SnapBridge

Pair this app with a compatible Nikon camera to transfer your photographs wirelessly via Bluetooth

What the app does

SnapBridge is Nikon’s latest app, designed to pair with a SnapBridge-compatible Nikon camera via Bluetooth to download pictures from your memory card to your device. You can also take photos remotely (if the camera has Wi-Fi), with the Live View feed displayed on your mobile device. Currently SnapBridge is compatible with the Nikon D500 and D3400, along with some Coolpix cameras and the KeyMission 80. Nikon’s older Wireless Mobile Utility app does a similar wireless tethering job for earlier Wi-Fi cameras, but without alwayson Bluetooth downloading.

When to use it

SnapBridge is designed to be used all of the time; it’s always ready to download in the background via a constant connection between your device and a compatible camera. SnapBridge uses Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology to facilitate this ‘always on’ image transfer. The connection isn’t a one-way street, either, as you can sync your phone’s GPS location and time information with your camera.

How to use it

Read the reviews on the App Store and Google Play, and you’ll see that some users are experiencing teething troubles making the connection. But once the initial pairing is made, that’s it, it’s locked in. Just don’t see this as a way of automatically backing up your full-res photos. You can’t transfer RAW files using SnapBridge, for instance, and only 2MB JPEGs or thumbnails copy automatically – although full-size JPEGs and some movies can be transferred manually on the D500.

You’ll need to download Nikon’s SnapBridge 360/170 app if you’re using a KeyMission 360 (see page 106) or 170

Nikon’s Wireless Mobile Utility app offers similar shoot-andshare functionality

As well as adding location data, you can embed your image copyright details

Although you can control a D500 remotely, you aren’t able to do this with a D3400