Live data from Hacker News

A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

petapixel.com

11–20 of 76 posts

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#11
post #4

I understand it's probably because the GPS functionality is integrated into the same RF chipset that's handling wifi/bluetooth, but it would be possible to make a "no transmit capability" camera that still has GPS metadata functionality, with GPS receiver chip and an antenna tuned for 1400-1600 MHz, since ordinary consumer grade GPS is a receive-only technology. But that would still possibly present a problem for ser…

>Can't have an antenna of any form in it.

All wires are antennas...

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#13

> no Nikon SnapBridge Unless they significantly improved that app, in the last eight years or so, it may not be a great loss.

same with canon, the app requires full access to your photos to run (not just add permission)

people should know that a USB-C to USB-C cable can easily import to the photos app on an iphone with a decent UI

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#14
post #10

I assume the average person buying the standard model could then just disable WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS if they so chose? So this really is for high security situations?

Disabling the hardware without bricking the whole thing rather than trusting the software makes all the difference.

Why not switches like the pine phone?

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#15
>Nikon tells PetaPixel that this is to evaluate potential market demand for similar products moving forward.

Yes, evaluate market demand by making it more expensive and doing 0 marketing. /s

Am I crazy in thinking that doing it this way is close to meaningless?

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#17
post #4

I understand it's probably because the GPS functionality is integrated into the same RF chipset that's handling wifi/bluetooth, but it would be possible to make a "no transmit capability" camera that still has GPS metadata functionality, with GPS receiver chip and an antenna tuned for 1400-1600 MHz, since ordinary consumer grade GPS is a receive-only technology. But that would still possibly present a problem for ser…

The camera (even the regular model) does not have its own GPS receiver at all. It relies on a smartphone to transmit GPS coordinates over Bluetooth.

This is pretty common in modern cameras, presumably because most photographers expect to be able to turn their cameras on and off very rapidly, and it would be difficult to maintain a GPS fix with that usage pattern.

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#18
post #13

> no Nikon SnapBridge Unless they significantly improved that app, in the last eight years or so, it may not be a great loss.

same with canon, the app requires full access to your photos to run (not just add permission) people should know that a USB-C to USB-C cable can easily import to the photos app on an iphone with a decent UI

> people should know that a USB-C to USB-C cable can easily import to the photos app on an iphone with a decent UI

This is amazing intel. Thank you.

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#19
post #15

>Nikon tells PetaPixel that this is to evaluate potential market demand for similar products moving forward. Yes, evaluate market demand by making it more expensive and doing 0 marketing. /s Am I crazy in thinking that doing it this way is close to meaningless?

The article also explains that retailers have had customers ask for this, which is why Nikon is trialing selling this through those channels instead of direct, as usual.

You don't really have to market something like this. There is a VERY small subset of users that NEED this feature, and they will seek it out. The kind of user that wants this is not as price sensitive as a consumer. A few hundred extra dollars doesn't matter to an organization that needs this for an RF sensitive scientific environment, or a secure facility.

See also: iPhones with cameras removed. You've likely never heard of them and they are not marketed at all, but if you are one of the few that need one, you know they exist, and the price premium doesn't matter. $1400 for a used 2020 iPhone SE, if you're curious. That's a 10x premium on what you would pay for that phone anywhere else.

Re: A Special Wireless-Free Nikon Camera Is Publicly Available for the First Time

#20

I assume the average person buying the standard model could then just disable WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS if they so chose? So this really is for high security situations?

You can turn off those features in software on any of their cameras, but for secure facilities it needs to not exist.

This is for high security, or high RF sensitive environments. Governments and institutions are the target market.

Post reply on HN