Eye-Fi launches wireless memory card for pro photographers

June 10, 2009 | Dean Takahashi | Comments | |

Eye-Fi has been building out its product line of memory cards that use Wi-Fi to upload photos directly from a digital camera to the Internet.

Now it’s going one step further with the Eye-Fi Pro, aimed at professional photographers and enthusiasts. This new four-gigabyte card has support for a variety of files — RAW, JPEG and various video files — and well as other cool features. You can now geo-tag photos, or mark the exact location where they were taken. You can upload in a peer-to-peer fashion, meaning no wireless router is need to upload data to a computer. And you can gain easier access to Wi-Fi hot spots.

And photographers can also use a feature dubbed Selective Transfer to pick which photos or videos will be automatically updated. Lastly, Nikon and Casio are now offering Eye-Fi connected cameras.

The Eye-Fi Pro card can upload images to 25 online photo and video sharing sites. It costs $149 on Amazon.com and the Eye-Fi site. Eye-Fi has other cards, including some that can upload directly to YouTube.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company was founded in 2005 and its investors include LMS Capital, Opus Capital, Shasta Ventures and Translink Capital. Eye-Fi has raised $17.5 million to date.

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About the Author, Dean Takahashi

Dean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

  • Sam
    Assuming this is yet another SD card. It would be nice to see a Compact Flash card for pro-cameras.
  • scarabeetle101
    can't you get adapters? I'm sure I've seen things that you slot the SD card into...
  • Agree on CF support. Also RAW support (not just beaming whole files to your computer but beaming to online services for archival.)
  • Good luck uploading 30 MB raw files (per image) to the Internet without a 20 Mbps symmetric Verizon FiOS connection. Just uploading 30 MB (240 megabit) images to your computer using 802.11n @ 60 Mbps is slow enough.
  • Well some of us are still on 8mp DSLRS (20D etc.) with 5mb RAW files. Also this goes out over WiFi. The way I'd use it is when I get home I wouldn't have to use my card reader, just let it archive over my home WiFi and to my laptop for editing. I archive my RAW files online as it is, just want to make that step simpler.
  • Ben
    Well I'm glad to hear I can use it in my D90 and shoot RAW with it. Score!
  • Bill
    Just use an SD to CF adapter you can use something like http://www.diginetlink.com/SD_to_CF_Type_II_Ada... (not an affiliate link, I just put it here to help you out) these work perfectly and the convenience of the Eye-Fi is great.

    Interested to see how the selective uploading works as I have had many pics that I did not want uploaded, accidentally get uploaded (uploaded before getting required releases signed, etc).
  • kP
    My Wii has an SD slot - Can I place one ot these into my Wii and then PUSH video or content to it for viewing on my TV?
  • No, the Eye-Fi is only for transfering pictures FROM a device to the web. Not the other way around.
  • Congrats EyeFi! I love their wireless memory card - make sit so much easier to take photos and upload.
  • fast
    for pro photographers it is important how fast the card is read/write but eyefi does not provide this info on the web site. how "pro" is that?
  • Good stuff! Anyone know when and what type of cameras Nikon is going to produce to accept this? I am in the market and would love to get this as well.
  • Demetri Mouratis
    Most Nikons work now. I have the D90 working with the Pro card just fine.