01Connection
Wi-Fi carries the picture and the files, Bluetooth wakes the camera, and USB is there when the wireless gives up.
- Camera hotspot, phone hotspot or a shared router
- Reconnects on its own
- First-time setup shows the menu path for your model
01 / The usual complaints
What people say about the official apps
Taken from app store reviews and help forums for the camera makers' own apps.
-
“It won't connect, and the setting is five menus deep.”
Zlens connects when you open it and reconnects on its own if the link drops. The first time, it shows you where the setting lives on your model.
-
“The Android version is always missing features.”
Zlens comes to Android first. RAW transfer, screen-off transfer and background sessions are all there.
-
“It's a yearly subscription, and it stops when you stop paying.”
You pay for Zlens once and it keeps working. Demo mode lets you try the whole interface before you buy.
02 / Connection
Already connected when you open it
There are five steps before you can press the shutter. Zlens does them in the background.
- 01 BLE
Finds the camera
Bluetooth spots a body you've paired before, using almost no power.
- 02 WAKE
Wakes it up
The camera comes out of standby and turns its wireless on.
- 03 WI-FI
Moves to Wi-Fi
The phone joins the camera's network, or finds it on your router.
- 04 PTP-IP
Handshake
The protocol handshake and the maker's own setup.
- 05 READY
Ready
Live view appears and the dials respond.
If a camera can't hand over from Bluetooth, Zlens wakes it and walks you through joining. That's still fewer steps than the official app.
03 / Features
From live view to delivery
02Control
The buttons that are awkward on the body, under your thumb.
- Shutter, aperture, ISO, exposure compensation, white balance and Kelvin
- Shooting mode, metering, focus mode and area, drive mode
- Touch focus, half-press, manual focus steps and power zoom
- Intervalometer and bulb together, picking up again after a crash or power cut
- A sound and an on-screen alert when a value crosses a limit you set
03Monitoring
Leave the field monitor at home.
- Focus peaking, histogram, zebras, false colour, waveform and vectorscope
- Live LUT preview with .cube import, and Log to Rec.709 built in for all four brands
- Multi-point magnification for checking focus, with a navigator
- Level, grids, safe areas and anamorphic de-squeeze
- A clean view with one tap, and a red night mode
04Transfer
RAW files go straight to the phone, even with the screen locked.
- Downloads as you shoot, or in batches
- Resumes where it stopped, with the screen off or locked
- Skips files it already has
- EXIF and capture times kept intact, with filters by model, format and date
05Live Photos
Cut a clip from your camera video and turn it into a photo that moves.
- Android Motion Photo and iOS Live Photo
- Any length you like, not a fixed three seconds
- Pick the cover frame, or add a separate high-quality still
06Multi-camera and client review
Clients pick their shots on location, not after you get home.
- One shutter and shared settings across bodies, with a thumbnail wall
- The phone runs a hotspot, and clients scan a code to view and star frames in a browser
- Their picks show up on your side as they make them, and the list exports
04 / Cameras
Four brands, 74 model profiles
Zlens connects first and then asks the camera what it can do. Profiles only cover the maker-specific details outside the standard, so a new model doesn't need new code.
Any spelling works. a7m4 and α7 IV both find the same camera.
| Brand | Bodies covered | Channels | Profiles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sony | α1 / α9 series, α7 / α7R / α7C series, α6100 / α6300 / α6400 / α6700, ZV series | Wi-Fi PTP-IP · Bluetooth LE · USB | 19 |
| Nikon | Z series: Z 9 / Z 8 / Z 7 / Z 6 / Z 5 / Z f / Z fc / Z 50 / Z 30. D-series DSLRs, including bodies without built-in wireless | Wi-Fi PTP-IP · Bluetooth LE · USB | 19 |
| Canon | EOS R series: R5 / R6 / R7 / R8 / R10 / RP. EOS DSLRs such as the 5D, 6D and 90D. EOS M series | Wi-Fi via CCAPI and the EOS channel · Bluetooth LE · USB | 18 |
| FUJIFILM | X-T, X-S and X-H series, X-E4, X-Pro and X100 series, GFX medium format | Wi-Fi PTP-IP first · Bluetooth remote | 18 |
A profile describes what the protocol allows. It isn't a hands-on test of that camera yet, and per-model results will be published at launch.
Show all 74 model profiles
Sony19
Wi-Fi PTP-IP · Bluetooth LE · USB
- α1
- α9
- α9 II
- α7 II
- α7 III
- α7 IV
- α7R II
- α7R III
- α7R IV
- α7R V
- α7C
- α7C II
- α6100
- α6300
- α6400
- α6700
- ZV-E1
- ZV-E10
- ZV-E10 II
Nikon19
Wi-Fi PTP-IP · Bluetooth LE · USB
- Z 9
- Z 8
- Z 7
- Z 7II
- Z 6
- Z 6II
- Z 6III
- Z 5
- Z 50
- Z 30
- Z f
- Z fc
- D850
- D780
- D750
- D610
- D500
- D7500
- D5600
Canon18
Wi-Fi CCAPI / EOS channel · Bluetooth LE · USB
- EOS R5 Mark II
- EOS R5
- EOS R6 Mark II
- EOS R6
- EOS R7
- EOS R8
- EOS R10
- EOS R
- EOS RP
- EOS 5D Mark III
- EOS 5D Mark IV
- EOS 5DS R
- EOS 6D Mark II
- EOS 7D Mark II
- EOS 90D
- EOS 80D
- EOS M50 Mark II
- EOS M6 Mark II
FUJIFILM18
Wi-Fi PTP-IP · Bluetooth remote
- X-T1
- X-T2
- X-T3
- X-T4
- X-T5
- X-T30
- X-H2
- X-H2S
- X-S20
- X-E4
- X-Pro2
- X-Pro3
- X100F
- X100V
- X100VI
- GFX100 II
- GFX100S
- GFX50S II
05 / FAQ
Questions before launch
Where we haven't measured something, we don't give a number.
Which cameras does Zlens support?
Sony, Nikon, Canon and FUJIFILM, with 74 model profiles so far: 19 Sony, 19 Nikon, 18 Canon and 18 FUJIFILM. Zlens uses the standard PTP-IP protocol and checks what each body can actually do once it's connected. A profile isn't a hands-on test, and per-model results will be published at launch.
Do I need an account?
Yes. Before you connect a real camera, you sign in with a one-time code sent to your email. There's no password, and you can delete the account any time under Settings → Account. The account deletion page explains what gets removed. Photos are never uploaded, and there are no ads.
Is it a subscription? What does it cost?
No. You pay once and keep it, with nothing to renew. It's $19.99 outside mainland China. Demo mode lets you try the whole interface first.
Does it work without Wi-Fi? Does it use Bluetooth?
Yes, and it never needs the internet. A camera hotspot, a phone hotspot or a shared router all work, and you can plug in USB when the wireless is bad.
Bluetooth only finds the camera and wakes it. Live view and transfers run over Wi-Fi.
How fast is RAW transfer?
It depends on the camera's wireless chip, the file size and the conditions where you are, so we don't quote a number. Zlens works on keeping the transfer going, resuming after a drop and carrying on with the screen locked. Measured per-model speeds will be published at launch.
When is the iOS version coming?
Android comes first and iOS follows. There's no date yet. We'll post it on this page and email everyone who signs up below.
06 / Get it
Find out the day it ships
Android first, iOS later. Leave your email and we'll send one message when it's out.
One-time purchase
$19.99
Pay once and keep it. No subscription. You can try the whole interface in demo mode first.
Questions about your camera, or a feature you'd like? Write to donaldkuke@gmail.com
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