPad to immediately show results. You can also transmit to a family member at a wedding, event, or similar function.

WiFi has a small impact on battery life, but it's not bad like GPS.

Eric Bowles
Nikonians Team
My Gallery
Workshops

Nikonians membership — my most important photographic investment, after the camera

There is a product called camranger which does a wireless tether to an iOS device. May also work for win as well, but looks like it was initially designed for apple devices.

Although it isn't cheap it looks quite comprehensive (does more than just provide monitoring).

Cheers
Rob

It's all about the light

This post gets into a more complete discussion of different types of tethered shooting and related tools.

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=430&topic_id=22041&mesg_id=22041&page=#22077

Eric Bowles
Nikonians Team
My Gallery
Workshops

Nikonians membership — my most important photographic investment, after the camera

The other option is to get a small field monitor and use the HDMI output from the camera. Some of them are expensive but there are a few at reasonable prices, e.g.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lilliput-Composite-Raspberry-Panasonic-Camcoder/dp/B004VD7V54/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_5

http://ikancorp.com/productdetail.php?id=563

>The other option is to get a small field monitor and use the
>HDMI output from the camera. Some of them are expensive but
>there are a few at reasonable prices, e.g.
>
>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lilliput-Composite-Raspberry-Panasonic-Camcoder/dp/B004VD7V54/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_5
>
>http://ikancorp.com/productdetail.php?id=563

Does the cable matter?

It seems that it is a Type C mini-pin HDMI connector, and I found several such including a
Black / Gold 1.3b Type C Mini HDMI Male to HDMI Male Cable for Nikon D5000
at Amazon, which a customer reviewer says works with the D800.

I am a bit confused about the matter since no hdmi cable is listed at NikonUSA as an accessory.

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

It seems that there are several ways to do it.

I've ordered an Ey-fi card, which will allow me to view images on my smartphone, which may require me to upgrade to a fancier model.

I can also get a small hdmi monitor which I can mount on the camera.

And there may be other choices too.

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

>
>Does the cable matter?
>

I think it just needs an HDMI Type C (mini) to HDMI Type A (normal) - like this one http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDMI-mini-Type-Camcorder-Compatibility/dp/B0027HWRAA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359851467&sr=8-1.

It might be an idea to contact Nikon tech to see if there's a particular one they recommend

I am considering getting a Galaxy Note II smartphone to replace my current cell phone. If I use it to view images from my D800, is there some way to mount it on the camera?

Leonard Evens
Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, Northwestern University

If you're willing to get an IOS phone or tablet then I would direct you back to the already mentioned Camranger.

I'm getting very fond of mine. I've been trying to get a decent twilight shot of about 60 or 70 hummingbirds that hit our feeders for a last call the lat few days. D800 on a tripod, Camranger providing a wifi link to my iPad or iPhone with me sitting comfortably at a table 30 feet away watching via live view. From the iPad I can change focus, ISO, aperture and shutter as the light changes. Very cool.

In other situations I could do all the above and HDR or focus stacking. The control of your D800 is so easy and remote. No longer do I need to find that button and wheel combination to change mode or function ... It's there on my touch phone or iPad. Like I said I'm getting very fond of this combo.