Wifi Guide

Does Canon 90d Have Wifi? Seamless Connectivity Perks

Introduction The Canon 90D has built a strong reputation amongst hobbyists, wildlife photographers, event shooters and content creators. Known for its versatile shooting capabilities, high resolution sensor, and dependable autofocus, many people want to know m

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Introduction

The Canon 90D has built a strong reputation amongst hobbyists, wildlife photographers, event shooters and content creators. Known for its versatile shooting capabilities, high resolution sensor, and dependable autofocus, many people want to know more about its modern conveniences before purchasing or while using it. One of the most common questions that comes up is: Does Canon 90d Have Wifi?

In a time where sharing images on the go, backing up files, and controlling a camera remotely has become the norm, wireless connectivity can be a huge deciding factor. With the rise of social media platforms, travel photography, and even remote shooting for vlogging, the ability to connect your camera to a smart device without the hassle of cables is incredibly appealing.

This article will cover everything there is to know about the wireless capabilities of the Canon 90D. From the direct answer, to setup, to limitations, to practical uses, this in depth guide will give you a full breakdown so that you can take full advantage of its seamless connectivity perks.

Table of Contents

The Short Answer: Does Canon 90D Have Wifi?

Yes, the Canon 90D does have Wifi. However, it is not the newest form of wireless technology and it comes with its own specific way of operating. Alongside Wifi, the camera also includes Bluetooth, which is used for a different purpose than transferring full resolution images.

So, to directly answer the question Does Canon 90d Have Wifi?, the answer is a definitive yes. The feature is built into the camera and can be used with the official companion app on compatible smart devices for remote shooting and image transfer.

With that being said, knowing that it exists is only the beginning. Understanding how it works, where it shines, and where it falls short is what will truly allow you to utilize its seamless connectivity perks to their fullest extent.

Understanding The Wireless Capabilities Of The Canon 90D

The Canon 90D utilizes a combination of Wifi and Bluetooth to create a streamlined way of connecting to a mobile device. These two forms of connectivity work together, rather than both being used for the same task.

The Role Of Bluetooth

Bluetooth on the Canon 90D is used primarily for establishing a low power, always ready link between your camera and your smart device. Once paired through the official app, the camera can remain discoverable with minimal battery drain. The main purpose of this link is to make initiating a Wifi connection much quicker, opposed to having to manually set everything up from scratch each time.

Bluetooth itself is not typically used to transfer large RAW files or even large JPEG batches at high speeds. Its job is to act as a bridge to activate the camera’s Wifi network when needed.

The Role Of Wifi

The Wifi on the Canon 90D is what actually does the heavy lifting. When activated, the camera creates its own direct Wifi network, or in some cases can be utilized in a specific connection method, that your phone or tablet can connect to. Through this direct connection, you are able to browse images on the camera, download them to your device, and use your smart device as a remote controller for live view shooting.

This direct connection means that in most setups, you will not necessarily need to be on your home router for the core functionality. This is incredibly useful when out on location with no internet access.

What You Can And Can Not Do Over Wireless

Knowing the scope of what the wireless features can achieve is vital before relying on them for any important task.

What You Can Do

  • Remote live view shooting: Control shutter release, focus point selection, and a multitude of shooting settings straight from your smart device.
  • Browse camera images: View thumbnails of photos and videos currently stored on your memory card.
  • Download selected images: Transfer chosen JPEG or, depending on app functionality, compatible files directly to your phone or tablet.
  • Quick pairing: With Bluetooth enabled, connecting for remote use becomes far less tedious than older connection methods.
  • Use offline in the field: Since the camera creates its own network, you can utilize these features anywhere, regardless of cell service or Wi-Fi hotspots.

What You Can Not Do

  • Transfer at blazing speeds: Wireless transfer will always be drastically slower than using a card reader.
  • Effortlessly transfer massive batches: Downloading an entire day of RAW files over the direct Wifi connection is not practical for most users.
  • Stream uncompressed video remotely: Live view is for composition and shooting, not for high bitrate external streaming.
  • Automatically back up to cloud without steps: The camera does not continuously upload to third party cloud services by itself. Any uploading would be done through your smart device after downloading.
  • Use internet while connected to camera network: With a direct connection between your device and the camera, you may lose access to your cellular data or external internet until you disconnect.

