Wi-Fi connectivity and devices go hand in hand, from smartphones and tablets to game consoles and televisions, the ability to connect and share with the world wide web has become a normal part of everyday life for many of us. .
However, while phones, tablets and the like have been using Wi-Fi functionality for what seems like forever, other areas of the tech/device market took a little longer to catch up, including action cameras.
However, times are changing, and the recent wave of Wi-Fi action cameras entering the market suggests that the Wi-Fi revolution has truly arrived in action camera town. But what is the point of all this? Does Wi-Fi support justify the extra expense?
Quite simply, the answer is yes, and here are some reasons why.
Remote Control – Using a designated Wi-Fi remote control or connected mobile device, users can access camera settings and switch between modes without having to touch the camera. The remote functionality is particularly useful in situations where a camera is mounted out of reach, such as on the outside of a car or on top of a helmet.
Viewfinder: Users can turn their mobile device into a live viewfinder, allowing them to see through the camera’s eye (so to speak) to line up shots and check camera positioning while on the go. Again, this is particularly useful when the camera is mounted out of range.
Streaming – Users can stream live footage to a smartphone, computer or tablet, so they and their friends can watch the action as it happens.
Share: Users can not only broadcast live images, in most cases, users can directly upload them to the social network, whether it is Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. This is not only useful for showing off your skills, but also to free up space on your memory card.
Other cool stuff: While the above features can be attributed to most Wi-Fi enabled action cameras, all models differ slightly and some cameras offer their own unique features. For example, using the GoPro mobile app or Wi-Fi remote, users can control up to 50 GoPro Hero2 or Hero3 cameras at the same time. While few people will have that many cameras, the feature can be useful when shooting large scenes from multiple angles, for example.
Another example is the iON Air Pro WiFi, which instead of saving data to a memory card, uses cloud technology to store all videos and images.
Action camera technology will continue to progress, and as it does, Wi-Fi will undoubtedly be used more: the latest cameras from GoPro, Drift, Sony and JVC are indications of this. For those looking for a new action camera, there are plenty of reasons to invest in Wi-Fi, especially for those with a smartphone.
