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Connect via WiFi with 70D


mapotter99

Question

I was reading a thread that stated that the Canon 6D can connect via wifi to BackyardEOS by first connecting the camera to EOS Utility, closing EOS Utility, and then connecting in BackyardEOS.

Here is the thread...
http://forum.otelescope.com/post/byeos-works-wirelessly-with-a-canon-6d-6851008?highlight=wireless&pid=1282363735

I am trying to make this work with my new 70D, but BackyardEOS can't find it using the method described above.  Help! :-)

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Ok... so this is what I have figured out so far... BYEOS works over wifi as long as you do the following:

1) Download and install the Canon Digital Solution Disk software (i.e., the software that came with your camera)

2) Update to the latest version of EOS Utility (not sure if this is necessary, but it is what I did)

3) Pair your Camera with the EOS Utility (I think this only has to be done once as long as your network doesn't change)

4) This pairing procedure by default automatically opens EOS Utility. You can quit this.

5) Open up BackYard EOS and hit connect. The connection should succeed.

I also performed a reboot after step 5 and also shutdown my camera. After rebooting, when I turned on my camera (with wifi enabled), it automatically brought up the Canon EOS Utility selection screen menu (but I didn't choose the option for remote control). I simply just quit.

I then started up BYEOS and hit connect and it worked perfectly.

So, my takeaway is that Backyard EOS does indeed work with WIFI cameras, but only after you have performed a "pairing" of the camera with your computer using the Canon EOS Utility. You only have to do this once - or whenever your network or router changes. After that, BYEOS seems to be able to connect just fine with the camera.

Below are screenshots of "Frame and Focus" mode as well as a captured image - both of which were completed without any USB cable attached! (sorry for lack of planetary objects)

 

post-9170-0-93439700-1443339468_thumb.jpg

 

post-9170-0-58866700-1443339495_thumb.jpg

 

When I first tried BYEOS, I had not installed the Canon software on Windows, and was using BYEOS through a VM, and I had obviously not paired my camera with Windows.

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The 6D seems to be the First and Only Canon DSLR where Canon even HINTS that you can control the Shutter Remotely via WiFi (not just an IR / RF Remote Shutter Trigger).  And for even the 6D SDK it specifically states that Exposure and Settings Control are Not Supported via WiFi.

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On 1/15/2015 at 1:57 AM, s3igell said:

The 6D seems to be the First and Only Canon DSLR where Canon even HINTS that you can control the Shutter Remotely via WiFi (not just an IR / RF Remote Shutter Trigger).  And for even the 6D SDK it specifically states that Exposure and Settings Control are Not Supported via WiFi.

 

Hmmm? Am I missing something? I control my 70D all the time wirelessly from my computer (not only shutter, but all controls - even live view mode - how awesome is that). It is 2015 now... and time to throw away as many cords as we can.

So yeah, and new news for this feature? This software is super cool, but I was a little disappointed (but not surprised) that the WIFI features of the modern Canon cameras is not implemented. Add me to the list of those interested in this feature.

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OK, so what software are you using to control your 70D wirelessly? I'll bet that it doesn't use the Canon SDK!

BYE uses the Canon SDK. This software is provided on an "as-is" basis by Canon.  The SDK controls all the communication and control of the camera.  If it does not support camera tethering via WiFi then BYE cannot.  If Canon did, and did it correctly, it would be transparent to BYE that the connection was wireless.

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I am simply using the Canon EOS Utility program. I have not looked at the Canon EOS SDK, but I can't imagine Canon using a proprietary API and giving a different SDK to developers - I mean it's possible and if the SDK does not support Wireless connections, then I agree, Canon should be shamed.

The Canon EOS Utility program has an interval timer, however what it doesn't have is the awesome focusing helpers that BYEOS has. So regardless, I am sure I will end up purchasing BYEOS, but every time I connect the USB cable to 70D will be cursing a little under my breath knowing that there could be one less wire in the this world.

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The Canon EOS Utility uses the Canon SDK.  So there must be a new command that allows WIFI in there somewhere. This is the first time anyone as ever confirm (here at least) that there were able to do long exposure (BULB) over wifi with EOS Utility.