Preparing For Your First Wireless Connection

Before jumping straight in, it is worth taking a moment to prepare so that the first time goes as smoothly as possible. A little preparation will save you from unnecessary frustration out in the field.

First, ensure your Canon 90D has a fully charged battery. Utilizing live view remotely and maintaining an active Wifi connection both consume a decent amount of power. For longer shoots, a spare battery is highly recommended.

Secondly, have a compatible smart device ready. Most modern iOS and Android devices will work with the official companion application. Be sure to have this app downloaded and updated to the latest version before attempting to connect.

Thirdly, clear some space on your smart device if you plan on transferring images. High resolution JPEGs are still reasonably large files, and RAW files can take up a substantial amount of storage.

Lastly, be aware of your surroundings. For the smoothest experience, try to connect in an area with little wireless interference. While not always avoidable, this can help with connection stability.

Step By Step: Connecting The Canon 90D To A Smart Device

There are a couple of routes you can take, however the most seamless route for the Canon 90D is through pairing with Bluetooth first, followed by utilizing Wifi through the app. Follow these steps in order for the best results.

Step 1: Prepare The Camera

  1. Power on: Turn on your Canon 90D.
  2. Navigate to menu: Enter the communication or wireless settings tab within your camera menu. The exact naming can be found under the network/wireless communication section.
  3. Enable Bluetooth: Turn on Bluetooth to allow for easy pairing. This will allow your device to find the camera through the app without having to search for manual networks straight away.

Step 2: Pair With Your Smart Device

  1. Open the app: Launch the official Canon companion app on your phone or tablet.
  2. Add a camera: Use the option to add or connect to a camera. With Bluetooth enabled, the app will begin searching for nearby compatible cameras.
  3. Select your 90D: From the list of detected devices, select your Canon 90D.
  4. Confirm pairing: You may be prompted to confirm a pairing request on either your smart device or on the camera screen. Accept both to complete the initial pairing.

Step 3: Activate Wifi For Use

  1. Choose your function: Once paired, the app will present options such as remote shooting or image transfer.
  2. Connect to the network: Selecting either option will prompt the camera to enable its Wifi network. Your smart device will then be asked to connect to this network.
  3. Establish connection: Accept the connection to the camera’s direct network. After a moment, the app should display the live view or your image gallery.
  4. Begin using: From here, you are free to use remote shooting or begin browsing for images to transfer.

Once this has been done once, reconnecting in the future is often as simple as opening the app whilst Bluetooth is enabled, allowing for a much faster re-connection.

Remote Shooting For More Creative Freedom

One of the biggest appeals for those asking Does Canon 90d Have Wifi? is the ability to shoot remotely. This feature is far more practical than it may seem at first glance.

When Remote Shooting Is Useful

  • Self portraits: Be in your own shot without having to rush back and forth with a timer.
  • Group shots: Ensure everyone is properly in frame and composed before firing the shutter.
  • Wildlife photography: Set up near a subject from a distance and trigger from cover to avoid disturbing them.
  • Long exposures: Reduce the risk of any micro-movement caused by physically pressing the shutter button.
  • Product photography: Make minute adjustments to composition whilst viewing the exact live view from a comfortable position.
  • Tripod based work: Perfect for landscapes or stills where you want to avoid touching the camera at all.

Controls Available Through Remote Shooting

Whilst not every single menu item is accessible, the remote interface is surprisingly capable. Depending on your shooting mode, you can typically adjust or control the following:

  • Shutter release: Single shot, and in supported modes, other drive options.
  • Focus control: Tap to focus on a specific area of the live view for precise focus placement.
  • Aperture, shutter speed and ISO: Adjust these values directly from the app when in manual or semi-automatic modes.
  • Exposure compensation: Tweak brightness on the fly to get the look you want.
  • White balance and drive modes: Access to select creative controls for added flexibility.
  • Zooming assistance: Digital focus aids to help confirm sharpness on smaller screens.

