Compatible with iPad?

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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Profiles are not applicable to anything other than WT-4 and WT-5 wireless modules, so disregard that.
You probably need to reset all the wifi-related settings in the camera body and configure it from scratch. Make sure to ONLY connect it to Helicon Remote. Once you've paired the camera with certain software (say, Nikon's app), you won't be able to use it from other software without reset and re-configuration.
dfikar wrote:I have separate HR licenses for both android and windows. Can I transfer one over to the iOS platform?
Yes, please use your Android activation code.
chpcrvr
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by chpcrvr »

Well, I've reset my wi-fi in my D5300 and don't see any other configuration settings in the camera. When I select D5300 from HR it refuses a connection. When I try to add it manually now I don't get a 'save' button so I can't do that anymore. Time to give up for now and let you come up with connection instructions that work.

One last question....my D5300 is a WU-2 network...has Nikon done something different for this camera? You don't mention WU-2 anywhere in your instructions.
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

We don't mention WU because we don't have specific detailed instructions for these cameras yet.
waynefreeman
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by waynefreeman »

I've tried keeping Live View turned off, but I still can't seem to get to Square 2 (Square 1 is getting the camera connected). After connecting the camera, all I can do is some slight variation of the following:

1. Try to do something, like get some image on the screen, select Fast Preview, Focus, whatever. Nothing in particular happens.
2. Screen display changes to "Camera is not connected".
3. Return to iPad Wi-Fi Settings, re-select the Nikon WU Network.
4. Return to HR, tap "Select a Camera".
5. Camera selector pane says, "Camera not available".
6. Quit & Restart HR.
7. Select a Camera, choose "D7100" and connect.
8. Return to #1 and go through it all again.

One time I was able to get as far as setting the A and B focus points and tap "Start Shooting" but that was all. Something happened in the camera, either Live View turned on or off, but no shots were taken before the camera disconnected, after sitting for about a minute with the status bar at the bottom of the screen showing "0/6" on the left and "Stop Shooting" on the right.

This is about all I can do, I think, until there's an update.
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Does the physical wi-fi connection drop when 2. happens?
waynefreeman
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by waynefreeman »

Stas Yatsenko wrote:Does the physical wi-fi connection drop when 2. happens?
I was going to write a book about connectivity, but saved myself some embarassment by discovering that if you turn on Airplane Mode (and turn off Bluetooth, which if on must disable important parts of Airplane Mode), all connectivity issues go away. HR is then able to remain connected to the camera until the camera battery runs down, which is about all one can ask.

That leaves two issues that I know of:

1. The spurious Abnormal Termination message. You've said that's fixed in the next update. Good.
2. This one is a real Catch-22: HR is by default in Free Mode, so you have to enter the Activation Code to be able to change Quality to RAW. No problem, you think. However:
a. The sign-in times out because you're connected to the camera, not the internet, so
b. You go to Settings and connect to the internet.
c. Return to HR and enter the Activation Code and sign in.
d. Return to Settings and reconnect to the WU-1a.
e. HR is now disconnected from the camera, so you
f. Tap "Select a camera" and the list is empty, so you
g. have to quit HR and relaunch, but
h. HR is back in "Free Mode", so you
i. have to go back to Step b and repeat until blue in the face.

My suggestion is that either the Activation Code needs to stick or the "Select a camera" list needs to remain populated during a session or both.

To end on an up note, I have been able successfully to take a sequence of 30 photos without the camera's disconnecting.

Edit: I clarified the bit about Bluetooth needing to be off. It was ambiguous before.
Last edited by waynefreeman on 02.05.2015 02:37, edited 1 time in total.
chpcrvr
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by chpcrvr »

Thank you Wayne!! I turned on airplane mode and bluetooth on my D5300 and I was able to connect!! I even was able to select my A & B focus points and collect a stack. Like you, however, it comes up in demo mode and I can only collect jpg images. However, I have a different problem regarding activation.

When I go to the Tools->sign in and enter my activation code it gives me an error saying, "Key generation failed. Program can be activated only on two devices." I have a Premium account license which I thought would let me run HR on my tablet, Android smartphone and iPad. Shouldn't I be able to run on all devices with this license?

Finally, as a note to HR developers...if I try to sign in and I forget that I'm connected to the camera's wi-fi and not my house network it times out hand hangs (freezes) HR. I need to actually shut down my ipad and restart it to unfreeze HR.
JohnS
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by JohnS »

I would really like to like this software. I would like to use it for macro photography of spring wild flowers, but right now there are two deal-breakers for me.

1. The interface is almost unreadable outdoors because of the grey-blue fonts. All the fonts need to be the brightest white.

2. I cannot get it to connect reliably to my Canon 6D set up as an ad hoc network, which obviously is the only way to connect in the wild. It can take me an hour of tinkering to get it to connect, then if either the camera or the iPad goes to sleep, it will not reconnect. Extremely frustrating. I hope these issues can be fixed.
chpcrvr
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by chpcrvr »

I seem to keep losing my camera specification and then it is hard to add the camera back again. When I select 'add' I can put in name and IP address but I often don't get a 'Save' option. I only see Add at the top of the window and Help at the bottom...no Save option. Therefore, I can't add the camera. Why is this happening?
JohnS
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by JohnS »

I tried the iPad remote software out in the field this morning, with reasonable success. I have posted some photos in the Helicon Focus Group on Flickr.

I have finally figured out how to connect the iPad and the 6D in an ad hoc network. I will post some instructions later.

