EyeFi have released the firmware update for all X2 cards that provides the ability to shoot directly to the iPad…. rock on!

When you connect your EyeFi card to your computer you will be notified that the EyeFi center has an update (3.3). Once you complete the upgrade process for the EyeFi center this reveals the new Direct Mode options.  This enables you to setup your EyeFi card as an AdHoc wireless network that your iPad / iPhone can join directly.  As I noted in my previous article, you can use the wireless hotspot function of iOS to act as a bridge between the iPad and the EyeFi card, but this now means you can take that out of the equation.

Once the EyeFi center is updated, on the networks tab you will see a new option for direct mode.  This allows you to enable direct mode and set some key parameters that will assist with power management.  

Screenshot

Wait for Connection – This is the amount of time the EyeFi card will present itself as an adhoc network that can accept incoming connections.

Wait After Transfer – This is the amount of time the Eyefi card is an AdHoc wireless network before it turns itself off. This setting obviously competes with the timeout value of your camera as well.

SSID – As with all wireless networks, this is the identifier used by the client to make the connection.

WPA2 Password – Keeps everything nice and secure.

While the card is attached to the computer, you configure the clients to use the adhoc network by clicking the “Start Direct Mode Network” button and join as you would any other network.

The following conditions have to be met for the Adhoc network to activate itself, again with power saving in mind.

  • There are files to be transferred.
  • There are no other configured wireless networks available.

For me, as I have the card configured to transfer images that I have “protected” using the camera’s fuction, this means that all I have to do is switch to shuttersnitch and create a new collection or select an existing collection.  Protect the photos I want to transfer and once the files are protected, the EyeFi enables the adhoc network, the iPad detects the network and joins it after a couple of seconds and then the images start appearing.  This really speeds the workflow and from what I have seen, the performance of the transfer is much faster than transferring through the wireless hotspot of iOS.  It’s definitely best to test this out of range of any of your known networks as the EyeFi card will always try to join a network before it creates it’s own and if it finds one then the AdHoc is not generated.

I’m very impressed with the update, the decisions that have been made around power saving and the performance of the transfers.  This really does make the wireless shooting options with the iPad second to none… go out, click buy it now and have some fun with gadgets.