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Version 5.4.7 of EyeFi Mobi is also compatible with more than 50 WiFi enabled cameras. This means that you can integrate image transfer from older models (without WiFi using the Mobi card) and newer models (with built-in WiFi) using just one app.

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In my testing, the system works, but there are a few details you should be aware of. The options are not the same for WiFi cameras as they are for the latest Eyefi Mobi Pro card. The most notable changes are that with camera WiFi, you don't have the selective transfer option, and if you shoot RAW+Jpeg, both files are sent to your mobile device.

For my workflow, this is a big problem. I want to decide which images are transferred to my mobile device, as I can with the EyeFi Mobi Pro. Plus, I need to shoot RAW+Jpeg, but I only want the selected Jpegs to be delivered wirelessly.

So the bottom line is, yes there are over 50 cameras that can send images to the EyeFi Mobi app, but you don't really have any control over that process. Once you connect the two devices, pictures just start streaming to your smartphone or tablet.

There might be some situations where this isn't a problem, and you could take advantage of all your cameras transferring all their images to one location. But for me, I still need the selective transfer of Jpegs only, for the app to be useful with my WiFi cameras.

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Find Your Stuff with Tile

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The Tile Phone Finder - Key Finder - Item Finder is a small, square, Bluetooth 4.0 device that can help your locate lost items.

I've been using it with my iPhone 6S via its free app. The operation is simple. I paired the Tile with my iPhone, attached it to my keyring, and let the two devices keep in touch with one another.

In the event that my keys are accidentally left behind between couch cushions at a friend's house, I can open the Tile app and find out where they were last registered by the iPhone. It will show me the general proximity on a map. Then all I have to do is return to the scene, navigate to the keys via the app, and tap the Find button to initiate musical tones from the Tile so I can discover its location.

keys-in-couch-cushion.jpg Lost keys between couch cushions? A Tile attached to the keyring (the square white object) will communicate with your iPhone to help you locate them.

Tiles run $25 each or cheaper in combo packs, have enough battery juice for a year, then can be turned in for a new tile (at a reduced price). It's not realtime tracking, but the system is clever. Knowing the last spot where your phone and keys were in the same proximity is helpful. And being able to initiate the audible sound when you're close is effective.

Tile is an fun high-tech stocking stuffer. And it most likely will be included on my holiday gift list.

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Lightroom 2.0 for the iPhone and iPad include the newish Dehaze feature that made a big splash on the desktop versions a while back. Adding Dehaze to an already set of excellent editing tools pushes Lightroom up near the top of mobile editing apps.

Dehaze Added to Mobile Lightroom Dehaze has been added to the list of editing options.

I tested Lightroom 2.0 on my new iPhone 6S. I hadn't used this app often on an iPhone previously, opting for the iPad instead, but the additional real estate of the 6S made it a reasonable experience.

A key aspect is being able to take a quality image with the 6S, edit it in Lightroom mobile, then push it up to Instagram or other social sites in a fast, seamless workflow.

Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco CA I captured this image at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco with the iPhone 6S, refined in Lightroom 2.0 using the Dehaze tool (as shown here), then pushed up to Instagram via the Open In command. Photos by Derrick Story.

Even if you don't have a Creative Cloud account, you can tap your Camera Roll with Lightroom 2.0. There's a robust set of tools there, now including Dehaze.

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Reuters TV Gets iPhone News Right

I've been watching Reuters TV for over a week now on my iPhone, and it is hands down the best news service I've followed to date.

Reuters TV

Reuters builds a video news show for me based on the length I've specified (15 minutes in my case). I can see the story lineup, jump from topic to topic, or just let the show play as assembled, which is my preference. Reuters does a great job of adding segues, title screens, intros and outros.

Turn the phone sideways for full screen viewing. Leave it in portrait mode to see the story line up. Nifty. And when you first open the app in portrait mode, the sound is muted until you turn the phone sideways. Now that's thinking.

The free version includes a couple ads during the newscast. But even they are top notch and presented well. If you don't want the ads, you can subscribe for $1.99 a month. The entire production is tasteful and professional.

If you'd like to keep up on daily events, and don't have a lot of time to do so, Reuters TV may be just the solution. It's available for both iOS and Android. And it's terrific.

I Don't Need Live Photos, but I Want it

As we sift through all of the announcements from Apple's Sept. 9, 2015 event in San Francisco, a minor feature is actually one of the most interesting to me: Live Photos.

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If you have it enabled, via the "Live" icon in the center of the top toolbar on the iPhone 6S camera app, every time you take a picture, the app will capture a second and a half of content on either side of the image. Then, when you view the snapshot, you can press and hold on it (thanks to the new 3D Touch feature), and the picture comes to life for a couple seconds.

It's a small thing, until you think about the type of pictures many of us are capturing with our smart phones. They're family moments, outings with friends, interactions with pets... in other words, the things that matter dearly to us. Imagine missing your wife while on a business trip and being able to see her come to life just for a few seconds. I can see the value in that.

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It gets to the point where I sometimes wonder what else I need from my mobile devices. I don't need Live Photos. But I do want it. It's one of those little things that can help me stay connected to those I love. And in this busy, multitasking, world of ours, I can use as much of that connection as I can get.

