{"id":218,"date":"2010-12-07T11:55:00","date_gmt":"2010-12-07T16:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/2010\/12\/07\/eye-fi-pro-x2-memory-card-extended-review\/"},"modified":"2013-09-23T06:52:39","modified_gmt":"2013-09-23T10:52:39","slug":"eye-fi-pro-x2-memory-card-extended-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/eye-fi-pro-x2-memory-card-extended-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Eye-Fi Pro X2 memory card – extended review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every once in a while, something revolutionary hits an industry \u2013 hopefully for the better. Such is the impact of the Eye-Fi memory cards for digital cameras. The newest in their line, the Pro X2 is an absolutely astounding combination of 8 GB of memory, WiFi support, geotagging, RAW support and ad hoc network capabilities. If there is a photographer on this year\u2019s gift list, you couldn\u2019t find a thing he\u2019d like better.<\/p>\n

Assuming your camera uses SD cards, Eye-Fi has a card for your situation. If you use SD, and especially if you shoot RAW photos, you need to load up on the Pro X2. Where to start? There is so much to like about the card.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
SPEED<\/b>  Writing  photos to your card is done at impressive Class 6 speeds. A card is only good for pros if the data can be written as quickly as the photographer is shooting.  I recently shot snow-tubing races and this card had no trouble keeping up with me.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/div>\n

SIZE<\/b> While all the current Eye-Fi cards offer at least 4 GB, the Pro X2 offers a generous 8 GB of storage. For a professional Nikon shooter, shooting RAW images, that equates to almost 400 images per card. For an amateur shooting JPEG images, expect well over 1,000(up to 4,000) images depending on the quality setting in your camera.<\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
UPLOADING<\/b> For my entire previous shooting career, uploading my images was a case of finding my card reader, plugging it into the appropriate computer and then waiting while it transferred my images. With the Eye-Fi line of cards, assuming you have WiFi, when you turn on your camera within 45\u2019 of your computer (90\u2019 outdoors), the transfer starts automatically. Photos are delivered wirelessly to the folder you designated during setup. No more removing the card. Just turn on your camera and watch the photos fly onto your hard drive as each photo shows in a small thumbnail on the lower right corner of your screen.  <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
AUTO SHUTOFF<\/b> Watch for auto shutoff on your camera \u2013 if it shuts down before all the images are transferred, you\u2019ll need to restart it or transfer the old fashioned way. Many cameras now have support built right in for Eye-Fi cards and they will not only stay on during the entire transfer, they are smart enough to turn your camera off when completed.  Over 10 million cameras now have this support built-in.<\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
ENDLESS MEMORY  <\/b>What\u2019s that \u2013 endless memory?  With a configuration you set, the card is actually smart enough to know what files have already been uploaded, and if you start to fill your card, it can erase those photos you\u2019ve already uploaded to make more room for continued shooting. The percentages when this kicks in and the whole process is determined by you during setup. <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
NETWORK COMPATABILITY<\/b>  Eye-Fi works on all 802.11 b\/g\/n networks. Depending on the traffic on your network, it\u2019s capable of transferring data at 10-15 megabits\/second. <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
HOTSPOTS<\/b>  As you travel, you probably don\u2019t carry your router, so photos can be uploaded and saved at thousands of AT&T hotspot locations including  Starbucks, McDonalds, hotels and airports.  One year of hotspot access is included with your purchase.<\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
AD HOC NETWORKS<\/b>  Out on a beach, up in the mountains, no router and no networks = no trouble. You can set up your laptop to create an ad-hoc network and wirelessly transfer photos anywhere. <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
ONLINE UPLOAD  <\/b>As your photos are being uploaded, they can also be stored in the cloud on a special Eye-Fi server.  Your photos go here for a rolling 7 days, just in case your camera should get lost or stolen.  After seven days, Eye-Fi assumes they are safely stored somewhere else and then removes them. If you want permanent storage, that\u2019s an extra cost option. If you are using a metered data plan, this feature can be turned off to avoid excessive charges. Once online, you can share the photos with any smartphone.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/div>\n

ONLINE SHARING<\/b>  While on the road, people can\u2019t wait to share their travel photos. Now, you needn\u2019t wait. Again, with a user configurable setting, you can instantly upload one or all of your photos onto most of the popular social media sites. They can be sent to Facebook, flickr, Picasa, MobileMe plus a dozen or more others, right from your camera with no computer needed. (You will need a hotspot or network access however.) <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
VIDEO<\/b>  The Eye-Fi cards can handle a variety of video formats including: mpg, mov, flv, wmv, avi, mp4 and mts.  Files are limited to 2 GB in size. Videos can be uploaded wirelessly to YouTube, flickr, SmugMug, Picasa Web, Phanfare and Photobucket.<\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
