[2017.08.02] DSLR Controller v1.05

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D

darkshift

Member
Aug 6, 2011
27
3
Histogram etc.

Thank you for adding the histogram with clipping warning for image review! This is very usefull.

One thing I noticed though: it seems to me that the histogram graph lacks one pixel on the right edge for the highest value.

This means an image with lot of white don't show the usual highlight "spike" on histogram graph compared to in camera review using same image. Shadow end works like expected for blacks.

Also, there's no exposure information yet visible. I read you added more exif data, but how do I activate it?
 
nsa666

nsa666

Senior Member
Jan 16, 2008
258
14
Still waiting for 0.85 in market (for i9000 usb-host).

GPS-Tagging feature would be cool too. ;-)
 
pspilot

pspilot

Senior Member
Mar 30, 2008
224
47
Bavaria
Chainfire said:
This is actually on my todo list already. But I need to fixup some other things first (prerequisites).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WiFi: Ahh, my hero! I can wait :).

Regarding the focus: I'm not sure whether the lenses are so 'bad'. I know the Canon focus system is tricky, but not unreasonable. It's true they use correction factors considering the lens parameters to drive the focus in the end. So it might not be pure mechanical steps you command, but useful 'shifts in the focus plane'. And that's actually all you want for stacking. Also, it doesn't have to work well for every (cheap) lense. As with devices and cameras there might be incompatible lenses, so what?!

To make a long story short: a friend uses a program on the PC called 'Helicon Remote'. On their website I found out they already are working on an Android version, currently beta in the market (only for 3.1 devices). I don't want to compare the apps, I find your's much more the wonderful swiss army knife we're looking for, but what I want to say is, their PC app is proven to work. My friend says, you simply set up a range of focus from front to back and a number of steps (images) you want in between. That's it and it works like a charm. So is has to be possible somehow.

If it helps, I'll ask a guy on my photo forum who really knows everything about this lens protocoll. Maybe he can't talk about it in detail, but at least he'd know whether there is a way or not and if, a good and a bad way :).

I may still build in something really BASIC based on the current focus control, but it'll lack.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm no specialist on focus stacking, but AFAIK and what I've tried so far in that field, the whole stacking thing with the camera is no 'precise science'. In fact these helicon guys also support a motor driven rail for the camera. Obviously to do the job with higher precision when ever it's needed. But most of the photographers do it quite 'manually' so far and there might be a few artists that can do that very precisely, but the rest is for sure not better than a few estimated steps of an AF motor. So I wouldn't worry about the precision in the first place :). The fact, that you don't have to touch the camera or lens between the shots is a great benefit already, specially with real close-up macros.

nsa666 said:
GPS-Tagging feature would be cool too. ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, but only as a manual function. Actually it would be nice to 'tag a project' sometimes. But since you don't run around with a setup like that, the constant tagging of the images would be a waste of power. Apart from that, the data had to go to a sidecar files anyway, since RAWs are (basically) read-only. Of course that's only my 2 cents!

jeffp25 said:
Maybe a tad strong. ;)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe :D.
 
D

dr_chook

New member
Nov 23, 2010
1
0
Hi,

Quick question. If the remote release (USB) app doesn't work, says "Device is not compatible with Android's native USB host mode", does that mean the DSLR Controller app won't work either?

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 running a stock 2.3.6 KK kernel. Using the USB host cable i have i can plug in a USB stick and detect it. I would appreciate some opinions on whether this will work or not before i purchase the app.

Thanks
 
Chainfire

Chainfire

Moderator Emeritus / Senior Recognized Developer
Oct 2, 2007
11,452
87,862
www.chainfire.eu
darkshift said:
Thank you for adding the histogram with clipping warning for image review! This is very usefull.

One thing I noticed though: it seems to me that the histogram graph lacks one pixel on the right edge for the highest value.

This means an image with lot of white don't show the usual highlight "spike" on histogram graph compared to in camera review using same image. Shadow end works like expected for blacks.

Also, there's no exposure information yet visible. I read you added more exif data, but how do I activate it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Re: histogram, not sure what this is about, will look into it. How important is this ?

Re: exposure information, its the leftmost number, top row, below the histogram, if info mode is enabled in image review.

nsa666 said:
Still waiting for 0.85 in market (for i9000 usb-host).

