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CamFi review (update: added CamFi Matrix functionality)

A lot of modern cameras offer Wifi or Bluetooth to connect to a smartphone or tablet. Using either one of those you can transfer pictures to you smartphone or tablet or in some cases even activate your camera remotely. But what if your camera doesn’t offer any form of wireless connectivity or the functionality of the connection is too limited (for instance, with my Sony A7 I could activate my camera using my smartphone but I could only take photos in JPEG quality). For those people CamFi (CameraNu.nl Affiliate link) was invented. In this review I’ll tell you more about it and about using it in the field. I’ve used the CamFi with my Nikon D800, Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone and a Windows 10 laptop. Of course CamFi is also compatible with iPhones / iPads or Mac computers.

Klik hier voor de Nederlandse versie van deze review.

 

 

CamFi review
The CamFi is small and lightweight

CamFi

The CamFi is a small (think matchbox) sized unit with just one switch, some ports and a built-in battery. The CamFi can add WiFi connectivity to a lot of different Canon and Nikon cameras (on their site you can find the list of supported models, where the camera seems to be the limiting factor on stead of the CamFi). So if you add a CamFi to your camera you’ve upgraded it with WiFi, and then?

Functions:

  • Live view for smartphone, tablet or even laptop
  • Full control of your camera settings (you can set aperture, shutter speed, white balance, file type, metering etc. but also autofocus)
  • Take a photo
  • Record video (if you camera supports that)
  • Time Lapse photography
  • Focus Stacking
  • Advanced bracketing

Sound complex or hard doesn’t it? Well it isn’t, it is quite simple actually. You connect the CamFi to the camera using the USB cable. CamFi comes with one USB cable with an Mini-USB connector. If you have a different connection on your camera, like the USB 3.0 port on my D800, you’ll have to use the cable that comes with you camera. The CamFi uses a standard female USB port, so you can use any normal USB cable to connect it. The CamFi also comes with a ‘hot shoe’ mount so you can put the CamFi on top of your camera. You can also use an L-bracket to keep you hot shoe free for using a speedlight. The supplied L-bracket was a little small for my big D800, but I’m sure it will work perfect with smaller cameras.

CamFi review
On the Nikon D800 you’ll have to use the cable supplied with the camera

After you’ve connected the CamFi to your camera you can turn it on. The CamFi has got a built in battery that can keep it running for about 6 hours. Charging the CamFi is done via a normal Micro-USB port, so you can use your smartphone charger or a free USB port on your PC to charge it. After turning the CamFi on (it takes about 20-30 seconds to boot) you can connect your smarphone of PC to the unsecured WiFi network of the CamFi. Once you are connected you can open the app on your phone or the software on your PC and it will connect to your CamFi by itself. One click on the ‘live view’ button in the app and you’ve got a live connection with your camera. If WiFi doesn’t work or you don’t want to use WiFi you can also connect the CamFi to your PC using a standard UTP-network cable.

The app and desktop software

The app and desktop software of the CamFi looks real nice and is a pleasure to work with. The user interface is clean and easy to understand / learn. The most important settings are always available in the home screen for easy access. If you click or press them a bigger, easy to adjust slider or switch is shown to adjust the desired setting. Changing settings in the app leads to an instant change in the camera. So if you adjust you aperture you will immediately hear the lens clicking and adjusting accordingly. In the app you can also change the file type you want to use (JPEG to RAW).

CamFi review
The app is a pleasure to work with and designed very well

You can also use the app or software to download images to your smartphone or PC. You aren’t limited to the images you have taken while using the CamFi, you can browse all the images on the memory card(s) and select which one you want to download. CamFi does support downloading full RAW’s, but my D800 makes 36 megapixel RAW’s that can be up to 80 MB in size. Even with a quick 150 Mbit connection that is going to take a while to transfer. Luckily the CamFi also supports compression to make transfer faster.

It is possible to set the CamFi to transfer every image to take to your connected device. That is great for checking the images you’ve taken on a bigger screen. Especially when you use a tablet or PC with a bigger screen it is a lot easier to see if the images are in focus for instance.

CamFi review
The windows software is just as easy to use as the smartphone app, just bigger!

Another great function is the option to zoom in to the live view image. That is a great help when using manual focus. On the app you can enlarge the image by using the normal ‘pinch to zoom’ function on your phone. After zooming in the images freezes for a short time, giving the CamFi time to transfer the zoomed live image from your camera. Quality wise the zoomed images, at least on my D800, is still very good and perfectly usable for precise focusing.

