Nikon WU-1a adapter brings wireless picture transfer and camera control to DSLRs
Android is great for DSLR users because there are apps for it that can remote control them. It’s a third party system though, and that raises the question of why a more professional solution hasn’t emerged. Well, Nikon just answered that question with its WU-1a adapter that will be released alongside its new $700 D3200 DSLR. The $60 adapter plugs into the side of the camera and essentially gives the camera a wireless link to a “smart device”, which is Android for now and iOS sometime this fall.
The wireless connection will enable two features: picture transfer, and remote control. The former is a rather self explanatory, Eye-Fi like feature, but the latter is where things get interesting. Using the camera’s LiveView functionality, you can see what goes on using your Android device, as well as see info about various aspects of the camera, like battery status, aperture setting, and so on. Whether or not you can actually change these settings from the app like you can on DSLR Controller isn’t specified, but I’d certainly hope so.
Definitely interesting stuff, and it amuses me to see Android get it first. While I would rather see this built into cameras than sold as a $60 add-on feature, it’s nice to see devices be able to talk to one another this way at all. The new D3200 camera will be available this month, while the adapter will hit in “late May”.
[Nikon]