The live view feed through the app is responsive enough for composition, however, there will be a small amount of latency. This is normal for a direct camera to device connection and is rarely an issue for still photography.

Wireless Image Transfer: From Camera To Device

Being able to grab a photo straight from your camera onto your phone to send to someone, or to post up online is undeniably convenient. The image transfer function of the 90D is designed specifically with this in mind.

Transferring Select Images

The most efficient way to use this feature is to transfer only what you need. Attempting to transfer everything is where patience will be tested the most. The process is fairly straightforward once connected:

  1. Connect: Connect your smart device to the camera via the app using the image transfer option.
  2. Browse: You will be presented with the contents of your memory card in thumbnail form.
  3. Select: Choose the individual images or, in some versions, a small selection of files that you would like to transfer.
  4. Download: Initiate the transfer and wait for them to save to your device’s gallery or designated folder.
  5. Disconnect: Once complete, you can disconnect from the camera network and return to your normal connection.

JPEG Vs RAW Transfer

The Canon 90D is capable of shooting in both RAW and JPEG. With the official app, compatibility can lean more towards JPEG files for smooth downloading. In many cases, RAW files can be transferred, however, this is far slower and your smart device will need enough resources to handle them.

For the purpose of quick sharing, sticking to JPEGs is by far the most practical route. If you need to edit on the go with a dedicated mobile editor, a smaller JPEG is often easier to work with anyway.

Managing The Loss Of Internet Access

As touched on previously, connecting directly to your camera’s Wifi network will typically disconnect your phone from your home network or drop your internet routing. This means if you want to send an image straight to a messaging app or social platform immediately after downloading, you will need to either:

  • Re-connect to internet: Disconnect from the camera network after transfer, then reconnect to your data or Wi-Fi.
  • Plan ahead: Download your selected image, switch back to your internet connection, then share it as normal.

This small quirk is very common for cameras that create their own direct access point, and not a fault of the 90D specifically.

Beyond Wifi: Other Connectivity Options To Know About

Whilst the focus of this article is wireless, it is worth mentioning the other forms of connectivity the Canon 90D offers. Having these in mind gives you more flexibility depending on your workflow.

  • USB connection: For the fastest, most reliable transfer of any file type including large batches of RAW files.
  • HDMI output: Useful for reviewing on a larger display whilst tethered, or for certain playback purposes.
  • Microphone input: Whilst not a file transfer method, this showcases the 90D’s versatility for hybrid shooters.
  • Remote shutter release port: For those that prefer a physical wired remote over wireless control.

For bulk transfers and archiving, wired methods will always be superior. For convenience and remote work, the Wifi and Bluetooth combination is the way to go.

Connectivity Comparison With Similar Cameras

To put the Canon 90D’s wireless offering into perspective, the table below compares its general connectivity approach to a few other cameras from a similar era. This is to help showcase where it stands rather than declare a winner.

Feature Canon 90D Comparable APS-C DSLR Comparable Entry-Mid Mirrorless
Wifi Yes (Direct Network) Often Yes Often Yes (More Common)
Bluetooth Yes (For pairing/quick connect) Less common or absent Common on newer models
Remote Live View Yes Yes on many Generally more refined
Full Batch Transfer Not practical over wifi Not practical over wifi Still not practical, varies by app
Offline Field Use Yes Yes Yes

As shown, the inclusion of both Wifi and Bluetooth is a strong point for the 90D. Many of its direct DSLR counterparts lacked Bluetooth entirely at the time, making the 90D’s approach feel more modern in comparison.

The Limitations Of The Canon 90D Wifi Experience

In the interest of being thorough, it is important to be realistic about the drawbacks. No feature is perfect, and being aware of these limitations will help you avoid unrealistic expectations.

Connection Stability

The direct camera to phone connection is generally stable at close range, however, it can become temperamental if there is a lot of physical obstruction or interference. Walls, large groups of people, and crowded areas can all impact stability. Keeping your smart device within a reasonable range of the camera is key.

