34 responses

  1. Matthew Brink
    February 28, 2012

    Great article Mike! I haven’t heard of that one yet.

    Reply

  2. Joe Bulger
    February 28, 2012

    Thanks for the tips Mike.
    I had been using an Eye-Fi at my front desk for quick ID photos. Your iPad transfer is much cooler. Having the patient hold it will totally engage them.
    Joe 😀

    Reply

  3. Dave
    February 28, 2012

    Does the Eye-Fi iOS app support inverting the images vertically and horizontally?

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      February 28, 2012

      Good question. I’ll have to check, but I don’t think so. You can also view the photos in the regular iPad photo viewer.

      Reply

  4. Michael Logies
    March 3, 2012

    Mike,

    I have got the “Eye-Fi Connect X2 4 GB” yesterday. I could reproduce what you did with my Ricoh CX3 and my ipod touch.
    I had to format the card before the Ricoh could write on it. Before formatting I did a backup of the card (including the hidden folder).

    I have configured the system a bit different: After the transfer from camera to ipod has finished, I switch off the camera and can discuss the pictures with the patient.

    In the background my ipod then gets its office WLAN again, automatically (because the WLAN of the Eye-Fi card has disappeared when camera is switched off). The Eye-Fi app on the ipod will then contact the Eye-Fi-program on my PC and starts uploading the pictures to a directory on my office NAS.

    I`m only missing a way to erase all pictures in the Apple-foto-app together (or the Eye-Fi-app, they are using the same directory on the ipod) after I have finished discussing them with the patient.

    Thanks for bringing this up!

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      March 3, 2012

      Hello Michael! (My long-time dentist friend in Germany!)

      I have a quick question. The Eye-Fi card preferentially chooses a wireless network over the DIRECT mode (to iPad). So, I had to remove all other networks from the Eye-Fi card to get it to do the direct thing with the iPad.

      How did you keep the office network on the card AND get it to do the direct mode?

      Thanks for chiming in!

      Reply

      • Michael Logies
        March 3, 2012

        Mike, the Eye-Fi card is only configured for direct mode. Once the pictures have arrived on the ipad, the Eye-Fi card is out of the game (switched off with the camera). It`s only a connection between the Eye-Fi-app on the ipad and your PC. You have to configure the Eye-Fi-app for uploading to the PC (upper left corner of App, then “Upload” in my german app). And on the PC the Eye-Fi-Server has to be running for receiving your pictures (called “Eye-Fi-Helper, the orange tray icon). You also may have to configure the automatic upload in the “Eye-Fi-Center” you start from the tray icon. Once the Eye-Fi-Center is running, you click with a right mouse click on the card in the list for devices for configuring it, same for your ipad symbol below. Good luck!

        Reply

      • The Dental Warrior
        March 3, 2012

        Oh! I see…. wasn’t paying attention. Got it. Well done!

        Reply

  5. Alan Mead
    March 8, 2012

    Awesome! I got one of these Eye Fi cards for Christmas and never took it out of the box. I’m going to try it this weekend and if it’s as easy as it looks, I’m going to fly down to Florida and give you a big kiss on the lips!

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      March 8, 2012

      Thanks for the warning! 😀

      Reply

  6. Alan Mead
    March 8, 2012

    Another question, Mike.

    Do you need to have an existing wifi network in place to do this? Or does the card create it’s own network?

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      March 8, 2012

      That’s the cool part. It creates its own network that your iPad will pick up! Turn your iPad on. Click on the Settings and then on WiFi. Shoot a photo, and you’ll see the Eye-Fi card / network show up. Click on it to select it. Then open the Eye-Fi app, and you’re off to the races. Shoot some more photos, and you’ll see them pop up on the Eye-Fi app. But, that app isn’t the best place to view them with patients. Open the native “Photos” app, and you’ll see the photos pop up there, too. But, now you can easily zoom and flip through photos.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply

  7. michael
    April 25, 2012

    Do you have an Ipad 1,2 or 3?

    Reply

    • michael
      April 25, 2012

      How much storage does your ipad have?

      Reply

      • michael
        April 25, 2012

        I went ahead about bought the wifi card and a 32 gig Ipad 2. I love the idead of the patient HOLDING the ipad and owning their problems.

        Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      April 25, 2012

      Hi Michael,

      At the office, I have an iPad 1 with the smallest amount of memory. The ONLY reason I got it (originally) was to use the fantastic patient education app called, “DDS GP.” https://thedentalwarrior.com/2011/01/13/dds-gp-be-a-treatment-presentation-ninja/

      So, I’m using the same iPad for this purpose.

      Reply

  8. michael
    May 5, 2012

    https://www.dropbox.com/anywhere

    I got my IPAD and eyefi card last week. But had to run to the TDA meeting. I took my laptop and used the super cool DROPBOX. It makes my life SO much easier. No more taking a USB memory stick to work to bring files home for me to work on. Everything is updated on dropbox.

    I see dropbox is abailable for the ipad.

    Reply

    • michael
      May 5, 2012

      Description
      Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your iPhone and iPad and even the Dropbox website! With the Dropbox app, you can take everything that matters to you on the go.

