Letshoot

Wondering if the camranger can be WiFi to the Nikon D850 without using a cable from the camranger to the camera.
Has anyone tried this?

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

You do not want to do this. The WiFi/Bluetooth in the D850 is a battery killer. It constantly looses connection and doubles output power to reestablish, which drains storage. Get the cable. Mines been on Airplane mode since day 1.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I'm not sure why you would want to do this as the cable connection will provide much faster and better service. In that case, what would the purpose of the CamRanger unit?

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

The CamRanger is different from the WIFI/Bluetooth in the camera as the information from the camera is transmitted by the CamRanger, I have it and it works well with my iPad and Mac Book Pro.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Agreed. I use it quite a bit with my MacBook Pro just to avoid wires all over the place that create a tripping hazard. I bought it for those times when I 'Volunteer', or is that get volunteered, for Santa, Easter Bunny, Big Pumpkin, etc.. Far superior to built in.

MJKilpatrick Loc: Cape May, NJ

Hi Letshoot,

Answer to your question is yes. The camranger acts as a wifi access point that you log your mobile device into as the wifi point. It then communicates through the blue tooth function from the camera to the mobile device. It is a separate hardware attachment that connects to the camera with the camera's USB chord. It then acts as the transmitter to the mobile device receiver. The use is wireless so it lets you control all functions of the camera from a remote location.......about 150 feet away. You have to put the camera into live view and once you do that you can view what the camera is seeing on your mobile device with the ability to change all the camera settings as long as you are not using an older manual focus Nikon lens and using a more modern Nikon lens.
It still works with the older lenses but have to set some of the functions on the camera and lens when you set it up.

It does drain the battery in the camera quicker but tends to be a better alternative for many photographic situations than a hard chord remote. I use it on nests and some other situations, especially with wide angle lenses inside flocks of birds that would be difficult to do without removing one self from the camera.

Nikon also has a remote that works the same but it is much pricier than the Camranger. The camranger is a nice tool to have, it works well for those situations that you want to separate from the camera yet get the camera close to a subject........but it has to be put strategically in a place where you know the subject will be and I tend to use it with a 24mm, a 35mm or a 70-210 zoom.........the longer telephoto lenses are not as much value to me when using it but it will work on longer lenses.

For me it is more of a wildlife and bird field tool........I think there are better tools if just downloading photos through the wifi/bluetooth functions in the camera or to a device in a studio.

I hope this helps.........its all in how you use it but it's use can open up some really neat and unusual opportunities that otherwise would not be there otherwise.

With My Best,

MJKilpatrick Loc: Cape May, NJ

Hi Letshoot,

Sorry, misread your post, the answer to your question is no........the camranger has to be connected to the camera by a USB chord. But once connected there is no other chord needed between the camranger and the receiving mobile device or other device used like a laptop computer. The camranger receiver is not that large, it is easy to just attach to the back of the camera one connected with two rubber bands........all the function of the camera transfer over to the receiving device.