Speed Constraints

Transfer speeds are the most noticeable limitation. Even a single large JPEG can take several seconds to fully download. For RAW files, this can be significantly longer. This is purely a limitation of the wireless protocol being used, not user error.

App Dependent Experience

Your entire experience hinges on the official companion app. Performance can vary slightly between operating systems, device ages and app versions. An older phone with limited processing power may struggle to load the live view feed as smoothly as a newer device would.

Battery Consumption

Using Wifi and Bluetooth together is power hungry. Extended remote shooting sessions will drain your camera battery at a much faster rate than regular shooting. Similarly, your smart device will also see increased battery usage whilst maintaining the connection and downloading files.

Limited App Integrations

Unlike some cloud focused ecosystems, the 90D does not allow for seamless, automatic syncing to every third party service. Everything is manual through the app, which is great for control, but not ideal for those wanting hands off automation.

Troubleshooting Common Wireless Issues

If you ever run into issues whilst trying to connect or use these features, the solutions below cover the most frequent problems. Try these in order before assuming anything is broken.

Camera Not Detected By The App

  • Check Bluetooth: Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on both the camera and your smart device.
  • Restart the app: Fully close the companion app and relaunch it.
  • Restart both devices: Power off your camera and smart device for a minute, then turn them back on.
  • Forget and re-pair: Remove the camera from your paired devices within the app and go through the pairing process again.

Wifi Connection Constantly Drops

  • Get closer: Reduce the distance between your smart device and the camera. Avoid going behind large objects.
  • Disable other networks: Turn off auto-join for nearby networks that may be interfering.
  • Airplane mode trick: On some devices, enabling airplane mode and then manually connecting to the camera network can improve stability.
  • Check battery level: Low battery on either device can cause unstable connections.

Images Won’t Transfer Or Are Stuck

  • Transfer smaller selections: Instead of multiple images at once, try transferring one image to test.
  • Use JPEG: If attempting to transfer a RAW file, try a JPEG version instead to rule out file type issues.
  • Free up space: Ensure your smart device has enough available storage.
  • Stay on the screen: Do not switch apps whilst a transfer is actively in progress, as this can interrupt it.

Live View Is Extremely Laggy Or Frozen

  • Lower interference: Move to an open area with minimal wireless activity.
  • Close background apps: Free up RAM on your smart device by closing unused apps.
  • Reconnect: Disconnect from the camera network and go through the process again.
  • Check camera settings: Certain shooting settings can put more load onto the live view feed. Try a more standard shooting mode for testing.

Tips And Best Practices For Seamless Connectivity

Now that you know how everything works, these tips will help you get the most consistent and enjoyable experience out of the 90D’s wireless features.

Out In The Field

  • Bring a spare battery: This cannot be stressed enough. Remote shooting will eat through power quicker than expected.
  • Plan your transfers: Pick out your hero shots throughout the day and transfer only those, rather than waiting until the end.
  • Keep devices close: Treat the connection like a short range direct link. Staying within a few meters will yield the best results.
  • Use Bluetooth pairing: Always rely on the paired route when possible for faster, less frustrating connections.

For Your Workflow

  • Use for proofing, not archiving: Think of Wifi as a way to proof, share or control, and use a card reader for your full archive.
  • Edit on device smartly: After transferring a JPEG, use a mobile editor to crop, adjust, or polish before sharing.
  • Test before important shoots: If you plan on using remote shooting for a specific moment, test your setup at home beforehand.
  • Keep the app updated: Updates often bring stability improvements that can resolve connection bugs.

General Advice

  • Respect battery on both ends: If either device is critically low, expect instability.
  • Know your goal: Want to trigger from afar? Use remote shooting. Want to post a photo now? Use image transfer. Using the correct function will give better results.
  • Don’t rely on internet: Remember your location. For remote locations, the offline direct connection is your friend.
  • Be patient: Treat wireless transfer as convenient, not instant.

Practical Uses For The 90D’s Wireless Features

Understanding the theory is one thing, but seeing real world applications can help solidify when this feature will actually come in handy for you.

