I was recently able to use my iPad 2 as a viewing monitor of S2 images in the field. I thought you might have an interest in the process if you have an iPad 2. Here are some thoughts that I shared with David recently.
David,
Here are some links describing the iPad 2 to S2 set up process. As mentioned in the links, I have the Aluratek portable router, the ShutterSnitch iPad app and the EyeFi X2 Pro SD card. I was fortunate to have a couple of friends who are quite technical, so they set up the router for me. I’m sure you will be fine with setting it up. It works beautifully and it is a joy to see the S2 images on the iPad 2. The images arrive on the iPad in about 15 secs … very cool! I’ve been out shooting with it the past few days and it is great to work with. I normally will do a 3 stop exposure bracket (love the new S2 firmware) for landscape shots, and in no time, all three shots show up on the iPad. I can get a good feel for composition, sharpness and shadow and highlights areas … very sweet! I don’t have to rely on the camera LCD screen to view images and of course all the touch features of the iPad work for zooming, etc. You can select a photo, then email it if you are so inclined. Great for keeping Art Directors in the loop.
Overview
Set up info
On another note, I think we had a conversation recently about my interest in finding a good small monitor for seeing images on the road, in lieu of a laptop ( I have this crazy idea about using the new Mac Mini on the road). Well, it turns out, I already have one, the iPad! It is a beautiful monitor to see images on and it is indeed portable (Mac Mini is a bit awkward, although it only weights 2.7lbs … well, let’s just call it … luggable). To make it work, you need an app called Air Display. It is pretty cool, it allows you to setup your iPad as a second monitor ( I would use it as the main monitor with the Mini). So using it with your laptop or desktop for some additional screen real estate makes it a very practical app. Here is a link for the app, costs about $10.00, check it out when you get a moment:
http://avatron.com/apps/air-display/
One more thing, I found another iPad 2 app that I’m keen on, it’s called Viewfinder Pro. I’m just now trying it out and I think it will be very helpful in the field when framing landscape photos. It is compatible with Leica S2 lenses and it allows you to frame a scene using your iPad, displaying the appropriate viewing angle for each of the S2 lenses, in my case all 4 of the current S2 lenses. I normally carry a mat board with a cutout in it to frame a scene, but now I’m able to see it with the proper S2 lens perspective before I break out the camera and begin to try out different lenses. The app will also support up to 4 cameras, so if you have the M9, and others, it would be useful with the M9 as well. Anyway here it is, costs about $17.00, let me know what you think of it:
http://direstudio.com/viewfinder
The other way of seeing S2 images that I’m investigating, is to use the Barnes and Noble Nook to see the S2 file. My tech friends tell me the Nook can be ‘rooted’, to allow an Android app to run on it. Do you happen to know of any Android tablet photo apps? The Nook has a matted screen, is light weight and small in size, plus it is in B&W, so for my use it would be perfect. I don’t know the image quality of the Nook or speed to display images, so it may not be practical, but I’ll definitely pursue it use as a viewer if I can find an app.
Hope this helps 🙂
Joe;771 wrote: I was recently able to use my iPad 2 as a viewing monitor of S2 images in the field. I thought you might have an interest in the process if you have an iPad 2. Here are some thoughts that I shared with David recently.
David,
Here are some links describing the iPad 2 to S2 set up process. As mentioned in the links, I have the Aluratek portable router, the ShutterSnitch iPad app and the EyeFi X2 Pro SD card. I was fortunate to have a couple of friends who are quite technical, so they set up the router for me. I’m sure you will be fine with setting it up. It works beautifully and it is a joy to see the S2 images on the iPad 2. The images arrive on the iPad in about 15 secs … very cool! I’ve been out shooting with it the past few days and it is great to work with. I normally will do a 3 stop exposure bracket (love the new S2 firmware) for landscape shots, and in no time, all three shots show up on the iPad. I can get a good feel for composition, sharpness and shadow and highlights areas … very sweet! I don’t have to rely on the camera LCD screen to view images and of course all the touch features of the iPad work for zooming, etc. You can select a photo, then email it if you are so inclined. Great for keeping Art Directors in the loop.