 

Thanks

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Just to make sure I wasn't making things up (for my own sanity), I just reverified that the Canon EOS Utility does indeed work with bulb mode over WIFI.

Here is a screen shot of the interval timer option of the Canon EOS Utility with the camera set to bulb mode. Not very user friendly, but at least proves it can be done. I tried this with both a USB connection and a WIFI connection and both worked the same.

post-9170-0-84588100-1443278801_thumb.png

btw... some additional feedback... I have noticed that when I switch from running BYEOS in a VM (which I often do) to running in bootcamp (i.e., booting straight into Windows) - that BYEOS needs to revalidate the serial #... so it seems you may be using something for a signature that changes when booting up in a VM vs direct.

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I have been following this and several other posts about using EOS Utility with a WIFI capable Canon Camera.

Can it be done.  I have done it BUT.  I can only do it through a wifi router.  I have  internet service that the box provided by the provider has a wifi router.  To play with my wife's Canon 70D I have to link to the router by inputting the network security code that is assigned to the router box.  The link pretty much says this is how a wifi connection is done.

I have never been able to connect the camera and computer directly like I can using her IPad and the software on it. 

For me it is impractical when I go to a darksky site and take a wifi router with me to escape being tethered.

For wildlife photography I use third party hardware, CamRanger, which works very well for daylight photography and has capabilities to control a lot of the camera features.

I am waiting for wifi control from Windows OS direct to the camera like most others.  When Canon provides that capability in the SDK I expect we will see it in BYE.

Ron

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Ron,

Read this article. It describes how to turn a PC into a WiFi hotspot.

When I take my gear on the road. I go wired.  The larger dark sky star parties don't allow WiFi to be used for equipment control, due to the limited number of RF channels that WiFi has available and the fact that equipment control tends to use constant connections, as opposed to normal PC ops (web browsing, email, texting, etc) use a channel for a short time and then release it.  This is true even if you have your own separate WiFi network since they all use the same set of FCC allowed channels.

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On 9/26/2015 at 2:37 PM, guyroch said:

Did you have to set something specific in EOS Utiltiy to have it work over wifi?

 

 

Hmmm.. There is a pairing step. But this only has to be done once when setting up your network and pairing your camera to your computer. I am not sure how important it is to support the pairing step in BYEOS - I would be ok with requiring the user to pair first with EOS Utility and then use BYEOS for remote control.

 

 

On 9/26/2015 at 4:39 PM, astroman133 said:

He is running the EOS Utility on a Mac. I wonder if it uses different communications software than is provided by the EOS SDK for Windows.

 

I can't imagine Canon would create an SDK that has different feature set for different OS.

 

On 9/26/2015 at 10:25 PM, Ron Hillstromb said:

I have been following this and several other posts about using EOS Utility with a WIFI capable Canon Camera.

Can it be done.  I have done it BUT.  I can only do it through a wifi router.  I have  internet service that the box provided by the provider has a wifi router.  To play with my wife's Canon 70D I have to link to the router by inputting the network security code that is assigned to the router box.  The link pretty much says this is how a wifi connection is done.

I have never been able to connect the camera and computer directly like I can using her IPad and the software on it. 

For me it is impractical when I go to a darksky site and take a wifi router with me to escape being tethered.

For wildlife photography I use third party hardware, CamRanger, which works very well for daylight photography and has capabilities to control a lot of the camera features.

I am waiting for wifi control from Windows OS direct to the camera like most others.  When Canon provides that capability in the SDK I expect we will see it in BYE.

Ron

 

Sounds like what you are describing is ad hoc mode (connecting directly from your camera to a network created by your computer) - this is most certainly supported by the 70D.

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Rick,

there is also a page describing how to use the same piece of equipment CamRanger uses with a firmware rewrite or hack.  It is cheap but you have to use software written for it. 

I will check out the article you provided the link to  and see  if It is in my capabilities.

I do like the CamRanger software capabilities for remotely controlled wildlife photos but there are limitations.  Discussion of that is for another forum and not here.

thanks for the link.