GPS-Tagging feature would be cool too. ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

GPS-Tagging would require retrieving the image from the camera, editing it, putting it back, etc. Not very practical. Unless a separate file is used, of course.

pspilot said:
WiFi: Ahh, my hero! I can wait :).

Regarding the focus: I'm not sure whether the lenses are so 'bad'. I know the Canon focus system is tricky, but not unreasonable. It's true they use correction factors considering the lens parameters to drive the focus in the end. So it might not be pure mechanical steps you command, but useful 'shifts in the focus plane'. And that's actually all you want for stacking. Also, it doesn't have to work well for every (cheap) lense. As with devices and cameras there might be incompatible lenses, so what?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Well yes it does differ wildly per lens. The Canon 17-55mm 2.8 USM I have here is near perfect, while the 18-270mm Tamron is all over the place. All I was saying is that it will not be an exact science, and other things have priority for me. And due to it not being an exact science, some really really cool stuff I can imagine doing will not practically be possible. But if you just want to take some shots and move the focus X steps in between, sure, that's not a problem to build.

To make a long story short: a friend uses a program on the PC called 'Helicon Remote'. On their website I found out they already are working on an Android version, currently beta in the market (only for 3.1 devices). I don't want to compare the apps, I find your's much more the wonderful swiss army knife we're looking for, but what I want to say is, their PC app is proven to work. My friend says, you simply set up a range of focus from front to back and a number of steps (images) you want in between. That's it and it works like a charm. So is has to be possible somehow.

If it helps, I'll ask a guy on my photo forum who really knows everything about this lens protocoll. Maybe he can't talk about it in detail, but at least he'd know whether there is a way or not and if, a good and a bad way :).

I'm no specialist on focus stacking, but AFAIK and what I've tried so far in that field, the whole stacking thing with the camera is no 'precise science'. In fact these helicon guys also support a motor driven rail for the camera. Obviously to do the job with higher precision when ever it's needed. But most of the photographers do it quite 'manually' so far and there might be a few artists that can do that very precisely, but the rest is for sure not better than a few estimated steps of an AF motor. So I wouldn't worry about the precision in the first place :). The fact, that you don't have to touch the camera or lens between the shots is a great benefit already, specially with real close-up macros.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Since I've shown it's possible and got a lot of PR coverage, everybody and their brother is building a similar app ... :)

Well, but only as a manual function. Actually it would be nice to 'tag a project' sometimes. But since you don't run around with a setup like that, the constant tagging of the images would be a waste of power. Apart from that, the data had to go to a sidecar files anyway, since RAWs are (basically) read-only. Of course that's only my 2 cents!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Exactly.

dr_chook said:
Hi,

Quick question. If the remote release (USB) app doesn't work, says "Device is not compatible with Android's native USB host mode", does that mean the DSLR Controller app won't work either?

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 running a stock 2.3.6 KK kernel. Using the USB host cable i have i can plug in a USB stick and detect it. I would appreciate some opinions on whether this will work or not before i purchase the app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

If the Remote Release app does not work, neither will DSLR Controller. In this case, you probably either need to root your device, or wait for the official Samsung ICS upgrade.
 
pspilot

pspilot

Senior Member
Mar 30, 2008
224
47
Bavaria
Chainfire said:
... while the 18-270mm Tamron is all over the place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forget about most 3rd party lenses. Alot of them don't even work reliable directly with the camera. And if, you can bet next generation of cameras will break it again. Canon is quite evil about that :D. Last thing I tried was an optically wonderful Sigma 50/1.4 which just wouldn't focus right. The same lens on a Nikon is a treat.

But if you just want to take some shots and move the focus X steps in between, sure, that's not a problem to build.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone with more experience in this field might correct me, but that's what focus stacking is all about. The rest is done by software.

Since I've shown it's possible and got a lot of PR coverage, everybody and their brother is building a similar app ... :)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe :) ... though, these guys are really only porting their PC app which is there for quite a while. And they also do a fine software to 'stack' the shots.
 
