Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

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Dave The Drummer
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Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

Post by Dave The Drummer »

Hi guys,

I've got the remote and stacking software working perfectly USB tethered to a laptop. Problem is I don't want to lug a laptop around in the field. So iPhone or iPad is required.
I have both of them. And I have the WT-5 wireless adapter for my Nikon D4.
However I can't get the app on the phone to see the camera. The phone is connected to the wifi adapter and I can use the built in server to control the camera remotely using a web browser, but I can't make the Helicon Remote app see the camera. So I know that the phone is definitely connected to the camera. But the Helicon Remote app does not see it.
I have added the camera in the app settings. Give it a name, the IP is the IP of the camera shown in the D4 network settings menu, try to connect and the app reports the error: A network device with the specified error is not found.
The app also suggests going to Tools - Network cameras but this setting does not appear in the iOS app.
I have also been through the instructions here: http://www.heliconsoft.com/HeliconRemoteHelp/english/network_manual.html#NikonWT
But those instructions are for the WT-4, not the WT-5. So the settings and screens are different. I have tried it anyway but no success.

Can anyone help me connect the app to the Nikon D4 using the WT-5 wifi adapter please?
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Sounds like you've configured the WT-5 for HTTP server mode. You'll need Image transfer / Camera control mode for Helicon Remote. Create another profile for this mode and make sure that profile is active when you're attempting to use the program.
You don't need the Nikon Wireless Utility anymore because WT-5 lets you create profiles directly from the camera body menu. Also make sure to select ad-hoc mode and enable profile copying. See p. 19 of the WT-5 user manual: https://cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/wireless/WT-5_EN.pdf

Then connect the camera to a computer with a USB lead, launch Helicon Remote, go to Tools -> Network cameras -> Nikon profiles -> Fetch. If a new entry appears in this dialog after pressing Fetch, you're good to connect manually.
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Dave The Drummer
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Re: Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

Post by Dave The Drummer »

Thanks Stas, you're right about HTTP server mode.
I'll give this a shot now.
8)
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Dave The Drummer
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Re: Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

Post by Dave The Drummer »

Thanks Stas.
I've tried the settings you suggest. I can now get the app to see the camera in the 'select camera' screen. But when I try to connect it returns an error message:
"The camera has been detected successfully. However it needs to be reconfigured. etc..."
Tried the suggested things in the message to no avail. There's nothing else trying to connect to the camera.
I also can't get any camera profile to appear in the app.
I could see the transferred profile when I plugged the camera into the computer with a USB cable and hit 'fetch' as you said.
But then when I connect the phone using wifi I have no profile.

I'm clearly missing something fundamental here, apologies for the hassle.
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Apologies should be on us. As you've discovered, the connection procedure for Nikon WT modules is slightly complicated, and it could be documented better in our manual. Although, at this point you can follow our manual for WT-4 as it fully applies. The only difference between WT-4 and WT-5 is that you no longer need the Nikon Wireless Utility (but it still works and you can use it, it's just cumbersome).

Specifically, you should now be able to connect to the camera wirelessly from the computer onto which you've fetched the profile. If you need to connect the camera to a mobile device, you need to transfer the profile to that device:

– write down the profile ID of the profile that you fetched (ID is the long line of letters that you see in Helicon Remote -> Network cameras -> Nikon profiles);
– launch Helicon Remote on iOS, go to Select a camera -> Add -> Profiles.
– press “Add”, enter the ID retrieved previously, press OK.
– select this profile as active (long tap – Set active).
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Dave The Drummer
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Re: Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

Post by Dave The Drummer »

Thanks Stas.

I've finally got it working OK. It took quite a lot of faffing around but it does work now and I have a simple process for making it work.
So this is how I did it.
For Nikon D4, WT-5 wireless adapter, and iPhone. After each step on the camera you should proceed to the next screen by selecting OK or whatever it needs. And you will need to connect the camera to a Windows PC with the Nikon Wireless Transmitter Utility installed.

Power up camera with WT-5 attached.
Go into Network Settings. Select Create Profile.
Select Connection Wizard. Select Camera Control.
Add a name for the network profile. Call it something like Helicon.
Then select Direct Connection (ad-hoc). Enter an SSID for the wireless network you'll be connecting to using your phone. I called it Helicon Remote.
Then it wants an encryption key i.e. a password. Use something simple you'll remember. You must have a password.
On the next screen which says something like "you can simplify setup by copying profile to computer..." Select No.
Next screen is how the IP address is assigned. Leave it on Auto. After a few moments the camera will show you the IP address and the mask it's come up with.
Next screen is Pairing Computer And Camera. Follow the instructions and connect the camera to the PC with a mini USB cable. Then run the Nikon Wireless Transmitter Utility on the PC. The program will detect the camera and say something like All Done. You can click OK or next or whatever and close the program on the PC. Power off the camera and disconnect it.

Now power up the camera and go into Network Settings. Select the network profile you created (Helicon) and then switch on the network connection.
Now open your iPhone and go into wifi settings and look for the SSID of the network we created in the camera. It should be called Helicon Remote. Tap to connect. It will then want the password you entered earlier on the encryption key step. Enter the password and the phone will connect to the camera's wifi network.
Close the iPhone settings.
Open up Helicon Remote and tap Exposure to get you in the right place to select a camera. Tap Select A Camera in the top left area. The camera should appear. Tap it and tap Connect.
Helicon Remote should then connect and go to the Live View screen and you should be able to see the view that the camera is seeing.
Make your selections for settings and shoot away.

Important note: Go into the app settings and select Image Saving. In there scroll down to The Download settings and make sure they are all set to Leave In Camera. Otherwise it'll take ages to transfer the images to the phone and you'll probably run out of phone space before that's complete.

Right. Now I've got that sussed I have some software to buy 8)
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Nikon D4, WT-5 Wireless, and iOS iPad/iPhone

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Thanks for the detailed walk-through. I didn't realize you no longer need to transfer the profile manually with WT-5 (unlike WT-4), and that you still need the wireless utility.
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