Remote to Start Video on 5dMrk2 or 7d

I'm in the same position as the original poster... I'd like to start and stop video without touching the camera. I've just ordered myself an IR remote.

It would be cool if someone made a USB remote that allowed you to do "everything". Changing exposure settings as well as taking pictures and video would be fantastic!

I have one that does that. It's a small laptop.

If you put on a network grip on the camera, it will even be wireless, from any direction. You can actually run it from a phone that has WiFi and supports Javascript, if you want a smaller device for control. A bit costly, though.

apersson850 wrote in post #11130548
I have one that does that. It's a small laptop.

You say that, but it still has to be big enough to run EOS utility. When I tried, EOS utility had a minimum screen size (in pixels) and that ruled out my netbook.

To be fair, I have never searched for alternative software. Is the Canon USB protocol open do you think? Or does everyone have to reverse engineer it?

MintMark wrote in post #11130717
You say that, but it still has to be big enough to run EOS utility. When I tried, EOS utility had a minimum screen size (in pixels) and that ruled out my netbook.

To be fair, I have never searched for alternative software. Is the Canon USB protocol open do you think? Or does everyone have to reverse engineer it?

Isn't there a way to bypass that by using an external monitor?

this is gonna sound rather odd (perhaps a little noobish) but why would you want to start/stop recording with a remote? i think every time ive shot video for events and stuff on my 550D my hands are always on the camera (cause im holding it) and if its on a tripod im right behind the camera checking focus/panning etc and it seems kinda illogical to use a remote (another thing to get in the way) when im so close..

do a lot of u film stuff on tripods where you dont want to be near the camera?

genuine questions^

trickydan wrote in post #11131107
this is gonna sound rather odd (perhaps a little noobish) but why would you want to start/stop recording with a remote? i think every time ive shot video for events and stuff on my 550D my hands are always on the camera (cause im holding it) and if its on a tripod im right behind the camera checking focus/panning etc and it seems kinda illogical to use a remote (another thing to get in the way) when im so close..

do a lot of u film stuff on tripods where you dont want to be near the camera?

genuine questions^

Hi Trickydan,

Not a noobish question at all. In my case the camera is on the back of a telescope pointing at a planet using really high magnification (equivalent of around 2700mm lens I reckon). If I touch the camera that's about 10 seconds of vibration before it settles down again... and the less movement in the video the better.

MintMark wrote in post #11130717
You say that, but it still has to be big enough to run EOS utility. When I tried, EOS utility had a minimum screen size (in pixels) and that ruled out my netbook.

I thought so too, since my little netbook is 1024 by 600, but it turns out that the simulated 1024 by 768, where the netbook scrolls the screen up and down, is enough to satisfy all Canon's software. Some are OK being installed like that, and then you can run them with less resolution, some require that you have the "fake" resolution both at install and run time.

Try that.

MintMark wrote in post #11131410
Hi Trickydan,

Not a noobish question at all. In my case the camera is on the back of a telescope pointing at a planet using really high magnification (equivalent of around 2700mm lens I reckon). If I touch the camera that's about 10 seconds of vibration before it settles down again... and the less movement in the video the better.

ah cool cool! thanks for explaining! i dont do any astro photography but it would totally make sense for that

Same here. We are creating rigs for cameras to be mounted in places that are unsafe for people or crew to be near the cameras. The locations are usually always outside (no AC) and usually involves stunts, or explosions. If we lose a camera, that is a lot easier to explain than injuring someone or worse. We set up the cameras, and we do not want to go near them again.

Using a laptop is an option i supposed, but one we want to get around, as we then have to worry about battery life on the laptop. (see : NO AC above) and adding a laptop and a series of batteries and cords, and crap really adds to the weight of the gear we are already having to carry in to these locations. Which is why my quest continues to find something small, that is not IR, that can start recording and stop recording remotely.

Thank you all, as this thread has been helpful at least in showing me other people are looking for similar features, and although there are many creative solutions out there, I just have not yet found the one that works for me.

How far away from the camera do you have to be? If you equip a camera with a network grip, you can at least use Ethernet, which allows a range of 100 meters, instead of 5 meters via USB. For my netbook, I have a charger that works in the car, so if you could have a car parked within 100 meters of the camera, that may solve both some of your logistic issues as well as power the computer.

Maybe this is too cumbersome. I'm just poking around, trying to see an option for you.

Good thoughts... The 100 meters idea is great and would work some of the time fore sure. Power from the car is sometimes available, but not always. Creative and interesting ideas.. still trying to figure out a slightly easier solution since sometimes we are using multiple cameras as well.

Has anyone ever experimented with IR Blasters? Or IR Repeaters? If I want 3 cameras to start at the same time, wold running an ir blasted stuck to the front of each camera do the trick?

The wireless/Ethernet grips for the 7D does allow synchronization of up to ten cameras, but as far as I know only for still photography. I don't have several 7D cameras, so this isn't anything I've ever tried.

OK, looked in the manual. One of the first things they state is that movie shooting is not supported when linking cameras, so that will not work.

May I suggest you look at......
http://www.pclix.com …-video/canon-video-record

I am looking for the same thing (I live in Spain) but this gadget is American (I think) and the orice is reasinable - it looks the answer, but would like some confirmation by more experienced photographers/videogra​phers

Geordie.

FWIW
You can now get Android 4.0.3 on 7" tablets that should runDSLR controller remotely (although still via USB) for $100 to do what a netbook does, but adds a lot more control capability.....