Camera Grid Questions

[jakejake]

Some of the columns mention "serial" and "USB".  Both are "serial".  Is there another difference?

Sometimes there's no mention of serial or USB, so I was wondering how the connection is made, or if there's a default connection.  Not quite sure why some are mentioned to have a specific connection type, and others don't.

 

Do any cameras support full wireless (no tethering) via WiFi?

 

[admin]

USB means that function is achievable via regular USB cables.

SERIAL means that a serial cable is required to achieve that function

 

If the column is empty it means that function is NOT supported for this camera model.

 

Only 2 functions are affected by this, Mirror Lock and BULB.  

 

WIFI is a function of your camera and you computer.  It is completely outside BYE/BYN.  Please see this thread where 1 user was able to do it.

 

Hope this helps.

[jimwc6491]

jakejake

 

I believe the Serial is a mini RS-232 connection. but I'm not sure as my camera does not have a "serial"

connection.

[astroman133]

The primary cable between the camera and the PC is a USB cable.  For some of the older models Canon did not support BULB exposures (or Mirror Lock) via the USB cable. In order to do BULB exposures with those cameras you need to connect a second cable between PC and the camera to control the shutter.  This cable connects between the remote shutter jack on the camera and a USB port on the PC.  This is the "serial" cable referred to in the Camera Support Grid. Below the camera is a link to an etailer who sells a compatible serial cable.

[astroman133]

Jim,

 

You are confused.  The DSUSB cable only controls mirror lock and the shutter for bulb exposures.  It uses RS-232 control signals to control the mirror and the shutter via the remote shutter jack on the camera.

 

None of these cameras have a modem-style serial port.

[s3igell]

It would probably be easier (and less confusing) to think of the "Serial Cable" in terms of a "Shutter Cable".  It terminates in a Remote Shutter Plug, of a shape determined by the Remote Shutter Port of the Target DSLR.

 

It is confusing to Newbies to refer to this as a "Serial Cable", because: 1) The End-Point Connections are "USB2" (same as the Main USB2 Connection to the DSLR) and "Remote Shutter Plug"; 2) The Serial Port is "hidden" by the DSUSB (or Hap Griffin) Converter; 3) The "Virtual Serial Port", while exposed to the User as "a Setting that One must arbitrarily replicate from Device Manager to BYE/BYN Setting" (something that would probably be Automated if a larger subset of DSLRs required the Device), is not Obvious to anyone not involved in Dev or Support; and 4) The Connection and Cables neither look like the prototypical DB-9 or DB-25 "Serial Port" nor are the only actual Serial Data Protocol-based Ports in use on the average PC/Laptop (USB, HDMI, DisplayPort, eSATA, even Ethernet - all these Ports are Serial Data Ports in truth).

 

So, one should be able to recognize the potential for Confusion between Columns labeled "USB" and "Serial"...

[admin]

jakejake

 

I believe the Serial is a mini RS-232 connection. but I'm not sure as my camera does not have a "serial"

connection.

 

The serial cable connects where the intervalometer would connect.

 

Regards,

[astroman133]

I agree with s3igell.  I have lost count of how many times I have explained about the DSUSB cable to newbies.  It may be better to call it an "Aux Shutter Cable" and to add a more detailed explanation of how it is used, AND that it does not replace the main USB cable, on the Camera Support Grid page.

[s3igell]

I believe the Serial is a mini RS-232 connection. but I'm not sure as my camera does not have a "serial" connection.

 

 

The DSUSB cable only controls mirror lock and the shutter for bulb exposures.  It uses RS-232 control signals to control the mirror and the shutter via the remote shutter jack on the camera.

None of these cameras have a modem-style serial port.

 

 

The serial cable connects where the intervalometer would connect.

 

Each of you is Right (and WRONG) in varying aspects of the Confusion over "Serial" and "Remote Shutter" Ports.

 

At the Camera-end of things, the "Shutter Port" is NOT a Serial Port but rather a pair of Voltage-level Triggers with simply a "V-in" and "Ground" (one for "half-press" triggering of AF/AE functions; and one for "full-press" triggering of Mirror/Shutter functions).

The DSLR DOES have 1-2 Serial Ports, but neither is involved in this discussion of Shutter Port Control:  The Main USB2 and HDMI ports are both in truth Serial Ports.

 

At the PC-end, the "Shutter Control" is essentially controlled by a software "Virtual Serial Port Interface" which is related to a physical USB Port. 

And from there to a USB-to-Serial Converter; and then to a Serial-to-Voltage Converter; and then to a Remote-Shutter-Jack Cable (all usually contained within the DSUSB device).

 

Jim:  Correct for many cases where the User has a DIY USB-to-Shutter setup.  These usually utilize a USB-to-Serial-DB9 Dongle and then a DB9-to-Shutter-Plug Cable.

Rick:  Correct about the DSUSB.  And about the "Virtual Serial Port" Interface used within the PC Software.

Guylain:  Correct that this is the Programmer's view.