P

puppettestpilot

Senior Member
Nov 8, 2010
62
12
Brisbane, Queensland
luckysoul said:
would this cable work?

usb_separated%252520powered%252520OTG.jpg
power%252520adapter.jpg


this is a OTG cable but with separate source for you to plug in to supply power to the usb device.

btw, i would like to ask, i trying to do something simple. i would need to connect a dslr camera to a android phone so that i can have the live view of the camera to show on the phone itself.

do my phone need to be usb host supported to do that? is MTP needed for this?

thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
OMG where did you find this OTG + Y Cable?
I've been looking everywhere for one for my Moto Razr for flash drive reading!
Also, I've seen OTG USB Hubs on ebay but only for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but I don't think any had input power - not sure if that would help with what you're trying to do(?).
Cheers
Puppet
 
D

darkshift

Member
Aug 6, 2011
27
3
Histogram

Chainfire said:
Re: histogram, not sure what this is about, will look into it. How important is this ?

Re: exposure information, its the leftmost number, top row, below the histogram, if info mode is enabled in image review.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I mean it seems to me that the graph lacks one pixel bar for the highest value... so no spike can be seen even if most of the image blinks. I often check the histogram for spikes on either end. Especially red color is often critical.

I'll check the info mode, thank you.

---------- Post added at 04:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:15 PM ----------
darkshift said:
I'll check the info mode, thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Hi, I still can't figure how to see exposure information in image review with SGS II.
 
Chainfire

Chainfire

Moderator Emeritus / Senior Recognized Developer
Oct 2, 2007
11,452
87,862
www.chainfire.eu
v0.85 released !

DSLR Controller updated to v0.85 on the Android Market ... Please note that Market may take up to 48 hours to update.

It doesn't include half the things that were scheduled for this update, it's being released early to fix a bug in relation to the USB host supporting kernels that were just released for the Samsung Galaxy S (and family).

Changelogs can be found here:
http://dslrcontroller.com/download.php#changelog-085
 
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R

reneph

Senior Member
Oct 1, 2011
202
111
Chainfire said:
Please note that Market may take up to 48 hours to update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Its available! So no need to wait :) Thanks a lot!

EDIT: Don't exactly if this happened in the previous version, but if I set AF-mode to manual focus in the app, I cannot go back to One-Shot or an other AF-mode. To get back AF I have to switch the AF-mode on the lens to MF and then back to AF...
 
Last edited:
Chainfire

Chainfire

Moderator Emeritus / Senior Recognized Developer
Oct 2, 2007
11,452
87,862
www.chainfire.eu
reneph said:
Its available! So no need to wait :) Thanks a lot!

EDIT: Don't exactly if this happened in the previous version, but if I set AF-mode to manual focus in the app, I cannot go back to One-Shot or an other AF-mode. To get back AF I have to switch the AF-mode on the lens to MF and then back to AF...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Well, that shouldn't be. Looking into that. Are you sure it isn't merely the display ?
 
T

trakuna

Member
Feb 10, 2011
26
52
Chainfire said:
I think moving the zoombox doesn't actually work on VxWorks cameras (not completely sure).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a windows tool called "DSLR Remote Pro" and with this tool moving the zoombox works. So I guess it's basically possible. If I can help you by dumping some usb logs (don't know how actually :( ) just say it...
 
Last edited:
M

msatter

Senior Member
Sep 30, 2007
159
17
I tried to start HDR modus and got an error message that the camera was not set to M, Av or Tv mode despite the camera was in M mode.
I seems if the the ISO set at auto it results in this message.

When I use the ISO setting in HDR/AEB I see sometimes as last ISO ?123 (8000) or ?125 (10000).

These are all cosmetic things and the functionality is not impaired.
 
Last edited:
M

m4ssnet

Senior Member
Jun 27, 2008
350
117
Earth
my Nikon D5100 is screaming :(
Have you start to develop Nikon Vers. ? It will be possible in future ?

You are THE man, tnks for all your works ;)
 
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Chainfire

Chainfire

Moderator Emeritus / Senior Recognized Developer
Oct 2, 2007
11,452
87,862
www.chainfire.eu
msatter said:
I tried to start HDR modus and got an error message that the camera was not set to M, Av or Tv mode despite the camera was in M mode.
I seems if the the ISO set at auto it results in this message.

When I use the ISO setting in HDR/AEB I see sometimes as last ISO ?123 (8000) or ?125 (10000).

These are all cosmetic things and the functionality is not impaired.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Ah yes. HDR/AEB does not work with ISO set to auto. I should adjust the message.

