Using smartphone app for live view?

I've been looking forward to getting into a full-frame camera. I currently use a Nikon D5300. I would have gotten the D7100 back then, if it had an articulating screen. But now the D750 has arrived and it has a tilting screen, so for several weeks, I have given serious consideration to buying this camera.

The movable LCD is important to me because I have lung disease and it is very difficult for me to have to move around a lot when shooting. The D5300's articulating screen has allowed me to spend more time shooting landscapes from a variety of angles that would take my breath away - literally - if the LCD was fixed. But landscape photography begs for FF images and it's time for me to make that move.

The D810 really impressed me when it was released earlier this year. But it doesn't have that articulating or tilting screen that can keep me doing what I have come to enjoy so much. The thought came to me only tonight though, what about using a smartphone app to replace my need for an articulating screen? Does one exist? Is it a good replacement - offering me much, if not all the information available on the camera's LCD?

I added the D750 to the shopping cart at B&H a little while ago, but I can't check out for another 16 hours. I may change my mind and switch to a D810 if a smartphone app is the answer to my dilemma. I realize, with the D810, I will have to get the WiFi adapter. I'd never considered the usefulness of WiFi on the D750 because I don't move pictures to my phone until after I've developed them anyway - and only as an ego boost when I'm having coffee with friends at the local restaurant. But the thought of an app to act as my articulating screen is making me re-think my choices.

Thanks. How's that for a first post?

Jim

Welcome to NSN.

This is what you would need for a D810 to use your smartphone or tablet for Live View:
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Produc ... itter.html

Another option is CamRanger:
http://camranger.com/

and we sell it here on NSN:
http://www.naturescapes.net/store/camra ... phone.html

Another vote for the Camranger, it's one great product. Actually it'll do what you want and a heck of a lot more. Almost any shooting adjustment that can be made on the camera can be made remotely using it. If you're using a tablet then you'll have a much larger view of your subject than possible through a phone, another nice feature. I use mine with 2 different Android tablets with no problems found yet.

E.J. Peiker wrote:Welcome to NSN.

This is what you would need for a D810 to use your smartphone or tablet for Live View:
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Produc ... itter.html

Another option is CamRanger:
http://camranger.com/

and we sell it here on NSN:
http://www.naturescapes.net/store/camra ... phone.html

Looks like I would need, in addition to the $877.00 WT-5A Wireless Transmitter, a 470.00 UT-1 Communications Unit and maybe even the 180.00 Camera Control software. WOW!

You could always get a Sony a7 or a7R and an adapter so you could still use your old lenses and have the capability built in and get a native lens and still ahve some money left over compared to just the D810

And it has a tilting screen to boot

bartley123 wrote:Another vote for the Camranger, it's one great product. Actually it'll do what you want and a heck of a lot more. Almost any shooting adjustment that can be made on the camera can be made remotely using it. If you're using a tablet then you'll have a much larger view of your subject than possible through a phone, another nice feature. I use mine with 2 different Android tablets with no problems found yet.

Yeah, thanks E.J. I'd heard CamRanger only worked on Mac devices (I have an Android - Galaxy Note 3 - sorry I left that out of my OP), but I see it works with Android and Windows devices now. It's 300 bucks I think would be better spent than the other products E.J. mentioned.

So - hmmm - the D810 might just be my next camera. CamRanger is affordable and, like you said, able to do what I need and a lot more.

Thank you,

Jim
PS @E.J.: my old lenses are not so great, but they will have to do until I can replace them with the new NIKON camera I get. A tilt-screen is definitely a plus and the D750's is why I have made the decision to finally go to full-frame, but the CamRanger is a great upgrade to even the articulating screen on my D5300.

E.J. Peiker wrote:You could always get a Sony a7 or a7R and an adapter so you could still use your old lenses and have the capability built in and get a native lens and still ahve some money left over compared to just the D810

And it has a tilting screen to boot

Sony has pulled the Smart Remote Control component for the camera* from its website. It's supposed to be temporary, but temporary so far has lasted since September 11. No reason is given, although "Stability Issues" were mentioned briefly. That hint was quickly removed.

I am sure the software will be available again sometime. But for now not even an estimated date is given by Sony

I was looking forward to using this function with my Nexus 7 and WiFi connection; it actually is one of the main reason I bought this camera. My 5D2 died from a fried circuit board when the Mini-USB socket got wobbly and caused a short, after using it for more than two years to tether the tablet or laptop via USB cable. Mini USB connectors are just not designed for that kind of abuse.

Aside from that, I highly recommend using a tablet of a least 7 inches diagonal instead of a phone as remote device. The screen on the phone - just as the one on camera - is just too small to judge composition and DOF.


*There are two components to this program. One gets installed on the camera (it's not pre-installed, for whatever reason) and the other gets installed on the tablet/phone. The latter is still available, for both Android and iOS; on Google Play and AppStore, respectively, indicating that the other should be available again sometime.

My a7r had it preloaded.

E.J. Peiker wrote:My a7r had it preloaded.

There is a truncated version preloaded in my A7 as well. But it is not much more than a remote trigger with preview. No control of camera functions such as aperture, exposure comp, etc. It doesn't even work with the on-camera selected bracketing, which makes it less usable than the $8 wired remote from Amazon that I am temporarily using.

Jens Peermann wrote:

E.J. Peiker wrote:My a7r had it preloaded.

There is a truncated version preloaded in my A7 as well. But it is not much more than a remote trigger with preview. No control of camera functions such as aperture, exposure comp, etc. It doesn't even work with the on-camera selected bracketing, which makes it less usable than the $8 wired remote from Amazon that I am temporarily using.

You must have never updated the app.  That's how they originally shipped but not more than a month or so after initial shipment an update that added all of that function.  It was available and it told you so right on the camera if you went to the available apps on it.  These apps are updated from time to time just like smartphones and the camera will tell you when an update is available if you connect it to your WiFi network and log onto the Sony PlayMemories store.

E.J. Peiker wrote: You must have never updated the app.

I never had a chance to. Download for this application was suspended on September 11 in the morning. My A7 arrived via UPS on September 11 in the afternoon.

Hopefully it will be back up soon. I do agree though that the WiFi connectivity of the app is bad iOS8. It didn't have a problem on iOS7.

E.J. Peiker wrote:Hopefully it will be back up soon.

That's been my prayer for the past seven weeks.

The bad iOS 8 connection may be what the "instability" hint was all about.

This Camranger product is interesting. I am in search of this solution for my D800 for long time. Cooper has confirmed it is good. Any other user feedback. Though not sure of getting it in India.

Jens Peermann wrote:

E.J. Peiker wrote:Hopefully it will be back up soon.

That's been my prayer for the past seven weeks.

The bad iOS 8 connection may be what the "instability" hint was all about.

Note that there is a new FW update today for the Sony's that fixes some of the issues with the smart remote function so perhaps this had to happen before being able to DL it....

Note that the Sony update will not run on Yosemite.

Thanks for the heads-up, E.J. I have downloaded the FW update and will install it this weekend.

The Smart Remote Control download is still suspended. There is a standard remote control available for downloading, but that one works only from the computer, not from a tablet (which is what I am waiting for). So I will have to make do with the wired remote and the camera's LCD a little longer.