GEOTAGGING<\/b>  There is no GPS actually onboard the card, but with an amazing use of Wi-Fi positioning technology, if you are near any Wi-Fi signal, it will register it and use it to geotag your photos. Even if it\u2019s a secured Wi-Fi signal you don\u2019t have permission to use, it will locate the signal\u2019s source in a database and use its location to tag your photos. Truly amazing. Since it\u2019s using WI-Fi instead of GPS, that means it will actually work inside a building where standard GPS would not. <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
RAW FORMAT<\/b>  Pros generally shoot RAW images, and that\u2019s an area where the photo industry could have been nicer to Eye-Fi. Every camera manufacturer seems to have their own proprietary RAW format and metadata is kept in different places on different brand cameras. So, even though the Eye-Fi Pro 2X will shoot, store and transfer RAW files just fine, don\u2019t be surprised by mixed results when it comes to some of the other features. <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I experimented with Canon and Nikon RAW formats. In all cases, the files transferred to my computer with no problem. Sometimes, the thumbnails would show up, sometimes not. Sometimes the geotagging would attach itself to a RAW file and sometimes not. As more and more cameras begin to incorporate Eye-Fi technology right into their operating systems, expect this to get better in the foreseeable future. <\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
This tiny card has already revolutionized how I shoot and how I think about shooting. I doubt I\u2019ll ever buy another standard media card for my SD equipped cameras. Eye-Fi just has too much to like. <\/o:p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every once in a while, something revolutionary hits an industry \u2013 hopefully for the better. Such is the impact of the Eye-Fi memory cards for digital cameras. The newest in their line, the Pro X2 is an absolutely astounding combination of 8 GB of memory, WiFi support, geotagging, RAW support and ad hoc network capabilities. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","cos_headline_score":0,"cos_seo_score":0,"cos_headline_text":"","cos_headline_has_been_analyzed":false,"cos_last_analyzed_headline":[],"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[608,606],"tags":[269,270,55,271],"class_list":["post-218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latest-news-blog","category-photography-2","tag-media-cards","tag-memory-cards","tag-sd-card","tag-storage"],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","rpg_gallery_admin_thumb":"","rpg_gallery_thumb":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","gb-block-post-grid-landscape":"","gb-block-post-grid-square":"","et-pb-post-main-image":"","et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":"","et-pb-portfolio-image":"","et-pb-portfolio-module-image":"","et-pb-portfolio-image-single":"","et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":"","et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large":"","et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":"","et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":"","et-pb-image--responsive--phone":""},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"

Every once in a while, something revolutionary hits an industry \u2013 hopefully for the better. Such is the impact of the Eye-Fi memory cards for digital cameras. The newest in their line, the Pro X2 is an absolutely astounding combination of 8 GB of memory, WiFi support, geotagging, RAW support and ad hoc network capabilities. If there is a photographer on this year\u2019s gift list, you couldn\u2019t find a thing he\u2019d like better. Assuming your camera uses SD cards, Eye-Fi has a card for your situation. If you use SD, and especially if you shoot RAW photos, you need to…<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Blog<\/a>, Photography<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Doug","url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/author\/admindoug\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","author_meta":{"display_name":"Doug","author_link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/author\/admindoug\/"},"featured_img":null,"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Doug","author_link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/author\/admindoug\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Blog<\/a>","Photography<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Blog<\/span>","Photography<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["media cards<\/a>","Memory cards<\/a>","SD card<\/a>","storage<\/a>"],"unlinked":["media cards<\/span>","Memory cards<\/span>","SD card<\/span>","storage<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 15 years ago","modified":"Updated 13 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on December 7, 2010","modified":"Updated on September 23, 2013"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on December 7, 2010 11:55 am","modified":"Updated on September 23, 2013 6:52 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p21Ejy-3w","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14088,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/the-eye-fi-advantage-upload-your-photos-without-trying\/","url_meta":{"origin":218,"position":0},"title":"The EYE-Fi advantage – upload your photos without trying","author":"Doug","date":"June 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"If you are like most casual photographers, you\u2019ve probably heard that you should back up your photos, but there are a lot more fun things to do than worry about that.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t become crystal clear until you lose your favorite ones.