Overview
Set up info
On another note, I think we had a conversation recently about my interest in finding a good small monitor for seeing images on the road, in lieu of a laptop ( I have this crazy idea about using the new Mac Mini on the road). Well, it turns out, I already have one, the iPad! It is a beautiful monitor to see images on and it is indeed portable (Mac Mini is a bit awkward, although it only weights 2.7lbs … well, let’s just call it … luggable). To make it work, you need an app called Air Display. It is pretty cool, it allows you to setup your iPad as a second monitor ( I would use it as the main monitor with the Mini). So using it with your laptop or desktop for some additional screen real estate makes it a very practical app. Here is a link for the app, costs about $10.00, check it out when you get a moment:
http://avatron.com/apps/air-display/
One more thing, I found another iPad 2 app that I’m keen on, it’s called Viewfinder Pro. I’m just now trying it out and I think it will be very helpful in the field when framing landscape photos. It is compatible with Leica S2 lenses and it allows you to frame a scene using your iPad, displaying the appropriate viewing angle for each of the S2 lenses, in my case all 4 of the current S2 lenses. I normally carry a mat board with a cutout in it to frame a scene, but now I’m able to see it with the proper S2 lens perspective before I break out the camera and begin to try out different lenses. The app will also support up to 4 cameras, so if you have the M9, and others, it would be useful with the M9 as well. Anyway here it is, costs about $17.00, let me know what you think of it:
http://direstudio.com/viewfinder
The other way of seeing S2 images that I’m investigating, is to use the Barnes and Noble Nook to see the S2 file. My tech friends tell me the Nook can be ‘rooted’, to allow an Android app to run on it. Do you happen to know of any Android tablet photo apps? The Nook has a matted screen, is light weight and small in size, plus it is in B&W, so for my use it would be perfect. I don’t know the image quality of the Nook or speed to display images, so it may not be practical, but I’ll definitely pursue it use as a viewer if I can find an app.
Hope this helps 🙂
Joe,
I can’t wait to see your setup in a few days. I’m sure you will be the envy of everyone on the trip.
David Farkas
Red Dot Forum
Leica Store MiamiHow well does an Eye-fi work in an S2? Getting a radio link from it to anything else would seem to be a challenge.
Perhaps mount the S2 in a bracket and the “Access Point” radio the Eye-fi talks to on top where a flash might be? That might allow you to hold the Access Point’s antenna at a particular angle to the Eye-fi so as to avoid all that metal in the S2.
There are a number of field photo storage devices such as Jobo. Can any connect to a camera directly via USB to download from the camera? I haven’t tried to see if the S2 will allow USB photo downloads while shooting – it may not work.
Some Android tablets, such as Toshiba’s Thrive, have a USB host port and could be connected to an S2, but you would need software that knows to copied photos from the camera.
I recently set up my S2 to work with an ipad-1 using a Connect X2 Eye-fi card and the small battery powered router discussed in the forum. I have used both the Eye-Fi softwarte and Shuttersnitch and I prefer Shuttersnitch. Transfer times are in the 12 to 20 second range. Image quality on ipad permits zoomong to check focus.
Does one of you can tell or has made any experience how much battery life the cards are using? Any numbers?
I haven’t enough operating experience to comment on battery life. I wonder if Eye-Fi Tech Support can tell use the power requirements.
Hi all,
I have been using the Eye-Fi card with my Canon 1Ds Mk III setup for many months and althought no actual comparison but looks like the card uses very little power. I have tested it after firmware upgraded with my S2 + ipad 2 and it works ok!
I think it is good for outdoor photographers who do not want to carry the extra weight from their laptops but need to review their shots on a larger monitor!
The only thing I do not like is the setup needs some kind of a wake up process with the Shuttersnitch software; the iPad or iPhone connected will not receive any signal at first. One has to take at least three shots to start the transmitting process! Plus if you review the shots on the iPad while the setup still transmitting images from the camera, Shuttersnitch may jump to the newly imported image no mater you are reviewing or making remarks on its pervious images! No good if your client is making comments on a selected shot.
Bobby
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