Error Message 450D

[owenmolly0409]

Hello everyone

I love backyard EOS and am somewhat experienced with it, but I recently purchased a 450D modified and have run into an issue. I can preview and take as long as exposures I want in Frame and Focus window, but when I switch over to the imaging window or attempt an actual capture at all, it gives me “Unable to set Mirrorlock, current setting is assumed.” When that happens it stops capture and will not image at all and no matter how long the shutter duration. Again when I frame and focus it grabs Snap images fine in preview, but will not do the actual imaging on the imaging window. Please help? Mirror lock is disabled in my menu settings as I never mess with using mirror lock. Thanks!

 

Greg 

[astrohound24]

Ok it is solved. I used the newest Canon SDK and it performs like it should. No switching off live view in focus and frame before going to imaging screen. If I had realized this 450D was 2008 and after I wouldnt have chosen the wrong one, so that is totally my fault. Thanks so much for helping me clear this up. I am glad this is going to work. Very happy. My info is 450D running version 3.2.0 and using the Canon SDK in case anyone can use that info. No longer getting the error message and it is now saying imaging completed successfully and even showing the files captured. Also when it was trying to image using the Canon 210, you could hear the camera making noise like it was struggling. That is gone now and just hear the shutter opening smoothly. All good now.

 

Greg M.

[astroman133]

Please report the complete version number of BYE that you are using, like 3.1.18 or 3.2.0!

Make sure that the Mirror lock value on BYE's Imaging screen is set to zero.

[admin]

If it works in F&F and not in image capture there is only one root cause.  Mirror lock is enabled in either the camera or in BYE.

Since you already confirm it is not enabled on the camera it must be in BYE.

Please provide your full version number, the instructions will differ a little bit based on the version you have since in 3.2.0 the mirror lock control is hidden by default.

[owenmolly0409]

Version 3.1.17. This version still has mirror lock value visible on the imaging screen and I have confirmed it is set to “0” value. I disabled in camera but maybe another location in the camera as well that maybe I am not familiar with. Thanks.

[astrohound24]

Ok here is an update. I downloaded the latest version and made sure that mirror lock is off in advance settings. I also verified it is off in the camera. It was still giving the error message. However I found something weird. If I leave the love view running on my camera where it is visible while the shutter is open, everything works? Weird or maybe not since you guys may know something I don’t. I of course would like to not have that screen running on my camera while imaging because of battery life but that is the way of things at this point. I am sure there is some setting on my camera that maybe I am not seeing. Anyways just wanted to update you guys on it. I would sure like to find a way that doesn’t require Live View running during shutter open time on back of camera. Thanks.

Greg M

[astrohound24]

Ok found it. LCD monitor off while shooting toggle. I think I figured this out. I hope so because Backyard EOS is awesome!

 

Greg M

[astrohound24]

Just in case anyone ever runs into this, I have to turn Live View off on BYs focus and preview window before migrating over to the imaging window. As long as I do that, it goes forward with no problem. If I focus and frame with live view toggled in the focus and frame window and do not turn it off before going to the imaging screen, then it won’t work. So at least for me and my camera this is the procedure. I will hopefully get to try again under the stars tonight. Thanks!

Greg

[astroman133]

Greg M are you posting to this site with two different user IDs (owenmolly0409 and astrohound24)? If so, please only use the ID that was used to purchase your BYE license. There is no need to have more than one account and could lead to confusion (as in you can't find your license). Also, per the owners previous statements, using more than one account to get multiple Trial licenses is grounds for banishment from the site.

[astroman133]

Greg,

Which SDK are you selecting when you connect (Canon or Canon210)? I believe that your 450D can use either one, but you should use Canon. It is the newer of the two.

Also, when someone is reading this thread a year or more from now your comment about "I installed the latest" may not mean the same thing. It is better to say something like "I upgraded from 3.1.18 to 3.2.0...".

