Wi-fi on digital camera: worth it?

All major manufacturers have come out with point to shoot cameras with wi fi connectivity. There are also Eye-fi cards available that connect through wi fi.

If you like a camera by its features and looks, go for it, but not because it has wi fi connectivity feature. Things will definitely change in future but as of now pocket cameras do not offer great value with wi fi.

Advantages of wi fi in pocket camera, especially when on vacation

• You can quickly share your photos with others on Facebook etc. 
• You can send photos to a photo site or email to yourself, thus clearing your camera's storage for more photos.
• You need not carry wires to connect to internet.
• You can make use of free wi fi available at airports, stations, cafes, malls and so on.

Problems with camera wi-fi

• It drains your camera's battery.
• It is not very reliable.
• Pocket cameras do not have big buttons, and keyboard to type password, so using wi fi can be irritating.
• Many wi fi connections are not good enough to send quality photos over internet.
• Many cameras allow only small photos to go through wi fi.
• Free wi fi can be risky: hackers can download your photos or steal some other data, and viruses can infect your camera.

If on vacation and need to send photos over the net, use internet available in the hotel [though it it might be costly] or in an internet cafe. Or you can decide to use your cellphone to send photos instantly because at least wi fi there will be less cumbersome. Eye fi cards too go bad and are not too helpful.