In use

Live view + adjusting settings

The Live view functionality of the CamFi is very good. The framerate of the image is a little lower than on the camera screen (may also be dependent on the camera you use), but it is very usable for photographing stationary or slow moving subjects like landscapes or portraits. I can’t imagine anyone using the CamFi for sport photography (except perhaps as a secondary camera behind a goal or on a dangerous location).

CamFi review

When you zoom in to the live view feed the image will freeze for a short time, but after that the framerate and quality of the image is the same as the not zoomed image. That makes the zoom function very good for manual focus. This is really great for macro photo’s, where using a bigger screen for focusing is a lot easier than using the small camera screen. Or taking photos close to the ground, so you don’t have to lay down to check your image or focus.

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Checking focus is easier on a big screen, especially when using a full manual lens as the Laowa 105mm f2 STF lens.

Of course the CamFi is dependent on your camera when it comes to the image quality of the live view feed. The same goes for the auto focus functions and speed. The CamFi does offer the option to use auto focus in live view, but the speed is mainly limited by the camera. In my case the D800 uses a slow but accurate form of contrast detection auto focus when you use live view. I’m guessing the focus speed will be a lot better when you use an up to date Canon with the faster dual pixel focus.

Adjusting settings is, like I wrote earlier, quite easy. You have a lot of the most used functions in a lay-over on the main screen, for easy and quick adjustment. In the menu there are some extra, less used, functions.

CamFi review

Taking photos

In live view you can take a photo by pressing just one button. Quick and easy. The CamFi can also help when you take images for longer shutter speeds. You have full control over the bulb mode of your camera, so even shutter speeds in excess of 30 seconds aren’t a problem. And because the connection is wireless you don’t have to worry about camera shake when starting or ending a cycle.

In the normal photo-mode the CamFi is a direct competitor to the Triggertrap or a basic wired- or IR remote. The big difference is that you aren’t limited by wires like the Triggertrap or a normal wired remote is. When comparing the CamFi to a IR remote you’ll find the range of the CamFi to be a lot longer (up to 50 meters) and you don’t need a direct line of sight with your camera. And the CamFi doesn’t have any problems with bright sunlight that can mess with IR remotes sometimes.

CamFi review

Besides those differences the big plus of the CamFi is the live view image and the option to adjust the setting of the camera by using you phone or PC. Something you don’t have with a Triggertrap or simple remote.

The CamFi also supports recording video, but I’m no videographer so I haven’t used that.

Advanced function

Besides using the CamFi as a remote control with live view functionality you also get some smart extra functionality in the app. Because adding new features is mostly something that can be done in the app more functionality could be added in the future.

CamFi review
Focus stacking is easy using the CamFi app or software

At the moment the app offers focus stacking, timelapse and advance bracketing. In focus stacking mode the app takes several consecutive photos with the focus point being moved just a little in every photo. In (for instance) Photoshop you can stack those images in to one photo with more depth of field. This technique is mostly used for macro photography since you have a very small depth of field with macro images. CamFi helps you with that by taking different images and moving the focus point for you, you can’t make focus stacking easier than this. By the way, you will still have to stack the images in Photoshop yourself, the app doesn’t do that for you.

CamFi review

Timelapse photography is making a video by taking a lot of different photos with a predefined time between them. If you have enough photos you can turn them in to a video in which time seems to fly by. Experimenting with time lapse photography is a lot of fun, but taking all the images takes a lot of time and you really need a tool to help you. The CamFi app helps and makes it easy, just set the number of images, the time in between the different images and activate it to start.

Advanced bracketing is the last of the advanced functionalities. With my Nikon D800 using bracketing on the camera itself is easy, so having this function on the CamFi isn’t that important to me. On consumer cameras bracketing can be a hassle, with the functionality buried deep in the menu. The advanced bracketing is truly advanced since you can control exactly how the bracketing is done. You choose if the ISO, aperture or shutter speed is changed to adjust the exposure. That means you have full control, which is an advantage compared to using your cameras settings for bracketing.

CamFi review
Bracketing is easy on my D800, but the app gives you a lot of control over the way the images are taken

Compared to the competition

Earlier in the review I compared the CamFi to a Triggertrap or a wired or IR remote. But how does the, 150 euro, CamFi compare to those and other options in the market.

