EYE-FI, WIFI convenience

Whom am I kidding? I love my A99V.

Nothing is perfect, though. I would have loved to see built-in Wi-Fi on the Sony Alpha A99V. Having to connect the camera to a computer with a cable feels rather old-fashioned when wireless transfer is available. It is particularly useful in studio photography, where you want to see a photograph on a computer or tablet shortly after taking it. For me, the Eye-Fi card was an attempt to fill that gap.

The Eye-Fi Pro X2 was available in 8GB and 16GB versions. It supported wireless transfer and offered features such as geotagging and online sharing. Those sharing services were not especially interesting to me. The main attraction was the ability to send photographs wirelessly to a computer, tablet or smartphone, including RAW files in supported workflows.

The card used 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Actual range and transfer speed depended on the network, file size and surrounding conditions. The headline specifications did not tell the whole story.

The downsides

• Battery life: The A99V already has a reputation for consuming batteries, and wireless transfer adds to the demand.
• Speed: Large RAW files take time to transfer, and writing bursts to the card can be slow. I configured the camera to write JPEG files to the Eye-Fi card and RAW files to the second memory card.
• Software: The accompanying software worked, but it was not particularly polished.
• Tethering: I would have liked proper wireless tethering between the camera and computer. The card did not provide the workflow I was hoping for.
• Compatibility: The A99V did not support Eye-Fi’s Endless Memory Mode. The camera handbook specifically warns that this feature should be disabled.
• Location privacy: I was uncomfortable with the way location information could be shared with third-party services. Geotagging is useful, but photographers should understand where their location data is going and who can access it.

Installation and configuration

The A99V included menu support for Eye-Fi cards when one was inserted in memory card slot 1. The relevant instructions were in the original Sony A99V handbook (page 185).

Configuration was carried out by inserting the card into an SD card reader and using the Eye-Fi software to select the wireless network and transfer destinations.

Historical note: Eye-Fi discontinued its card services and software years ago. This article is retained as a review of an older product and should not be read as current purchasing or setup advice.