DSLR Remote

[pmrid]

Is anyone using this iPod Application to control their DSLR? I've been trying to get it to run my 300D with limited success - it finds the server, accesss the camera, takes one shot and locks.
I'd be interested to hear of other experiences/solutions/hacks.
Peter.

[Davros]

Hmmm hadnt heard of this will have to investigate.

[leon]

Hmm, new to me too, but I'm sure it has worked for someone.

Leon

[Virgs]

Working fine with my Canon 1DMK111 - sends the last picture to the ipad/itouch, have full control of all settings. Works a charm and means I can be down on the pads doing some visual work whilst the telescope in the observatory is collecting data and I can show those that are interested the last pic taken in real time.

[Omaroo]

Yep - working with my Canon 40D and iPhone 3GS too. Works beautifully, and gives full control over all settings and downloads frames in no time to phone. Fantastic to be able to walk around and instruct the camera what to do from over the other side of the field when chatting to someone else. I run the server on my Acer AspireOne netbook. :thumbsup:

[adman]

I just downloaded it Peter - exactly the same behaviour for me - one shot, no image appearing on iPhone, then locks up. I am using my 10D which it says is not supported, but it connected ok to the camera, and warned me that 'bulb' was not supported on my camera model....

Adam

[adman]

just had a bit of a squiz online - it looks like the 10D and 300D are a similar vintage, and have the original DIGIC processor (DIGIC I, I guess...), the latest one is DIGIC IV. Chris's 40D has the DIGIC III.

Not sure if this is it, but might be a good place to start.

Adam

[Omaroo]

Looking at the App store again, both the 10D and 300D are not in the supported list of cameras. Maybe it is the Digic 1 which is in question as Adam surmises.

[adman]

It's a pity. Looks good. I feel a camera upgrade coming on...

[pmrid]

Hmmm! Shame! I've got a nicely modd'd 300D sitting idle in a corner. This little app seemed the perfect way to 'give it an outing'. Back to Nebulosity and the QHY8 I guess and the 300D can continue to slumber.
Peter.

[Omaroo]

Here's my screen on my iPad from last night. It was cold outside (poor dear... LOL!) so once I'd polar aligned I hotfooted it back inside to set up photos for the night.

I sat on my couch in front of the fire and watched a recording of "Voyage to the Planets" while setting up each shot on my iPad on my knee. As photos were taken, I adjusted the 40D's exposure times, white balance and ISO settings - all on the fly and from my couch. I could see the shot as soon as it had finished on my screen to gauge whether settings were appropriate. This is brilliant, I must say. :thumbsup:

[RobF]

Nice Chris!
Now THAT'S 21st century astrophotography! :lol:

[Omaroo]

You said it Rob - far fewer colds for me this winter. :) I just wish that I could control the QHY9 in the same manner. I guess that I can, but on another laptop via RDP. Yuk... :lol:

[hotspur]

Hardly 'amateur astronomy' when you get to that set up Chris,while its nice in front of a fire etc.I think the appeal to many is to actually go outside and really participate in the night.

While the above set up would suit a university study program,many like getting outside even if it is a little cold,Personally-one may as well google some hubble photos,than have to go to all the bother to go outside away from your fire to cover the scope up with a tarp when your finished ipoding.

[Omaroo]

Nah Chris, I go outside and "participate in the night" at many star parties and club nights (at least 4 per month) during the year. I've come back from one just now - a very successful public night MAS threw for the 200 members of the public who turned up.

Going out into my own back yard alone to do nothing more than collect data is neither a "great time" nor especially "fun". There's nothing social about it, and I have a propensity to catch cold very easily in cooler weather (-2 last night) - I don't live in QLD.

Google up a few Hubble photos..... Wah? I don't think that remote control is "devaluing" my experience, I've been doing it long enough, and while to many the appeal might very well be going out and freezing, myself included, there are times when I don't wish to. Been there... done that. ;) Don't need to do it every night. Besides, once you have a DSLR mounted and you program your little remote timer to keep pressing your shutter for you, what's the difference?

I don't use this setup in preference to my nights out, but I seen that I'll use it when I'm tired, cold and not in the mood to go out - yet I can still turn a clear night into something useful in data collection terms. Sounds like a great way to do it when it suits.

Besides....... I did it because I can. :D

[hotspur]

Sorry Chris.I did'nt mean to appear rude,Its certainly sound as though you do many types of astro activities,Yes-its often difficult to convey a thought with mere words on screen.

I have seen others approach to astronomy and they do not have the varied types of activity you have,And I did think it was a little sad.their whole lives in front of a computer screen!

Yes,I too,like yourself have a purpose built observatory,that cost many thousands of dollars to construct,its not far from the house,so will look into operating the whole set up from inside,What is involved in setting the remote up Chris??

I have just purchased a Vixen Skysensor 2000 PC,this is a very good computer goto system and more for.If I can find some way of making it talk to the inside computer I will be sitting in front of the fire driving it all from there too,it gets to minus-7 in winter

If anyone has a link to get info on driving a SS2K remotely please let me know

Chris

[Omaroo]

Minus 7 in Queensland? Golly, where are you - maybe somewhere around Stanthorpe (Granite Belt area)? That's cold for that latitude. It gets to minus 12C at times on my place in Cooma, but you'd kind of expect it - it's very close to the snow country.

As far as this system goes, it relies on an 802.11 (WiFi) network rather than Bluetooth. Better range - especially through walls and glass/aluminium doors. What I've used here is from onOne Software (http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=38), and is only available for iPod, iPhone, iPad and a host laptop (being either Windows or Mac-based) out near the scope to run the server software on. You download and install the free server software (no setup as such), connect your camera via USB and away you go. Fire up the iDevice and select the found server - voila. Simple-as and very clever.

The nutty thing is that I now run two distinct 802.11 networks from my scope now - one for DSLR Remote and the other for my SkyFi control for the Argo. :lol:

I don't have an observatory at my place in Sydney BTW. I go out and set up the whole shebang every time. I'd like an obs here but don't trust people in my area not to break in at every opportunity. :mad2:

[hotspur]

Ok,will look into that,thanks for info,sounds like it would'nt be to difficult to get set up,Yes,gets very cold here on top of the Blackbutt Range.

Here is a pic of the frost last weekend when the visitors came up from Brisbane.

[Omaroo]

Last weekend after a fireside session... :lol:

[gbeal]

Ha, good ratio, 2 cans per bottle, but really mate, only two bottles? Were you on your own? LOL

[Omaroo]

Not quite Gary - you'll notice that one of the bottles still has product in it. LOL!That was me and Murray, my CEO on a weekend down at my place. There are a few more empty Coke cans on the back of the tray somewhere under the tarp... Note the frozen Coke spill - it came shooting out of the open can during the night as it froze. Sticky... yuk. Glad it was his ute.

Apologies for going off-topic Peter.

[acropolite]

Used Dslr remote at astrofest, a very impressive utility, I'd like to see some better timer functionality though, multiple exposures are limited to 30 seconds, the only way to get longer times is to use the bulb setting. In combination with the itap rdp client I was able to take images and monitor phd guiding from the van over 50 meters away.

[acropolite]

I've emailed the developers and requested Longer exposure options on the timer functions.

Fingers crossed...

[Omaroo]

Good on you Phil. It's my only complaint too. I use it by initiating every bulb shot manually - one after the other.