I've added those ISO values to the last. I'm probably still missing a couple above 12800 as well (I have the 25600 value, there may be two more steps between 12800 and 25600)
 
Chainfire

Chainfire

Moderator Emeritus / Senior Recognized Developer
Oct 2, 2007
11,452
87,862
www.chainfire.eu
trakuna said:
I have a windows tool called "DSLR Remote Pro" and with this tool moving the zoombox works. So I guess it's basically possible. If I can help you by dumping some usb logs (don't know how actually :( ) just say it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I really need a VxWorks camera in-hand to test this out. Unfortunately the only VxWorks cam I have easy access to is a non-liveview model.
 
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    Chainfire
    Chainfire
    In an effort to de-duplicate a lot of information, I have moved the bulk of it to the DSLR Controller website. This thread still remains the place to get support, discuss, and ask questions, though!

    DSLR Controller was the first and remains the best app to fully control your Canon EOS DSLR from your Android device, through USB cable or Wi-Fi connection. No computer or laptop required, no root required, only a compatible mobile device, a compatible camera, and if connecting through USB, the right cable.

    We strongly suggest you read up on the website ( http://dslrcontroller.com/ ) about what DSLR Controller can do, how it works, and how to use it, before purchasing. The website contains a wealth of information you should know before using.

    Not all devices are compatible, especially if you want to use a USB connection. For a free app you can use to test compatibility, see the "Remote Release" app ( http://market.android.com/details?id=eu.chainfire.remoterelease ). If you need a refund, go to our website ( http://dslrcontroller.com/ ) and follow the instructions in the FAQ entry. We cannot process refunds through email.

    Usage notes, feature lists, device compatibility lists, changelogs, FAQs, can all be found on our website: http://dslrcontroller.com/

    Most questions should go to the support and discussion thread at XDA-Developers.com:
    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1202082


    Features

    Features include but are not limited to:

    - Live View
    - Auto Focus (tap Live View)
    - Manual focus adjustments (in AF mode)
    - Histogram
    - Zoom control
    - Grid and aspect ratio overlay
    - Bulb capture
    - Continuous capture
    - Image review (+ follow shot, gallery)
    - Image filters (peaking, contrast, channel mask, grayscale, 4 modes/filter)
    - Video recording
    - HDR/Auto Exposure Bracketing
    - Focus Bracketing (incl. HDR)
    - Focus A-B
    - Mirror Lockup support
    - Timelapse (incl. HDR)
    - Wi-Fi Passthrough
    - Extensive modification of settings
    -- Shutter speed
    -- Aperture
    -- ExpComp and Bracket
    -- ISO speed
    -- Auto-Focus Mode
    -- Focus and Zoom area (tap-and-hold Live View)
    -- Picture Style
    -- Drive Mode
    -- White Balance
    -- Color Temperature
    -- Auto-Lighting Optimizer
    -- Metering Mode
    -- Image and video quality and format

    Available options depend on the mode you have your camera set to (M, Av, Tv, etc) and camera model. Refer to the website ( http://dslrcontroller.com/ ) for further details.


    Supported Android devices:

    If you are connecting using Wi-Fi, virtually all modern Android devices are supported (your camera needs Wi-Fi support, though). If you are connecting over USB, your device needs USB host support - most recent devices do. Please see the 'Devices' section on our website ( https://dslrcontroller.com/devices.php ) for further information.

    If your camera only supports USB, you can modify a TL-MR3040 to provide a Wi-Fi connection ( http://dslrcontroller.com/guide-wifi_mr3040.php )


    Supported Canon EOS models:

    Newer cameras than listed below are usually supported.

    Full support:
    - 1D Mark IV
    - 1D X
    - 1D X Mark II
    - 5D Mark II
    - 5D Mark III
    - 5D Mark IV
    - 5Ds(r)
    - 50D
    - 500D
    - 550D
    - 6D
    - 60D
    - 600D
    - 650D
    - 7D
    - 7D Mark II
    - 70D
    - 700D
    - 750D
    - 760D
    - 80D
    - 1100D
    - 1200D
    - 1300D
    - 100D

    Limited support:
    - 1D mk III
    - 1Ds mk III
    - 30D
    - 40D
    - 400D
    - 450D
    - 1000D

    No support:
    - pre-2006 models
    - EOS M mirrorless devices (work in progress)


    Let us know which hardware you are using with DSLR Controller!
    View
    10
    Chainfire
    Chainfire
    Must-read information

    Screenshots and video:
    http://dslrcontroller.com/about.php

    Download, BETA usage notes, and changelogs:
    http://dslrcontroller.com/download.php

    Table of supported Android devices and Canon EOS DSLRs:
    http://dslrcontroller.com/devices.php

    FAQ:
    http://dslrcontroller.com/faq.php
    View
    8
    Chainfire
    Chainfire
    nickzee said:
    I am a professional architectural photographer and have adopted your DSLR app into my workflow. Thank you for the great design and amazing functionality. It is a pleasure to work with*.