Travel Photography

When exploring a new city, you may want to share a stunning shot from the day without having to pull out your laptop. Being able to transfer a select JPEG to your phone allows you to send it straight to loved ones or post whilst on the move. Remote shooting can also come in handy for a solo traveler wanting a clean shot of themselves in front of a landmark.

Family And Events

At family gatherings or casual events, it can be difficult to round everyone up for a group photo. With your Canon 90D on a small tripod, you can frame the shot through live view on your phone and trigger from wherever you’re standing, ensuring nobody is left out from running back and forth.

Wildlife And Nature

Patience is everything in wildlife photography. Instead of sitting directly behind your camera and potentially alerting skittish subjects, you can conceal yourself a safe distance away, set up on a tripod, and control everything remotely. This small amount of distance can make all of the difference.

Content Creation

For creators that utilize their 90D as a B-camera or for stills to accompany video, wireless control is incredibly useful. You can check framing, test shots, and trigger without having to step in front of the lens or disrupt your setup. It also allows for quick grabbing of stills to use as thumbnails or behind the scenes posts.

Studio And Product Work

When shooting on a table or in a tight product setup, constantly leaning over to check the camera screen can be awkward. Remote live view allows you to view the exact composition on your larger phone screen whilst making micro adjustments to your product or lighting from a much more comfortable position.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Canon 90d Have Wifi?

Yes, the Canon 90D has built in Wifi alongside Bluetooth. These work together to allow for remote shooting and wireless image transfer through the official companion app.

Can I transfer RAW files over Wifi on the Canon 90D?

In many instances, select RAW files can be transferred, however, it is not recommended. The process is significantly slower, and JPEG files are far more practical for wireless transfer. For full batches of RAW, a card reader is the better option.

Do I need internet to use the Wifi on my Canon 90D?

No, you do not need an active internet connection. The camera creates its own direct Wifi network, allowing you to connect your smart device directly to it for remote shooting and local image transfer, even in areas with no cell service or Wi-Fi.

Does using Wifi drain the battery quickly?

Yes, it does. Activating Wifi and maintaining a connection with live view will consume battery at a much higher rate than normal shooting. It is highly advised to have a fully charged battery, and preferably a spare for longer sessions.

Can I control all camera settings remotely?

Not all settings are accessible. Most core exposure settings, focus point selection, and drive/shutter control are available in compatible shooting modes. However, deeper custom function menus and some advanced options will still need to be changed directly on the camera body.

Will connecting to the camera use up my mobile data?

No, the connection is a direct local connection between your device and the camera. Mobile data is not used for this link. However, because it is a direct network, your device may lose access to its normal internet connection until you disconnect.

Is Bluetooth required to use Wifi?

Bluetooth is not strictly required every single time, but it is highly recommended. The Canon 90D uses Bluetooth to make pairing and reconnecting far quicker through the app. Without it, the process can be more manual than necessary.

Can I use the wireless features with any phone?

Most relatively modern iOS and Android devices are compatible with the official companion app. Very old devices with outdated operating systems may experience issues with stability, speed, or even app compatibility.

Conclusion

So, going back to the question that brought you here: Does Canon 90d Have Wifi? The answer is yes, and it is one of the more convenient perks that adds a lot of modern flexibility to this already capable camera.

The combination of Bluetooth for effortless pairing and Wifi for remote control and selective image transfer is a huge asset for those that value sharing, proofing, or shooting from unique positions. From self portraits and group shots, to remote wildlife work and comfortable product photography, there are countless scenarios where these features will prove their worth.

That being said, it is important to keep realistic expectations. This is not a replacement for a card reader, and it will not rival the speed of wired transfers. Battery drain, connection range, and app reliance are all factors to be mindful of. However, when used with the right mindset, the wireless functionality of the Canon 90D is incredibly rewarding.

For quick control, hassle free sharing of select shots, and added creative freedom, the seamless connectivity perks are more than enough to justify learning the process. With a bit of practice, connecting, shooting remotely, and grabbing images on the go will become second nature. Ultimately, it is a feature that perfectly bridges the gap between traditional DSLR shooting and the modern need to stay connected without sacrificing control.