The Triggertrap offers some of the functionality you also get with the CamFi since the Triggertrap also allows you to activate your camera with your smartphone. Costing just 30 euros the Triggertrap is a lot cheaper than the CamFi, but besides the mentioned method using your smartphone the CamFi and Triggertrap are completely different in almost every way. You can’t control any of the settings of your camera on your phone with the Triggertrap, and of course you don’t have a wireless connection and no live view. If all you are looking for is a way to activate your camera for long exposures or time lapse the Triggertrap will be just fine, but if you want more the Triggertrap isn’t for you.

CamFi review
The CamFi is perfect for long exposure shooting, no worries about camera shake.

If you are a Nikon shooter (other brands will have similar options) you can also choose one of the many wired and wireless remotes. For the consumer models (up to the D7200) you can use a simple IR-remote costing about 30 euros. The more advanced cameras don’t have an IR-receiver, so an IR-remote won’t be of any use. You could go for one of the wired remotes that are about 35 euros. If you want more control and more options your only options are the quite expensive pro-models that will set you back 200 to even 400 euros. And if you really want remote control you’ll even need two of the madly expensive WR-1 remotes that are 400 euros a piece! And even then you don’t have live view!

Other options are a lot more expensive or offer less functionality than the CamFi, so it is a truly an one of a kind product if you ask me.

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This image was taken using the CamFi to focus and take the photo so I didn’t have to lay down on the cold and wet ground

Stability

During the review period I’ve had some hick-ups with the CamFi. It is clear it still is a new product that is still being updated and improved. All the hick-ups I’ve had seem to be software or app related, losing connection to the camera or live view shutting down without reopening. No big problems and re-opening the app or turning the camera off and on again fixed the problems instantly. Since I’ve used the CamFi quite a lot during the review period I can count the numbers of hick-ups on one hand, so I’m not bothered by that at all.

CamFi review
The CamFi in action for long exposure shooting

Update: New Functionality, CamFi Matrix

After completing the review CamFi has informed me they have added some impressive new functionality to the CamFi: CamFi Matrix. CamFi Matrix is specialist software, that may of may not appeal to you but it is very impressive anyway. CamFi Matrix allows you to control multiple cameras from one PC. That is functionality that can be used in a lot of different scenarios, like creating VR images, panoramic images or even for creative event or wedding photography. In the image below you can see how a CamFi Matrix setup can look.

CamFi Review Matrix
A wide CamFi Matrix setup with multiple Canon cameras (image: CamFi)

In the following YouTube clip you can see the CamFi Matrix in action. I haven’t been able to test it myself since I don’t have multiple cameras, but the functionality looks promising. Another sign CamFi is still being updated and they are adding new functionality.

Conclusion

The CamFi can upgrade a lot of different cameras with advanced WiFi functionality, which is great by itself. And the really impressive part is that the CamFi isn’t really expensive, at just 150 euros it is cheaper than most photo-related accessories. I’ve had a lot of fun using the CamFi, and found that while it may not be perfect it is very good. The CamFi (CameraNu.nl Affiliate link) offers a lot of  functionality, but the app and software is easy to use. Even if you aren’t very tech-savvy. A perfect system for everyone who wants to add 2016 technology to an older camera or needs more advanced wireless functionality in a camera that does have WiFi.

To buy it at Adorama click here (affiliate link).

CamFi review

 

14 thoughts on “CamFi review (update: added CamFi Matrix functionality)”

      1. I thought because you stated your Sony A7..wireless is limited.

        Many Sony WiFi cameras have very limited ranges and many simply WILL NOT provide Aperture and Shutter Speed displays when using the Sony PlayMemories on Android products.

        Were you able to get your Sony A7’s Aperture and Shutter Speed displays using Sony PlayMemories software?
        Were you able to get Live-View on a computer using Sony Remote Camera Control software?

        If this work on Sony, then this can be very hot for 2017.

        Do you think CamFi is better than Camranger?
        Camranger more than CamFi. And also no Sony supports.

        1. Hi ATG,

          I only referred to the A7 because that does have Wi-Fi built in but the functionality is (as you mentioned) too limited. The Wi-Fi in the A7 doesn’t work for most advanced users and is mainly aimed at ‘normal’ consumers. The CamFi offers way more functionality than I had in my Sony. I don’t know if the newer Sony models are different from my original A7.

          I haven’t tested the Camranger, so I can’t compare them. I do believe the Camranger is more expensive.

          Rick

  1. So true that the Camranger is much more than Camfi.

    Do you get overheating & shutdown problems when in live-view beyond 30 minutes? For sure this Camfi is lot cheaper than buying Nikon WT and Nikon Camera Control software.

    Have you tried it on Canon with this Camfi or do you have to buy Camfi version for Canon?