The only problem is the long delay in recognizing the camera. If either the camera or the iPad goes to sleep, it takes two or three minutes to reconnect. Hopefully the developers are working on it.

If the developers are following this thread, it would be nice if the Helicon Remote software showed the name of the connected network in the menubar, as the EOS Utility does. That way, while you are waiting for the camera to be recognized, you will know whether or not you are still connected to the network.

As per my earlier comments, the interface really needs the text to be in pure white for outdoor use.
chpcrvr
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by chpcrvr »

As a follow-on to my previous post...I reset everything, re-entered my authentication code attached to my camera. My camera setting showed up in the camera list so I was able to connect to the ipad. I don't know why it shows up sometimes and not others. In any case, I was able to connect and collect a stack shooting in .nef format! This is a first!

So...just a couple of comments.... I still would like clarification on why I don't see the 'save' button all the time when trying to enter a camera's settings manually. Also, I agree with JohnS that both the ipad and android interfaces need to be as bright as possible when working outside.

Things are coming together...thanks!
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

waynefreeman wrote:if you turn on Airplane Mode (and turn off Bluetooth, which if on must disable important parts of Airplane Mode), all connectivity issues go away.
Thanks for the info. I don't quite understand what was causing the issue, but good to know.
waynefreeman wrote: 1. The spurious Abnormal Termination message. You've said that's fixed in the next update. Good.
2. This one is a real Catch-22: HR is by default in Free Mode, so you have to enter the Activation Code to be able to change Quality to RAW. No problem, you think.
Both are mistakes that will be fixed in the next version of the app. You only have to sign in once.
JohnS wrote: 1. The interface is almost unreadable outdoors because of the grey-blue fonts. All the fonts need to be the brightest white.
We'll look into that.
JohnS wrote: 2. I cannot get it to connect reliably to my Canon 6D set up as an ad hoc network
I assume you're hosting an ad-hoc network on your iPad? It's very odd that connecting takes that long, it can't be more than a couple seconds. Please restart the app, reproduce this problem and send a bug report once connection is established. And there shouldn't have been any connection issues to begin with, so I'm interested to see the connection procedure that you've eventually found out to work to see what's special about it and possibly guess what the problem was originally.
chpcrvr wrote:I seem to keep losing my camera specification and then it is hard to add the camera back again. When I select 'add' I can put in name and IP address but I often don't get a 'Save' option. I only see Add at the top of the window and Help at the bottom...no Save option. Therefore, I can't add the camera. Why is this happening?
You're adding the camera, so the action is called "Add". If you were editing the existing entry, it would be called "Save". Bottom line - that is the button you're looking for.
On a side note, you shouldn't be losing the entries. We'll look into it.
Actually, please go to app's settings, change some setting (any, just set something to a different value), exit settings, exit the app. Restart the app, go to settings again. Has the change that you've made persisted?
chpcrvr wrote: When I go to the Tools->sign in and enter my activation code it gives me an error saying, "Key generation failed. Program can be activated only on two devices." I have a Premium account license which I thought would let me run HR on my tablet, Android smartphone and iPad. Shouldn't I be able to run on all devices with this license?
The limit of 2 devices is for the mobile app license, across Android and iPad, which is why you've hit the limit. We've increased the cap for you, you can register now.
JohnS
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by JohnS »

I am still having problems connecting the iPad and the 6D on an ad hoc network. Takes a long time. Often does not connect at all. This morning in the field I kept get Network errors suggesting a wrong IP address even though I was using saved settings. I gave up and shot without it. When I got home the only way to connect was to wipe the wifi settings on the camera and start over again.

I will e-mail a bug report. I assume this sends log files?

Here is how I set up the Ad Hoc network.

On the 6D:
In Wifi Function, choose "Remote Control"
Choose Find "Network"
Choose "Enter Connection" (without choosing any infrastructure networks)
Choose "Infrastructure"
Create an SSID (JDS6D, in my case)
Under Channel Setting, choose 1

Then on iPad, in the wireless settings choose "JDS6D" under "devices"
Ignore warning that JDS6D is not connected to the internet.

Then back on the 6D, for IP Address, choose "Auto Setting"
After watching "Please Wait" for 30 seconds or so, Choose "start pairing devices" - "OK"

Then back on IPad, in Helicon Remote, Choose "select a camera", the "Canon EOS 6D" then "Connect".

Then on the 6D, save the settings and give the settings a name.

Encryption settings, choose "None".

I have sent a bug report. Hope you get it.
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

All right, this is getting interesting. At first I misinterpreted your instructions and started experimenting, and have made some very interesting discoveries. The most important one is that with some tweaking of the software we can make the Smartphone mode work, where hosting an ad-hoc network is more trivial. We're looking into it and will update the app (and the connection manuals) once it works reliably.

We've followed your connection procedure, repeated it a couple times and didn't observe the 2-minute connection times you were mentioning. So we still don't know what's the deal with that. There's up to 1 minute delay when you have to wait for the camera to actually start hosting the network you can connect your iPad to, but other than that it was all smooth. Please reproduce the long connection and send a report (menu (button in the upper right corner of the screen) -> Feedback; enter your e-mail and a short comment so that we know what to look for).

P. S. There's one small mistake in your instructions: it should read "ad-hoc" instead of "Infrastructure").
JohnS
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Re: Compatible with iPad?

Post by JohnS »

Stas, I have been traveling and haven't had time to get back to this (nor the motivation now that the spring flowers are gone). I was wondering if you have any updates on this? Thanks.
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