DSLR cameras are seen by many photography experts as the best cameras for consumers to buy. They give you professional-grade images, allowing you to mix and match different lenses and settings. Despite the advancements in mobile phone technology, smartphone cameras still cannot compete with DSLR images. You might be able to get really high-quality pictures, but the zoom capabilities and details you get from a DSLR camera are unmatched.
This means most people will take a camera with them when they’re travelling or looking to take photos. The problem is that the images get stored on the camera’s memory card. So, you can’t do the normal thing of viewing them on your phone right away. This makes it harder for you to take photos and upload them to social media instantly. Usually, you have to wait until you’re home and can transfer them to your computer.
However, there are ways to get photos from your DSLR camera to your phone almost instantly. Different methods exist, and much depends on the camera you have. But, here are some ideas that will help you:
Use an app
Some camera manufacturers will have dedicated mobile apps that you can download and use. Two of the most popular are SnapBridge for Nikon devices and Canon Camera Connect for Canon cameras.
Both work in the exact same way – the apps will connect to your camera via wifi or Bluetooth. In turn, images that are taken on your camera will automatically be uploaded to the application on your phone. It should mean that, whenever you take a picture, you see the image on your phone almost immediately. This makes it really easy to edit photos and post them or send them wherever you want in seconds, rather than needing to plug your camera into a computer and transfer photos from there to your phone.
So, be sure to check if your camera has a compatible mobile app that makes your life easier!
Use the cloud
If your camera doesn’t come with a dedicated app, you can call upon cloud storage to transfer photos. The majority of modern cameras will have Bluetooth or wireless connectivity, allowing them to connect to other devices – like your phone. Here, you just have to use a cloud storage app, connect your phone to your camera, and transfer the photos across. Now, you have the images on your mobile device, though you have to manually move them across.
Again, some DSLR cameras do come with cloud storage capabilities to provide you with online backup for your photos. If this is the case, the images should be uploaded to the cloud as they are taken, though you may have to toggle this option on or off in the settings. Cameras that have this feature are the best because you don’t really need to download anything on your phone to view your images. You can simply log into the cloud application through a mobile browser and download the photos at will.
If you have an iPhone, it is possible to use the cloud transfer method to get images sent to your iCloud. In turn, they will appear automatically on your phone after you have manually uploaded them to the cloud. So, when you open the Photos app, you should see the images there.
Use SD cards
Pretty much all DSLR cameras will come with memory card slots. Here, you put an SD card in to store all of your photos. Having one of these cards can be very useful when it comes to transferring images to your mobile device. In fact, there are three possible ways you can use an SD card:
- Inserting the card into your phone
- Using an SD card adapter
- Using wifi enabled SD card
If you have a mobile phone that isn’t made by Apple, there’s a chance it has an SD card slot in it. As such, you might be able to remove the card from your camera and insert it into your phone – if it fits. From here, you can transfer images to the phone’s internal memory, before removing the card and putting it back in the camera.
Those of you without SD card slots in your phones can utilise the next method instead. Here, you buy an adapter for your phone that lets you plug an SD card into it. Then, the next steps are the same – simply copy images from the card to your phone.
Alternatively, you can get wifi SD cards that remove the need for any wires. They are quite hard to find and can be expensive, but the cards basically have the capability to connect wirelessly to your phone. Thus, you can transfer images as and when you please.
With the exception of the final method, none of these is that ideal or fast. But, they do still allow you to transfer photos on the move, which is a big plus.
Use a USB adapter
Lastly, if you can’t get an SD card adapter for your phone, the next best thing is a USB one. This serves the same purpose, only you connect your camera via a USB cable to the adapter, which then connects to your phone.
Basically, you will transfer images as you would to a laptop or PC. So, no, it’s not the most convenient method of getting your nice photos on your phone, but it is a last resort.
If you don’t care about instantly sharing photos, there’s no reason this method won’t be useful for you. If you like to sit down at the end of the day and move across all the images you captured, either the USB or SD card methods are perfectly suitable.
Nevertheless, if you do want instant transfers, you should purchase a camera that comes with its own app and wireless capabilities. Cloud transfers can also be really useful and fast if you already have a DSLR that doesn’t feature a companion app. Regardless, there are plenty of ways to transfer images from camera to phone, letting you show off your amazing shots to the world.