hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

I have a D5600 and I find this works brilliantly however I'm confused by the two technologies referred to by nikon - "WiFi" and "Bluetooth". I believe only BT is being used but I can't find any online reference that confirms this, and sometimes when using it I'm prompted to "turn on WiFi". WiFi to me has always referred to Ethernet. If the camera truly supported WiFi then you should be able to access it directly from a PC (i.e. in a file manager), but the only way it can be used is through the Snapbridge application (that I'm aware of). Despite my belief that it is BT being used I note that often the transfer between the camera and my phone takes place when the two devices are at opposite ends of the house. I would have thought this was outside BT range (but happy to be proven wrong).

Any knowledgeable Nikon users out there who can confirm one way or the other? (Regardless I still think it's a brilliant feature...)

Love Wildlife

What I know is that when I use snapbridge I only have bluetooth turned on when transfering from my camera to my smartphone. I have used it many times.

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

You mean you have WiFi turned off on the phone?

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

A couple of things. Ethernet is actually a series of cables that connect devices to a network. WiFi is a wireless high speed connectivity to a local network usually through a router. Bluetooth is different than either of these in that it is simply a short distance radio signal that allows different devices to connect to each other with out the use of a network or internet. For example blue tooth can connect a Bluetooth headset to a cell phone or even a computer. Or in this case you Camera to y our computer as long as the computer is also Bluetooth enabled. The WiFi is different in that blue tooth is a direct connection between devices. WiFi connects devises through a network usually through a wireless router. Just because you computer and your camera are connected on the same network does not mean they can “see” each other. That is for your protection. The reason you need the snapbridge app is because when you send the pics over wifi from the Cam they have to go somewhere on the internet your cameras WiFi connects you to the internet snap bridge becomes the “bridge”. then there must be a way to download them from snap bridge to your computer. (I am not totally familiar with snap bridge). Your camera does not have a browser like your computer does so it can’t look up website all it can do is connect to the internet and there must be code that finds snap bridge and sends pics there. If you are within 30 feet of your computer you use blue tooth instead of tethering with a cable however you can use WiFi and snap bridge anywhere in the world you can find an internet connection. Clear as Mud?
As for why your pics transfer when at Cam and putwr are at opposite ends of the house. There are many reasons but most likely either there is some interference closer to your computer that confuses the blue tooth like possibly another blue tooth device or at the opposite end of the House there is something that is magnifying the Bluetooth signal like some type of antenna It does not have to be a real antenna just something that acts like one.

Love Wildlife

WIFI is turned off.

Jim

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Not quite. That's just the physical layer, and ethernet is the protocol used for devices to communicate across that layer just like they would using other physical layers like fibre or a Wireless LAN. In other words each device connected is assigned an IP address and communicates with any other device through its IP address.

So coming back to my original question does Snapbridge use a WiFi connection (i.e. nothing to do with using Ethernet and an assigned IP address) to provide a one to one connection? Or does it use BT? Or both?

The other reply to this question states that it will work with WiFi turned off. So how is WiFi used (if at all)?

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

Ok so if you know all this how do you not know the answers to your own question?

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Because the question wasn't about how Ethernet works. It was about Nikon's implementation of its wireless solution. That's why my question was directed at "Any knowledgeable Nikon users out there..."

Jaackil Loc: Massachusetts

And you can’t figure it out? Wow that must suck

stewml Loc: Livonia, MI

I'm no expert nor do I claim to be. But i appears to me that the Bluetooth connection is used to transfer images and location information between the camera and phone/tablet. The wifi connection is used to control the camera using the phone/tablet (remote shutter and limited settings). I'm sure someone will correct me if i'm wrong.

nhislop

Like the OP, I find Nikon's UI/nomenclature a bit confusing. Here's my understanding:

There are two different methods of communication being used between your phone (Snapbridge App) and the D5600.

It uses Bluetooth to manage the automatic sending of reduced size jpg images to Snapbridge, and has a second mode, using WiFi, for remote shutter operation and/or downloading full size images to Snapbridge.

I know this to be true because on my LG devices I have virtually never had the "WiFi" stuff work reliably, whereas I have found the BT to work pretty well most of the time.

Because BT, like WiFi, is a radio technology, you may find that it works at a longer distance than you might expect, giving some surprising results.

Hope that helps.

chem

I had a D3200 Nikon and replaced it with a D850 and used the various computer to camera software. When wireless is turned on (required an adapter on the d3200) I could see my camera in the menu. Bluetooth also works in the D850. WiFi gives better transfer rates then bluetooth, but both work. Incidently, bluetooth only works within about 6 ft, depending on the computer and device.
Hope this helps.

Jackaroo Loc: Canberra Australia

My understanding is blue tooth is used by Nikon for general communication between the camera and the app, wifi is used for image transfer as it can handle greater transfer speeds.

peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA

Agree. I also believe that it uses a low-power Bluetooth, which shortens the usable range between smartphone & camera compared to regular Bluetooth. Low-power Bluetooth extends camera battery life compared to regular Bluetooth and WiFi.

vortipor Loc: Bath, UK

I have a D5600 and use SnapBridge.

Nikon's documentation of SnapBridge is pitiful. nhislop seems to be pretty close to the truth with his explanation.
As far as I can tell, the camera tries to do most things with Bluetooth, where possible. WiFi is used when the distance between phone/tablet and camera is too great for Bluetooth, or where the files transferred are large.

The app is rather flakey. I frequently have to re-pair phone to camera when it refuses to connect automatically. Having said that, I'd rather have it than not.

It would help if Nikon were to release details of the SnapBridge application programming interface (API). Without this, it is almost impossible for independent programmers to write apps that make use of Nikon's BT and WiFi (e.g. to make an app that allowed camera <-> PC file transfer).
I don't understand their thinking - it's not as if they sell SnapBridge and are worried about losing revenue. The same tight-a**ed attitude is displayed by Nikon refusing to sell spare parts to anyone other than authorised repair agents - what would we think if Ford refused to sell cambelts to end users?