The iPad as a Camera Monitor.

Before you get angry at me for making you come look at this, Please hear me out. 

Comments

[Tim]

Chris, I have a 5D Mark II and I am doing a lot of HD Video. Do you know if the EOS utility will allow me to shoot video with it? This would be a great way to view the video on my laptop when I am in a scenario where this would work out. I love the iPad idea....

Also, on a second note, can you do a FCP tutorial on the best way to sync audio and video. I just got a Zoom H4N for recording much better audio and I am working through the best ways to get my video from the 5D to sync with the audio files I record with the zoom. You always have great ideas so I was wondering what you would suggest?

Thanks and keep up the good work!

[Tim]

Update: If you go to the Canon website and go to the download section you will see an update for the EOS Utility app (version 2.8) With this update Canon 5D Mark II, 1D Mark IV, and 7D is capable of shooting video via the utility on your notebook (pc or mac).

Tim

[Chris Fenwick]

Tim... i did notice the update on the canon site for the app... it fixed some issues with having full control of things.

in your first post you asked, " Do you know if the EOS utility will allow me to shoot video with it?' The answer is a qualified "yes". You can roll the video but the file will be recorded on the internal CF card in the camera...

the "roll video" button is in the lower left corner under where it tells you what the frame size and frame rate is displayed.

thx for your input.

I'll work on that H4n tutorial... you aren't the first to ask for it.

[Roger Minkow]

Hi...I have been teathering my 5DII and 7D for a few months...teathering is fantastic in the studio but difficult in the outdoor environment. The problem is that it is difficult to see the computer screen in sunlight...I am using a Hoodman but it is still awkward....also in daylight with Live View ON, the sensor tends to heat up causing noise on the image.

The IPAD would be useful outdoors but in the studio I am not sure of the advantage over a Macbook Pro.

The amazing thing that teathering provides in the studio is the unusual mounting opportunity for the camera...ie the ceiling or facing up from the floor.

[Bobjenz]

hated you at first, heard you out... thanks for making this video! :)

[IanH]

You can make this work with iTeleport, which allows you to take control and view the screen of your mac with an iPad

[Chris Fenwick]

interesting but I would rather not have to put a Mac in the mix. Just give me a USB cable between the camera and the iPad and I'ld be a happy camper...

[Rob]

I agree - rather not have the mac book pro in the mix. I use Air Display, an airport, and an ipad. Great when on the shoot - absolutely fantastic because people don't crowd around your laptop but they simply pass around the ipad, but its still a lot of extra equipment. The plus side is that the Air Display is $10 where as the iTeleport is $30. It would be nice if the cameras started coming out with bluetooth to sync directly to the DSLR and produce an app that would allow for the remote control.

[Kris S]

Chris,

I use the Canon EOS utility (much like the one you demo) to do remote shooting through my telescope for deep space photography. The beauty of the remote ap is that you can focus and collimate the telescope optics using the remote live viewing - far more efficiently than you can when looking at the camera lcd or using a 2X viewfinder magnifier. Upon snapping a 40 second photo, you can view the image magnified on the computer screen and can check for focus or unwanted light streaks across the image. Since most of my photography takes place out in remote rural AZ locations, there is not an electrical outlet nearby. My telescope power tank will run the large CPC telescope for up to eight hours. My laptop, however, has about a 1 to 2 hour battery life, which limits the total shooting time. Porting the remote camera control software to an IPad would extend the operating time and simplifiy the hardward set up.

[Naxos]

I +1 you idea tim : we defcenatelly need this tool on iPad ! i'd pay for that too

[Giacomo]

Hi
I'd like to buy this software for my iphone/ipad but I'd like to ask you this thing: is it necessary a router to set a wifi connection between a laptop and iphone/ipad?
Or it is possible to set up a wifi connection directly between pc/macbook and iphone/ipad?
For example.. if I am outside and I have not the possibility to attach an airport express (for example) how I could set up a wifi connection to make the software works?
Thank you

[Rob | CalgaryPhotos.CA]

Giacomo - I think that you are responding to the post from September 30th. If so then yes a wifi is necessary for that to work, but you can always simulate the wifi using an external device such as an android phone or a jail broken iphone. In theory if you could get your ipad to be a wifi router and then connect to it with your laptop but i haven't tried it.

I also have to warn you - that this set up works, but its also a pain in the ass to use. The ipad becomes a smaller secondary monitor. If you drag the EOS utility onto the with live viewing, well you now have a whole lot of stuff on a small screen which when controlling with a mouse is okay but when using your finger is a nightmare.

Let me know if you find anything that works better.

[Giacomo]

Thanks for your reply.
I need this "option" for video.. I make videos and it would be nice to monitor what I'm shooting with liveview..
But if I need a wifi router.. it'll be so difficult in many situation.
My iphone is jailbroken and I could use it as a router.. but if it doesn't work?
The software costs 20$ and there's no way to test it before buying unfortunately :(

[felixmco]

This is great idea. I've been waiting for this since the IPad first came out, and we're on 2.0 and I'm still waiting. Maybe the soon to be in store Playbook will have this capability... fingers crossed.

[Graystate]

So almost a year on and still no app. I want this for my 60D
PLEASE developers, grant us all this wish!

[Radek]

Is not macbook air a solution for you? The macbook air as very small 10" and standard canon eos software is usable on it...

[minkin]

I have been scouring the web for an answer to the using my ipad as a viewfinder question.

I would love to use this with my 5Dmk2, and would pay a mint for it...

Make it so!!!

[.]

you can get a look at :
http://www.ononesoftware.com/products/dslr-camera-remote/

[Brian S]

I ended up here because of my search for an easy solution to connecting my 5DmkII via USB to an iPad in the field.
I want to be able to walk around freely with both, being able to better view what I'm shooting, rather than hold the camera and look at that small LCD for focus etc!
I envisage the iPad maybe supported, hanging from my neck or body while letting me handle / aim the camera separately
I see this as the next big need of attention to support filmmakers!

[Steven Blackwood]

Hi, Chris.
Yu may be aware of this already, but Camranger has a device (it does cost $300) that does everything you want. It runs off the USB port of the camera and sets up a wifi hotspot of its own which you then have the iPad attache to. Works really well.
www.camranger.com