Ron

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According to the Canon USA Site, only 4 Canon DSLRs have Built-in Wi-Fi:

6D

70D

T6i

T6s

Are there any others with Built-in Wi-Fi??

Interestingly, the Canon USA site has an exceedingly long "Specifications" page for the 6D - but fails to list "Wireless" or "WiFi" or "802.11abgn".

The majority of Review Sites which mention Wi-Fi in the Specs are also careful to list a Range of 30ft.  That's long enough to remove the need for a USB Cable at the Camera, but likely not enough to allow the Imager to sit Indoors while managing an Imaging Session.

As well, none seem to mention MIMO capability, so it seems the best connection will be Single Channel - and that limits the Throughput to 50-75Mbps.

Does anyone know different??

While the thought of "Reducing One More Cable" is enticing, if the result is Reduced Throughput for Image Downloads AND LiveView Planetary Imaging then I'll stay Cabled.

(I've placed a Powered USB3 Hub at the base of my Mount, and run a single USB3 Cable with Mount and Guider and DSLR back to my Laptop.  Hopefully when I add a Motorized Focuser, it too will be happy in that environment.  Heck, when I move to a Modded 7DmkII next year, it's built-in USB3 and Dual Digic-VIs will hopefully allow for even faster Planetary Framerates.)

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On 9/27/2015 at 1:18 AM, s3igell said:

The majority of Review Sites which mention Wi-Fi in the Specs are also careful to list a Range of 30ft.  That's long enough to remove the need for a USB Cable at the Camera, but likely not enough to allow the Imager to sit Indoors while managing an Imaging Session.

As well, none seem to mention MIMO capability, so it seems the best connection will be Single Channel - and that limits the Throughput to 50-75Mbps.

Does anyone know different??

While the thought of "Reducing One More Cable" is enticing, if the result is Reduced Throughput for Image Downloads AND LiveView Planetary Imaging then I'll stay Cabled.

(I've placed a Powered USB3 Hub at the base of my Mount, and run a single USB3 Cable with Mount and Guider and DSLR back to my Laptop.  Hopefully when I add a Motorized Focuser, it too will be happy in that environment.  Heck, when I move to a Modded 7DmkII next year, it's built-in USB3 and Dual Digic-VIs will hopefully allow for even faster Planetary Framerates.)

I am not sure what the need is for the USB 3.0 throughput when using a camera for interval shooting? Quick and dirty testing shows that live-view mode through wifi is just as responsive as live-view mode through USB. Also, if you want a setup with a range > 30ft, you are in the realm of remote capture - and I would imagine those guys aren't worrying about wifi support of their terrestrial Canon camera... 

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Below are screenshots of "Frame and Focus" mode as well as a captured image - both of which were completed without any USB cable attached! (sorry for lack of planetary objects)

 

If you could try Planetary Mode on the same Bench Test as the Frame and Focus Capture above, using a Wi-Fi Connection what Frame Rate does BYE produce??

(And can you test the same while USB Connected - I don't think anyone has reported a Planetary Frame Rate for a 6D yet.)

 

(My T2i and 60D both produce about 20fps when USB Tethered...)

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On 9/27/2015 at 2:58 AM, BlueFang said:

I am not sure what the need is for the USB 3.0 throughput when using a camera for interval shooting? Quick and dirty testing shows that live-view mode through wifi is just as responsive as live-view mode through USB. Also, if you want a setup with a range > 30ft, you are in the realm of remote capture - and I would imagine those guys aren't worrying about wifi support of their terrestrial Canon camera... 

USB Throughput is generally a concern (even when "Interval Shooting") in AP Imaging because the combo of DSLR Download and Mount/Focuser/Filterwheel Control need to contend with the already nearly USB2-saturating Data Load of the average Guide Camera.

USB3 Throughput really helps to alleviate all Data Contention under such conditions, as well as might shave a few Seconds off the DSLR Image Download (especially as Pixel Counts continue to rise).

