For the past few months I have been testing Shutter Snitch, an iPhone & iPad app that uses a Wifi ad-hoc hotspot to view photographs taken through a Wifi enabled devices like the nikon or Canon wireless accessories, an Eye-Fi, FlashAir or similar SD card.
Compatible devices:
- SD Cards: Eye-Fi (including Eye-Fi Mobi), Transcend Wi-Fi, Toshiba FlashAir, PQI Air cards.
- Canon WFT transmitters & Canon EOS 6D.
- Nikon WT and WU transmitters.
- Panasonic cameras with LUMIX LINK app.
In order to use Shutter Snitch my iPad has to be on the Wifi network that my Eye-Fi SD card creates, so I could not record a demonstration of the app like I would normally. So with that, I decided to embed a couple other videos showing the software to you.
You might be wondering why someone with an Eye-Fi card would consider purchasing an app when there is a free Eye-Fi app available. That’s a very simple answer. You see, the Eye-Fi app will import every photograph from your camera to your iPad or iPhone. That takes up space and your device will include it in the normal camera roll.
Shutter Snitch handles this task in a different way. First you create a collection (I use whatever the photo session is that I am currently shooting). The collection is stored outside of the camera roll and only viewable inside of Shutter Snitch. You can then delete photos (from your camera), download to your iPad, export them to Flickr, Facebook, Dropbox, Zenfolio, Smugmug, FTP, email and more.
My favorite thing about using Shutter Snitch are the rules you can set up. The app can be set to warn you when there are blown out highlights, incorrect shutter speeds, apertures, ISO and so on. All fully customizable.
One thing worth noting about Shutter Snitch is that it is important to use the original software for your device (i.e., Eye-Fi) to set up the appropriate network if needed. Shutter Snitch was not working out of the box 100% with my Eye-Fi Mobi but once I set up the Eye-Fi app with the card’s activation code all was perfect.
Shutter Snitch Review Final Thoughts
Viewing photographs through the Wifi network is fairly slow, but it’s a great way for your client to see photographs as they’re being taken. Shutter Snitch is also a much less expensive system than the CamRanger not just because of the app. The CamRanger is also a wireless trigger for your camera, so it’s more involved. If you only want a wireless system of viewing photographs then Shutter Snitch is where I recommend going.
Thanks for reading and happy shooting,
Scott
Just a quick comment on Eye-Fi Mobi cards – these cards push or send from the card to the phone as opposed to Toshiba FlashAir where the phone downloads the photos it wants. The app, whether shuttersnitch or Eye-Fi (now Keenai), has to receive all the photos and videos. The Keenai app will either just show it within the app or export it to the camera roll for all other programs. So both apps are approximately the same with regard to receiving all photos.