      Reply

  9. Michael Nugent
    May 8, 2012

    dropbox just worked great. You download the free app. My assistant is really good about downloading from the memory card. She simply makes a folder with the patients name in my dropbox, downloads the pictures to it. Once the pictures hit my PC dropbox account all my other dropbox folders on my other computers and devices (ipad) sync.

    I don’t have to deal with ipad and selecting what wireless signal.

    I might even send my EYE-Fi card back.

    Just another tip and option for fellow dental warriors. I can’t wait to have the patient hold the ipad and “own their problem”

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      May 8, 2012

      You lost me there. 🙂 I also use dropbox for some things (backing up blog, for example). But, I don’t know why you’d return your eye-fi card.

      The purpose of the eye-fi card is so when I take a photo with my camera, it IMMEDIATELY goes to the iPad, where the patient SEES it. No removing the card from the camera to load photos into a computer first. Instantaneous, clear image on the iPad the patient can see, touch, and manipulate (zoom, pan).

      Reply

  10. James McCreary
    May 24, 2012

    Thanks again for the wonderful tip!!! I went and bought an ipad and card, and payed for the whole thing multiple times over with the first patient I used it one. I was showing her a large crack with leaking amalgam on #3, and she tried to throw the iPad back to me “Get that ugly tooth away from me!!!!”. Got her and her husband scheduled to place crowns.

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      May 24, 2012

      That’s great, James! Music to our ears, eh? “Get that ugly tooth away from me!”

      Reply

  11. Dr. Sunayana
    December 24, 2013

    Hi Mike,

    Thanks for the great article and sharing coolest solution I have ever thought.

    One quick question, one of the reason I refrain myself using SLR/DSLRs/Digital Cameras is the flash or light you require inside patient’s mouth to take crisp pictures.

    And so intra-oral cameras are so famous because they provide white light and nice focus camera to do the job. However I never liked any of them as the picture quality is not upto the mark.

    In your video, I noticed you have some attachment on the camera at the top and on the lenses which probably helping you to take such nice photos.
    Can you share some more details about the same.

    Thanks a lot once again

    Regards,

    Dr. Sunayana

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      December 24, 2013

      Hello Dr. Sunayana,

      If you’re using a dSLR or other type of traditional camera, a macro flash is essential. The normal flash (on top of the camera or away from the lens) will cast shadows and the light will not reach the subject (inside the mouth). A ring flash or dual lens-mounted point flashes are necessary.

      Reply

  12. Luke Barsalou
    March 28, 2014

    Hey there Michael, I’m trying to get my patient photos to be “in their hands” on the ipad we use for education and training with patients, but I’m not sold on the Eye-Fi speed of transfer. Since you wrote this article, there are canon dslrs that come with wireless connectivity (6D, 60d, etc) and I’m wondering if you found the Eye-Fi to be fast enough or if you think there are better options out there now (as of March 2014). Thanks so much and I enjoy your blog!

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      March 28, 2014

      Hi Luke,

      One of the things I don’t like about the eye-fi is that it transfers ALL the photos that are “in the que” before the most recent photos. So, sometimes I have to wait, which can be annoying. I haven’t figured out how to get around that.

      There very well may be better options with newer cameras. I honestly don’t know. But, I’m not ready to buy a new camera, yet. 🙂

      Thanks for visiting my blog and for your comments!

      Reply

  13. Ken Cohrn
    April 26, 2014

    Found you seaching for ideas- great site!
    Ken

    Reply

  14. Scott Hicks
    October 26, 2014

    Excellent blog Michael. Thank you! It’s been a couple of years since you first wrote this article and I’m curious to know what hardware you (and perhaps others) currently prefer. Can you tell me please, what Camera/Lens/Flash combination(s) you like to use?

    Reply

    • The Dental Warrior
      October 26, 2014

      Hi Scott,

      Thanks for visiting and taking time to post a comment.

      I’ve been using a Canon Rebel XSi with a 60-mm macro lens and Canon ring flash (MR-14??). I’ve had it for several years. Before that, I had a Fuji S2 Pro, which died. I prefer a 100-mm macro lens (don’t have to get as close to the patient).

      Reply

      • Scott Hicks
        October 27, 2014

        Thank you for your quick and helpful reply. I’m confused on your lens focal length preference. Do you prefer the 100mm or the 60mm macro lens?

        Reply

      • The Dental Warrior
        October 27, 2014

        I got the 60-mm lens on the lightweight Canon Rebel XSi, for a compact package that would be easy for my staff to use (theoretically). My previous camera (Fuji S2 Pro) with a 100-mm lens was a beast. It takes two hands to use, and even then, it gets heavy.

        The advantage of the 100-mm lens is that you don’t have to get as close to the patient to get tight intraoral shots. Sometimes, you’re almost touching the patient’s nose with the flash on the end of the 60-mm lens.

        60-mm lens = lightweight and compact. But, you have to get closer.
        100-mm lens = heavier and more cumbersome. But, you don’t have to get as close (more magnification).

        Reply

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