The Wi-Fi Cameras are Coming

Vcullen writes "This week will see many 'new' digicams released at CES but few will be more than cosmetic tweaks and updates on current models. However Kodak have just announced something new (for them) - a Wi-Fi enabled digital camera that enables online photo sharing and viewing without the need for a computer. It also has 256MB of internal memory and stores up to 1500 images." Of course, to actually get on a wireless network, a special card is required for the camera, and the firmware has yet to support WEP, so one has to wait until a Q3 2005 update to join most authenticated networks.

Real Question

[ZiakII]

The real question is with they be bannked in Saudi Arabia like camera phones where?

Bluetooth!!

[sr180]

Wifi is nice, but I just want bluetooth on my Camera, that way in the field, I could email photos via my bluetooth phone.

Very useful for those working in the field needing to get photos back to the office.

Re:1500 images?

[thesatch]

A 3 megapixel image (~700kb) is the minimum needed for decent 4x6 developing/printing.

wireless cameras have been here for years

[Spydr]

nearly every new cellphone being released these days has a camera built in.

i just recently saw one with a 2 mega pixel camera in it, and i'm sure it's only a matter of time until we see great quality 4 mega pixel cameraphones (4 megapixels seems to be the break point for cheapish snapshot digital photos).

plenty of people already use their cameraphones to send images directly up to their blogs or internet services like flickr.com, it's just a matter of when wireless cameras meet with cameraphones.

then they just need to roll in a large digital media player and we'll all be happy... make calls, take photos (and send them to your server/website immediately from anywhere) while listening to the latest mp3 all on the same device.

And I can hear the cheering of...

[Anonymous Coward]

peeping toms...

It's not quite the same thing...

[FuturePastNow]

but Linksys has been selling wi-fi webcams for a while now: http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=3 3&scid=38&prid=650 [linksys.com]

WIFI features..

[FUF]

With 802.11, there'll be quite some bandwith available for these cameras to use... so I see no reason why the following feature request(s) (HUGE points on my wishlist as a professional photographer for a long time now) should be hard to implement.

The cameras (after obtaining ip's, dhcp or static) should have a running webserver that streams video of exactly what the camera's lcd would display, A web-lcd per se. There should also be COMPLETE functionality of the ALL the camera's functions tied into controls on the web application. Basically, if you can use a function on the physical interface, it should be available for use over the air as well.

Is this too much to ask? :-)

Nice headline..

[the angry liberal]

"This week will see many 'new' digicams released at CES but few will be more than cosmetic tweaks and updates on current models. However Kodak have just announced something new (for them) - a Wi-Fi enabled digital camera that enables online photo sharing and viewing without the need for a computer. It" .....

Actually, if you consider higher quality lens systems and much higher resolution a "cosmetic tweak", then um, we need to send you back to slashdot university for a while before submitting another headline.

The "Without a computer" part sounds more like marketing BS, too. Nine times out of ten, if you are in range of a Wi-fi router you have access to, you'll be within walking distance of your PC.

Yeah, I know someone will come in here and throw down their example of how this would be useful, but think about 99% of the other users out there. I predict this thing won't do so well, though a neat bit of technology.

GPS

[marmite]

Who cares about WiFi on digital cameras?

I want GPS coordinates in an exif tag (or something).