Remote Capture is also a common goal of many AP Imagers - both those who have a Permanent Observatory but want to allow it to run semi-autonomously while watching TV in the Living Room (or Sleeping for a Few Hours); and by those who simply Seek Shelter in their Car while Imaging to Ward off the Winter Night Chill.  Folks with Observatories will go the length of running Ethernet or Active USB Extenders to the Dome, or using Wi-Fi to Remote Control a 2nd Laptop left at the Pier.  Wi-Fi Camera Support might provide a 3rd Approach.

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The wifi connection is certainly slower than the USB connection. I didn't do any definitive frame rate tests, but just from guessing - I would say the frame rate when connected via wifi is about half that when connected via USB. The download rate of the image is also a bit slower - again I would roughly estimate it takes about twice as long to download each image (maybe a bit longer) when connected via wifi vs USB - I was testing with RAW images on the 70D (5472x3648 or about 26MB each).

 

It seems if there is a concern about saturating the USB port, using wifi could definitely ease some of the strain with the caveat that it is definitely a slower connection.

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I've been watching this thread and thinking about the reliability of WiFi for this application. Not that usb cables are trouble free for astro! But given all the other cables I need just one more vs. any additional complication that might cause an issue doesn't seem worth it.

There's the joke about the astrophotographers cursing away over some issue or another while the visual observers with dobs have seen 20 objects, and adding WiFi to the mix doesn't seem like it would help.

Ironically, at our club's show and tell we just had a member present on his open source hardware and software for "setting circles" for dobs via WiFi ;0) He has an iPad mounted on his dob, and uses sky safari. I brought up the often mentioned in WiFi threads here about WiFi at star parties being restricted, but he said he was limiting the power on his hot spot (built into the hardware) and that WiFi was made to exist in a crowded access point on the same channel environment.

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... he said he was limiting the power on his hot spot (built into the hardware) and that WiFi was made to exist in a crowded access point on the same channel environment.

Yup, sounds like the Guy caught at a past Imaging Star Party using his Laser Pointer with the excuse "But I don't get caught because I only use it for a few Seconds at a Time".

OT, but...

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On 9/27/2015 at 1:18 AM, s3igell said:

According to the Canon USA Site, only 4 Canon DSLRs have Built-in Wi-Fi:

6D

70D

T6i

T6s

Are there any others with Built-in Wi-Fi??

Interestingly, the Canon USA site has an exceedingly long "Specifications" page for the 6D - but fails to list "Wireless" or "WiFi" or "802.11abgn".

The majority of Review Sites which mention Wi-Fi in the Specs are also careful to list a Range of 30ft.  That's long enough to remove the need for a USB Cable at the Camera, but likely not enough to allow the Imager to sit Indoors while managing an Imaging Session.

As well, none seem to mention MIMO capability, so it seems the best connection will be Single Channel - and that limits the Throughput to 50-75Mbps.

Does anyone know different??

While the thought of "Reducing One More Cable" is enticing, if the result is Reduced Throughput for Image Downloads AND LiveView Planetary Imaging then I'll stay Cabled.

(I've placed a Powered USB3 Hub at the base of my Mount, and run a single USB3 Cable with Mount and Guider and DSLR back to my Laptop.  Hopefully when I add a Motorized Focuser, it too will be happy in that environment.  Heck, when I move to a Modded 7DmkII next year, it's built-in USB3 and Dual Digic-VIs will hopefully allow for even faster Planetary Framerates.)

 

There's one more camera to add to the list, the M3. I just got one about a month ago to hopefully replace the M1 that I currently use, but was bummed to find that Magic Lantern does not work an appears to likely not ever work.

It does have Wifi connectivity, but it seems to be missing one Icon on the Wifi connection screen, the laptop icon which I believe is needed to make the connection to EOS Utility. I can get the camera to connect to my Wifi router, but when I open OES Utility and hit the Pairing Over Wifi/LAN button, I get the EOS Pairing Software window, but my camera does not appear in the list. 

I do have options to transfer images to another camera, connect to a smartphone (and control from smartphone, but of course no intervelometer or any other useful features), print to Wifi printer, view on DLNA device, and upload to web service. Is it possible they are blocking the one feature that I need to connect to my laptop? Or am I missing something?

Thanks!

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