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Samsung SH100 with WiFi and Android App

I forgot when I posted the previous article that in January, Samsung announced the SH100, which has WiFi builtin, and you can control it from a smart phone. I don't know if the ABI is exposed so that anybody could write an Android app to control the phone, or what type of s/w they provide:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/1101/11010403samsungsh100.asp

Michael Meissner
Sat, 12 Mar 2011 06:37:11 +0000

Thanks for mentioning the Samsung SH100. The Wi-Fi interface sounds really cool. And with a packet sniffer, it's probably really easy to determine its communication protocol. From there, a Android version of the app probably won't be too difficult.

Chieh Cheng
Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:54:32 +0000

Well Samsung already makes available an Android App to control the SH100 (go to the app store and look for "Remote Viewfinder", the only one is the app that I saw was the one from Samsung). Just for fun, I just downloaded the app to my LG Optumus T phone that is running Android 2.2, and it wouldn't run, saying wrong version. If I have to use a Samsung phone to control it, it makes much less interesting.

For my camera, there are ways to do remote viewing to special devices, but I was hoping the Samsung would provide an off the shelf solution.

I asked about it in the samsung group on dpreview.com and got one response so far from a user:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1001&messag . . .

Michael Meissner
Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:08:41 +0000

I checked out the Remote Viewfinder app on Android Market:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.samsung.app

It sounds pretty neat. But it kept mentioning Samsung Galaxy S. I wonder if the app only works with that particular phone. Sadly the Sprint Epic 4G (Galaxy S) still only has Android 2.1 and this app needs Android 2.2.

I wanted to see if this app works with my Samsung Intercept, but it doesn't even show up on the Android Market on this phone. I'm guessing it's because my Samsung Intercept is still running Android 2.1.

Another question I have is: will this app work with non-Samsung Android phones?

Chieh Cheng
Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:37:57 +0000

The app is visible if you have an Android 2.2 phone. I downloaded it to my LG Optimus T android phone, and it would not run, giving a cryptic message saying not at the right level. So, the SH100 looks a lot less appealing to me. Pity, it looked like it might be a fun hack, particularly if the ABI was open that I could develop my own apps to control it.

Michael Meissner
Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:29:37 +0000

I agree. I would probably have bought this camera right away if its WiFi technology works with any WiFi Android phone.

Android 2.2 suppose to show up for Virgin Mobile Samsung Intercept around March 25th. So I may be able to give it a try soon. But I wonder if the app will even work with my phone at the hardware level.

I read the dpreview thread you provided. And it's a little more clear that the phone connects to the camera via WiFi Direct (a new standard), rather than connecting to each other through a common access point.

Connecting to each other have some benefits, such as being able to do this tethering anywhere. But base on Wikipedia, this new standard haven't been fully rectified. In fact, devices that use this new standard are estimated to show up late this year. Samsung has released this new WiFi early.

The following topics are currently unclear to me, because Wi-Fi Direct is so new:

1. Is Wi-Fi Direct implemented in the Samsung SH100 or in the Samsung Galaxy S? Wi-Fi Direct devices can connect to legacy non-WiFi Direct devices. If it is implemented on the camera, there is a potential to use any WiFi device with it.

2. Is Wi-Fi Direct implemented at the software application level, the software operating system level, or at the hardware level? The answer to this question will determine whether older, current, and low-end Android phones can support Wi-Fi Direct to connect to new digital cameras.

Chieh Cheng
Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:42:26 +0000

I guess we will have to wait and see. Hopefully it is just programming, and older WiFi chips can be upgraded to use WiFi direct (which looks like it hope to supplant bluetooth, though wifi tends to be much more power hungry than bluetooth).

Michael Meissner
Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:40:49 +0000

i have the Galaxy s and the sh100 but when i use the viewfinder app wont let me connect keeps asking for network key, dont have a clue where it is on phone any help?

Cliff Sarnecki
Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:59:36 +0400

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Title: Are there any compact cameras with external shutter connector?
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Excerpt: After having built quite a few timelapse-systems based on DSLR's that are triggered by external shutter timers, I started searching for compact non-DSLR cameras with external shutter connectors. I couldn't find one! Even the four-thirds ans micro-four-thirds cameras that are players in the serious l . . .
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