The Canon ConnectStation CS100 promises to simplify accessing your photos and videos shot on Wi-Fi and NFC-connected cameras, enabling easy wireless transfers. Even better: It lets you play your content on TV and share it on social network, and makes doing this easy. And now, it’s here.
The ConnectStation CS100 consists of a 1TB hard disk drive and ports for Compact Flash and SD memory card slots, as well as a Gigabit ethernet connection, a USB 2.0 port, and an HDMI port. The USB port is meant for backing up the ConnectStation’s contents to another drive to create a mirror image which can in turn be read by your PC.
But the ConnectStation CS100’s cool factor is in how it can transfer files from a camera. All you need is an NFC “handshake” between the CS100 and an NFC-equipped digital camera, and images and video are transmitted through a Wi-Fi connective. To do this, users hold the camera in place over the CS100’s NFC crosshairs until a blue like blinks to indicate the connection is live. Then just put the camera down next to the CS100 and images will transfer automatically.
The ConnectStation is compatible with all new cameras introduced by Canon since the beginning of this year. It can also connect with non-Canon Wi-Fi/NFC capable cameras, including iPhones and Android devices. The ConnectStation CS100 also lets you print wirelessly via Canon Pixma or Selphy printers; you can send or receive photos and videos from other CS100s and upload them to the Canon Image Gateway for cloud storage.
Images stored on the ConnectStation can be viewed on HDTV, and can be navigated and managed via an included remote control. On-screen menus guide you through the process of sorting and managing images and creating folders. JPEG, RAW, MP4, MOV and AVCHD files are all supported.
The Canon ConnectStation CS100 will be available tomorrow from Adorama for $299.