\u00a0 One close by lightning strike, one errant virus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Past"","block_context":{"text":"Past","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/past\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Different capacity Eye-Fi cards","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/3cards-stacked.png?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/3cards-stacked.png?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/3cards-stacked.png?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/3cards-stacked.png?fit=700%2C700&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8336,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/leef-memory-cards-outperform-wet-wintery-weather\/","url_meta":{"origin":218,"position":1},"title":"Leef memory cards outperform in wet, wintery weather","author":"Doug","date":"February 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"After becoming disillusioned with one of the major brands of SD cards recently, I\u2019ve been on a search for additional vendors that I could recommend. Just before the 2014 CES show I came across Leef Technology LTD, based right here in the good ole USA. Leef Technology They\u2019ve been in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Photography"","block_context":{"text":"Photography","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/photography-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Leef Technology LTD memory card","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Leef-9538.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Leef-9538.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Leef-9538.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34412,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/kingston-technologys-prescription-for-a-photographers-pain-point\/","url_meta":{"origin":218,"position":2},"title":"Kingston Technology\u2019s Prescription For A Photographer\u2019s Pain Point","author":"Doug","date":"February 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Kingston has come up with a great solution for photographers and videographers, determined to speed up their workflow.","rel":"","context":"In "Photography"","block_context":{"text":"Photography","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/photography-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kingston Workflow Station and SD cards","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210207-1493-1024.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210207-1493-1024.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210207-1493-1024.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/210207-1493-1024.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":280,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/product-review-two-for-the-road-for-digital-photographers\/","url_meta":{"origin":218,"position":3},"title":"Product review \u2013 Two for the road \u2013 for digital photographers","author":"Doug","date":"April 19, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Lexar 600X Compact Flash and Lexar 133x Secure Digital Media (SD cards)\u00a0Whoever said \u201cSize matters\u201d probably wasn\u2019t a digital photographer, but if he had been, he would have still been quite correct. When packing for a trip, the fewer digital media cards you can get by with, the better off\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/latest-news-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-D1zSMVcD_5w\/Ta2yRnqd5AI\/AAAAAAAAAbk\/VweTvBNxpHs\/s320\/400-lexar-cards.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8800,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/kingston-sdxc-can-keep-camera-whatever-shoot\/","url_meta":{"origin":218,"position":4},"title":"Kingston SDXC can keep up with your camera \u2013 whatever you shoot","author":"Doug","date":"March 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"As cameras get bigger sensors and as people shoot more, the storage requirements get increasingly large.\u00a0 Yesterday\u2019s 1, 2 and 4 GB flash cards have given way to an array of small, yet faster SD cards. I\u2019m using a Kingston 64GB SDHC\/SDXC UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3)\u00a0card (Kingston\u00ae\u00a0part #: SDA3\/xxGB)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tech, Gadgets & Gear"","block_context":{"text":"Tech, Gadgets & Gear","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/tech-gadgets-gear-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kingston 64GB SDXC and G3 Reader","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Kingston-3867.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Kingston-3867.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Kingston-3867.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15297,"url":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/lexar-1800x-and-2933x-memory-cards-offer-amazing-transfer-rates-for-4k-video\/","url_meta":{"origin":218,"position":5},"title":"Lexar 1800x and 2933x memory cards offer amazing transfer rates for 4K video","author":"Doug","date":"April 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If you are experimenting with the new, uber-popular 4K video, you need to make sure your memory cards are up for the challenge. With the high transfer rate of today\u2019s action cams and aerial drones, a slow card can severely challenge your project. A couple to consider are Lexar\u2019s new\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Past"","block_context":{"text":"Past","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/category\/past\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lexar-cards-and-Drive.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lexar-cards-and-Drive.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lexar-cards-and-Drive.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lexar-cards-and-Drive.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Lexar-cards-and-Drive.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}