Your needing to pause LiveView before switching from Frame & Focus to Imaging is not normal behavior. With my T5i and the Canon SDK, I can switch between F&F and Imaging regardless of whether LiveView is paused or active. Please let us know if you experience the same issue when using the Canon SDK. Guylain may want to see a log file that was captured when you experienced the reported behavior, especially if you are using BYE 3.2.0. If there is a problem, the log will help the developers investigate and address it. If requested to provide the log, please attach the log file to an email to support@OTelescope.com, do not post it here.

Thanks!

 

[astrohound24]

Yes my good one is astrohound24 account and the other one I created when I submitted the question yesterday and didn’t remember my password on astrohound24 so that owenmolly0409 can be eliminated. Sorry for that. 

[astrohound24]

10-4 I will do all that. I have been selecting the selection of cameras manufactured before 2008. The second one down. If I understand correctly you are saying try the other one. I will do that. I upgraded to version 3.2.0 for future reference also. I purchased this software back in 2015 and kind of fell out of imaging for a while and had not tried an upgrade. Yes if I can provide any log files will certainly be more than happy to help. I will try the newest SDK and let you guys know. Thanks again for the help. 
 

Greg M

[astrohound24]

I want to add one more thing for thoroughness. I had the auto focus on my lens turned on and that was introducing some trouble. If I leave it on manual, BYEOS seems to switch it on for me and things run smooth. If I leave the switch on the lens on, it gives error message about focus and imaging failed. I hope I am clear and not confusing the way I am describing this. I think that focus switch being on caused an issue too. Not sure if that is normal but if I let BY handle it then all is good. 

BYEOS 3.2.0

Canon 450D (use Canon SDK)

Thanks again for the help.

 

Greg M

 

[admin]

BYE does not turn auto focus on.

Auto focus needs a lot of light to work... it is useless for us in the dark... it needs to be off.

[astroman133]

The lens being in autofocus mode causes the camera to try to focus the image before it will take a picture. For astrophotography, there is not enough light for autofocus to work and it will not take a picture.

This means that you would need to focus the lens manually and then tape it in place so it does not while imaging.

All this means that the behavior that you saw is normal for low light situations like astrophotography and you need to keep the lens in MF mode.

[astrohound24]

I was using the focus buttons in BYEOS and was mistaken in thinking that the lens itself would have to be on to do it. So in the end those focus buttons on the program are still a way of manual focus. So yes auto focus was poor choice of words. I just thought to use the focus on the lens via BYEOS I had to have it switched on. Just dumb mistake on my part. 

[astroman133]

Your are correct that the lens needs to be in AF mode in order to adjust the focus using the chevron buttons in BYE. They will work in Frame & Focus to help you achieve critical focus. However, before you attempt to capture images you need to secure the lens with tape the lens so that focus cannot change and put the lens in MF mode. This is because when BYE tells the camera to take a picture (virtually press the shutter button) the camera wants to adjust focus. Putting the lens in MF mode tells the camera that it won't be able to autofocus so it just starts the exposure.

You need to keep in mind that we use these cameras for purposes that Canon did not intend them to be used for. in this case for taking low light long duration exposures.

With all that, there may be a custom setting in the camera that allows you to move the autofocus function from the shutter button to a different button. This may allow you to leave the lens in AF mode and avoid the need to tape it in place. In my T5i the setting is Custom Function IV and is called "Shutter/AE lock button". With my T5i, changing the setting from the default of 0: AF/AE lock to 1: AE lock/AF the autofocus function is moved from the shutter button to the * button (also called the zoom - button) on the camera. This setting change has no affect on using the chevron buttons to change lens focus on the Frame & Focus screen, but on the Imaging screen, allows me to shoot exposures while the lens is in AF mode. This is how my T5i works, you will need to read your camera manual to see of your camera has a similar setting and how it works. Then you will need to test both Frame and Focus and imaging to see if these functions work as you want with the lens in AF mode.