Author: | | Junior Member Registered: November, 2008 Location: Regina, Saskatchewan Canada Posts: 26 | Review Date: March 16, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $90.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Live view | Cons: | I'd like an APP | | Should be great for bites and wild life? Can hardly wait for spring.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: February, 2014 Posts: 31 | Review Date: March 21, 2014 | Not Recommended | Price: $150.00
| Rating: 3 |
Pros: | Nice try | Cons: | Slow, expensive (Australia),no RAW'S, ltd. use | | There is quite a way for Pentax to go before I find the 'flu card' useful enough to think about it seriously.
| | | | Pentaxian Registered: June, 2010 Location: North Zealand, Denmark Posts: 1,516 4 users found this helpful | Review Date: April 22, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $145.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | It does what it promises - and it does it very well | Cons: | Limitations in available camera functions; Manual rather limited too | | I carefully studied the specs first and then bought this device for remote control, including critical focusing, of my camera and I have not been dissapointed.
The limitations in (raw) file transfer will undoubtedly be a significant, negative factor for some, but I would not consider a wireless solution for download of raw files anyway.
For me, the negative aspects are first of all the limitations in funcionalyty when it comes to features such as mirror lock-up, use of self-timer/delayed release and bracketing. It may be my lack of technical insight, but I don't see any obvious reasons why these functions cannot be set on the camera body before remote control takes over. In that respect, the card to me appears a bit as an "unfinished" product, and one may hope(?) that there will be updates available.
Also, the manual could have been better. It isn't easy to see, that the program wheel can still be operated in all situations, while disengaging live view allows one to regain control over the other camera buttons. And the need to minimize the browser window on a PC in order to get access to the on-screen control buttons should also have been described in some detail.
That said, setup and use is very straightforward and to me it is a great strength that this card is so designed that it can be used with - almost - any platform, be it PC, Tablet, Phone, Mac, and - almost -. any browser. So far, I have had only few and no serious issues with reliability and stability (other than one might expect with any wireless communication device).
What I really like with this concept is the ability to select a suitable focus area with a simple mouse-click or a tap with the finger together with the ability to do manual fine-tuning of critical focus, even using Focus Peak, at an almost 100% view of the selected focus area. Also, the selectable shutter release method where focusing and release can be madeeither simutaneously or independent of each other is a well thought of feature.
Finally, I can confirm that JPEG image view and file transfer is smooth and hazzle-free, as long as one accepts that it takes the few seconds it does to transfer files wirelessly. But for me, keeping the files on the memory cards is still to be preferred.
All in all, I am content with my purchase. As said, It does what it promises and for my needs, it does that very well indeed.
| | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2010 Location: Somewhere in the Southern US Posts: 12,285 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: January 1, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 9 |
Pros: | Tethering! Wireless tethering!! | Cons: | Manual stinks. Distance limited | | First the review and walk through on the Flu card done here at PF by the staff is golden! The manual stinks but the walk through here got everything sorted out in short order. Must use the iPad in portrait orientation to get full access to camera controls. Check. Must reset wifi name and password to get annoying reminders to stop. Check. Must use card in 2nd slot. Check.
Transferring 24mb RAW files wirelessly is not why I find this card useful. If you want to transfer files quickly this is NOT the way to go. I find the remote camera control, while not comprehensive, the reason for the card. Larger live view screen on my iPad for manual focusing of astroshots is alone good enough reason to own the Flu card IMHO. Yes a wireless remote or wired remote can trigger the shutter without shake but composing and focusing on the retina display of the iPad instead of the 3" LCD on the camera is not something those remotes can do. Huge + for Pentax!
I'm sure the card can be improved. But, we've been begging for tethering for years and now we have it wirelessly!
Price was $20 as a bundled item with my new K-3.
UPDATE: A conversation here with another member got me to thinking, would my Flucard work with my old iPad1? It's not much good for anything these days with it's out of date ios. Fired it up, connected to the Flucard, and accessed Safari. K-3 worked like a champ with the old iPad. Seems all you need is wifi and a browser. My iPad1 is now in my K-3 kit bag for use in the field. | | | | | Loyal Site Supporter Registered: November, 2009 Location: West Cornwall Posts: 128 2 users found this helpful | Review Date: May 31, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 8 |
Pros: | permanently in camera, works smoothly, basic wireless tethering | Cons: | doesn't work with windows phones. | | So many people misunderstand what the Pentax Flucard Pro is for.
Its main use is NOT for fast wifi transfer of big image files.
It is primarily a basic wireless tethering device, to operate the camera remotely in a 7 metre range.
Some people have bought it without reading up on what it does then blamed the card for their own lack of research and given bad reviews on Internet Forums etc. Shame.
Others have acquired the non Pentax Flucard and become frustrated trying to get it to work!
Mine is in the camera full time but turned off, fit and forget......it can still be used as a standard SD card to save files or as a backup to the main card.
When I need it I turn it on and use it with my Android Tablet for tripod mounted shots, product shots, macro, document recording etc., so I don't have to bend and squint through a right angle finder, it is even better than a flip up viewfinder would be.
If you've already got an Android or Apple device or even a Windows device (other than a phone) then this is an inexpensive way to get wireless tethering! | | | | Senior Member Registered: January, 2014 Location: Texas Posts: 263 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: August 6, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $64.00
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | simple hook up and provides nice .jpg view on iPhone and iPad | Cons: | Only one picture at a time can be viewed in large view and copied | | I find it strange that you can only download one picture at a time on the iPad! Also I would like to see the pictures come up in full view as I shoot, rather than in the multi-view screen.!
| | | | Site Supporter Registered: March, 2015 Posts: 42 1 user found this helpful | Review Date: November 10, 2015 | Not Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 5 |
Pros: | Simplicity | Cons: | Incredebly slow, dificult to conect with smartphone. | | I use it with my K-3 and sudenly I don't know why but now I can't work it with my Nexus 5 with Android 6.
I try conect it and it detects flucard but mantain the massage connecting and it refuses to work.
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