    1. I didn’t have any problems with overheating, but I don’t think I’ve used live view for 30 minutes on end without any pauses in between. I haven’t tested it with a Canon camera as I don’t own one. But the system is the same for both Canon and Nikon, there are no brand specific versions.

  2. I burnt out the sensor on the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II when testing it out with my ATG AK1 Un-Tethered System. Send it back to Canon and they fixed for free.

    Do you know about TP-Link TL-MR3040?
    I got it to work on Canon but having trouble to work on Nikon.

    What was the maximum ranges you were able to get it for Camfi?
    I got up to 300 meters after mod the TP-Link TL-MR3040 on Canon.

    And the best for 15 meters with built-in 100 meter radio flash trigger on ATG AK1 Un-Tethered System.

    Many love the ATG AK1 Un-Tethered System because it can make any camera to be able to shoot wirelessly from a computer. And you and I know many Sony cameras that supported tethered (camera to pc) shooting simply can’t do wirelesly well.
    I’ve tested on the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Nikon D5; Canon EOS-1D C with Sony A900 and Sony SLT-A99 II with Sony A900, and the results are very good.

    * up 25fps RAW and JPEG wirelessly
    * wireless live-view to pc on supported live-view cameras
    * wireless radio flash trigger
    * got a video clip using Sony A900 & shocked even many Sony staff/photographers.
    would you like to see it?

    1. Hey, I don’t know the TP link. If you have a link to the videoclip you can always post it here, it may help others in their search for an alternative to built in Wi-Fi! Thanks for your comprehensive answers! By the way, I’ve only tested the CamFi up to about 25 meters, didn’t have any practical use for longer range…

      Rick

  3. Hi Rick,

    Take a look at this video.
    The ATG AK1 Un-Tethered System on Sony A900 at Sony.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-xNAKqSKMQNYnZIaElXeHoycDg/view

    Notes:
    Because the ATG AK1 Un-Tethered System has Sony MIS (multi-interface shoe) and the Sony A900 has Minolta’s hotshoe, an adapter was required.

    ATG AK1 Un-Tethered System comes in three versions & specs:
    – Standard hotshoe
    – Minolta hotshoe
    – Sony hotshoe
    – Supports dual live-views
    – Supports wireless audio/video transfers
    – Supports on card/pc or pc
    – Supports wireless radio flash
    – Supports ATG AF micro lens adjustment
    – Supports ATG AF touchscreen
    – Supports *CLONPS cameras
    – Does more than Canon WFT & Nikon WT
    Examples:
    works on 1D X Mark II down to Rebel; Nikon D5 to D50, Sony SLT-A99v, A900, A7
    down to A58; Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Samsung NX1
    – Transform a tethered camera to become un-tethered (wirelessly)
    – Up to 24fps RAW/JPEG shooting from camera or on wireless pc

    Truly,
    ATG

    *CLONPS = Canon/Leica (also Hasselblad/Phase One), Olympus,
    Nikon,Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung & Sony

  4. Hi Rick,

    Here showing a video of a better flavor over CamFi.
    The Camfi weakness, if the battery runs out then you are out of luck.
    Just like photographers buying Profoto B1 (out of battery, your are out of luck) over ATG Gold TTL Series.

    http://www.tp-link.com/sa/products/details/cat-4691_TL-MR3040.html

    ATG Gold Wireless Kim X3 in action:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B73R4qYWkdTJbGxNRXI4ZGpEeTg/view

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B73R4qYWkdTJa3F2T0J6QVN1VVk/view

    Many photographers can’t afford a lightmeter /or they just don’t know how to use it.
    As the same time many photographers do not know how to do white balance.
    What one sees on the camera’s LCD is low quality JEG images and not white balanced.

    So load it up on your Android and become a better photographer, rather than sitting behind the computer to correct your mistakes.
    Oh, they are free.

    Well, I hope those above can be helpful.

    Truly,
    ATG

  5. can you tell if the exposure meter is displayed in CamFi as you change the shutter etc is it shown in live view in real time.

    1. Hi Kem, I don’t know for sure. I don’t have the CamFi anymore to test it. If I’m remembering correctly it did on my D800 but that may be different on other cameras. For instance not all Nikon cameras can change the aperture when they are in live view. They will keep the aperture you’ve selected when you open live view until you take a photo, so the image you see in live view may not show the aperture you’ve chosen. I think that will be the same when using the CamFi. But to make sure I’d advise you to contact CamFi, I’m sure they can tell you.
      Rick

  6. Pingback: CamFi Pro on Indigogo - Ricks Reviews

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