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It's like Micro Four Thirds lenses were designed for this moment.

The Olympus Air A01 is a palm-sized cylinder with a 16MP M4/3 sensor and lens mount that allows photographers to attached any Micro Four Thirds lens and start shooting.

They can control the camera via their iOS or Android smartphone, not to mention view the images on those beautiful LCD screens.

What's different about this project compared to other competitors is that M4/3 optics are among the most compact in the interchangeable lens world. The pancake Oly 14-42mm EZ zoom, Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, Olympus 45mm f/1.8, (and on and on) are perfect for this device. Compact lenses plus compact body equals pocketable device.

If you're already shooting in this format, the admission price for the Air is $299. Smartphone not included.

So in addition to serving as a super nimble mobile device, the Olympus Air becomes the world's most compact, fully-featured backup camera.

That's pretty nice...


Nimble Photographer Logo

The Olympus Air has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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DxO ONE vs iPhone 5S Sunset Shoot

I stepped out the front door the other evening to witness a beautiful sunset. Like most other folks, I pulled a smartphone out of my pocket to record the event. Unlike most others, however, I then pulled a DxO ONE from my other pocket to capture a few more pictures. I thought you might be interested in how they compare.

Note: The DxO ONE images were captured with pre-release hardware and processed with beta software. Specs and performance may change with the final release in September.

The Jpegs from both the iPhone 5S and DxO ONE are right out of the camera with no further processing. The DNG from the ONE was processed with automatic settings (no individual slider tweaking) in DxO OpticsPro 10 and saved out as a Jpeg.

iPhone 5S Jpeg

iphone-5s-sunset-web.jpg The iPhone does a good job of capturing the vibrancy of the sunset. Gradation with the brightest tones isn't quite as smooth as with the DxO, and the resolution is less at 3263 x 2448. But overall, a nice rendering of the scene.

DxO ONE Jpeg

dxo-one-jpeg-sunset-web.jpg The Jpeg from the DxO One is very good. Smoother gradation in the bright areas and more resolution at 5540 x 3688. Noise is very well controlled.

DxO ONE DNG

dxo-one-dng-sunset-web.jpg Where things get real interesting is the the DNG version of the twilight scene captured with the ONE and processed with automatic settings in DxO OpticsPro 10. The rendering is more dramatic with excellent tonality.

Even though the iPhone 5S is an excellent camera (with the 6 being even better), it's hard to compete against RAW files produced by a 1" sensor and matching software. I also like the wider proportions of the DxO One (3x5) compared to the iPhone (3x4).

Either way, how cool to have such excellent cameras comfortably stashed in the front pocket of my pants.


Nimble Photographer Logo

The DxO ONE has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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At last night's Warriors vs Rockets game at Oracle Arena, I was literally the only guy in my section with a non-smartphone camera. I decided to document my observations and share how basketball fans were capturing the moment at a big time sporting event. Here are a few of the images.

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Fujifilm X20

I've been testing the eyefi mobiPRO 32 GB SDHC card with a variety of WiFi-less cameras, and have settled on using it regularly with the Fujifilm X20 compact. (Jump here to see the full report on the eyefi mobiPRO.)

But through my testing I've discovered that the user experience is much better if I follow a specific set of steps when using the new mobiPRO. So I'm sharing that "magical" sequence with you now, because it most likely works for other cameras too.

  • First, set the preferences for your eyefi mobiPRO card by using its bundled USB reader. (More on that here.) For mobile device usage, I recommend that Selective Transfer is on, and that RAW Transfer is off. Eject the card and put it in your camera.
  • In the camera menu, Turn Eye-Fi Transfer to "off." This saves precious battery power while you're out shooting.
  • When it's time to take a break and send your favorites to a mobile device, enable Eye-Fi Transfer on your camera (via the menu) and "Protect" the first photo you want to send to your device.
  • On your device, go to the Wi-Fi settings and log in to the personal network that the eyefi mobiPRO card is transmitting. Then go to the iOS or Android Eyefi Mobi app and receive the first photo.
  • With everything still connected, "Protect" the other images that you want uploaded to your mobile device. They should flow over instantly.
  • Once all the images have been transferred, go to your camera's menu and turn off Eye-Fi Transfer.

At this point, you can play with your photos on the mobile device, upload them to social network sites, or display them for others. I recommend that when you return home, copy all of the pictures off the eyefi mobiPRO card to your computer, and organize them in your standard photo management application.


More Help on Managing Your Mobile Photos

In my lynda.com title, Managing Your Mobile Photos, I cover a variety of backup solutions for both iOS and Android users. These tutorials will help you build the perfect backup solution for you, so that you never lose a single memory.

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Now it's easier than ever to move images from your Mac to Instagram. A new app, Uploader for Instagram ($4.99), allows you to right-click on a photo and send it to your account.

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The app isn't going to win any awards for design, but it does work. Once you control-click or right-click on the picture, choose Share to Instagram from the Services popup menu, then you're greeted with a spartan interface that lets you zoom and position the picture.

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There are also filters available, but I wasn't impressed with them (especially compared to the native IG filters). You can add a caption and hashtags, however, and performance is snappy. Within a few seconds my photo was displaying happily in my Instagram feed.


Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

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