    I would like to know what the future holds for DSLR Contorller. I noticed you are not very active on this forum (last post on 2/26/2015), but wanted to encourage you to keep on developing because I, We need it!!!

    ...
    .
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    DSLR Controller was originally built for Android 2.x years ago, and a lot of things have changed both in the camera world as well as the mobile world. Despite bolting on many improvements, the code shows its age. To take it to the next level and get everything I want into it (customizability, compatibility, portability, speed, etc), a lot of the core needs to be changed, the UI needs to be changed (if not in appearance or functionality then certainly how it's been coded), etc. It pretty much comes down to not just overhauling major parts, but completely redoing it from scratch, and rebuilding it as envisioned from the ground up.

    This brings with it a number of issues. It is a lot of development time (and thus money) investment up front, of which you will see no results, until it is almost done. In the mean time, you can't really release anything that isn't up to par with the current version of DSLR Controller, and you can't just replace the current version as old users/devices may no longer be compatible, stranding paying customers. A lot of additional equipment needs to be gotten and tested with to ensure compatibility and portability (remote and end-user testing isn't really workable with apps like these). Not to mention that DSLRs are pretty much doomed, and this is definitely being reflected in daily sales.

    The past year hasn't been very good on a personal level, which isn't your problem of course, but it is one reason for the lapse in development of certain apps. This one adds to the fact that in light of the above, it feels like a waste of resources to spend a lot of time on improvements in the current app. There have been talks with a team (from a big brand in the camera world) to take over the IP, pretty much solving the resource problem, but ultimately that fell through, after the talks taking up a large part of my time for months.

    Also, I know it seems like DSLR Controller has generated a lot of funds, but spread out over the years its been available, subtracting equipment costs, corporate taxes, wage taxes, etc, you wouldn't be able to hire one(!) half-competent coder for the money left at today's going rates, not to mention the risks involved with hiring people. Even though I do get paid and get all these toys to play with, wanting to build it has always been a large part of this, as there are definitely more profitable ways to spend the time. At the same time having to compete with $300 equipment, and people still complaining about the $8 price.

    This app is also a complete nightmare to support, as by far the bulk of the connection issues are not due to the app itself, but due to camera configuration, phone configuration, hardware incompatibilities, firmware incompatibilities, etc. That is, excepting the case where DSLR Controller just hangs, which sometimes (but definitely not always) is an issue with the app. Not to mention the droves of questions and reported issues by people who simply don't understand how their cameras work.

    All of that being said, I do believe there may be a business case where a rebuild with additional features and support for Nikon and/or Sony and/or (insert other brands here) and other OSs like Linux, iOS, OS X, Windows, etc using a shared core may at least break even. That is, providing I can find competent developers to do it (as there is no way I can pull this off by myself), and finding said competent developers with at least somewhat relevant skills might in fact be the biggest problem to solve. Still, even in the best case scenario, I don't believe any work will get started before end-of-summer.

    Don't mistake the lack of visible activity for lack of interest. What to do with DSLR Controller and how to get there is something I consider every day, as in the end, it's still the app I've enjoyed most developing over the years. But if the solution means spending more resources updating the current app, developing a new one, or investing funds to get a whole new company off the ground with a handful of people to cover both major brands and major OSs - that I don't know yet. But I do hope to have an answer to that sooner rather than later.

    (this post was written in a rush as I need to run for another appointment but I didn't want to leave this unsaid, so if it's jumping here and there and not fully coherent, that's why)
    View
    6
    Chainfire
    Chainfire
    KazeOne said:
    Hey Chainfire, I was wondering if there was an ETA for the next update? I know asking such things is never liked, Im not looking for a hard date just a rough idea and if there is anything else we can do to help?
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    After next week I have three weeks reserved for exclusive DSLR Controller work, if that doesn't finished the upcoming update, I'd be surprised :)
    View
    5
    R
    rainabba
    nkhs9412235 said:
    The price will go up once v1.0 is reached, but the upgrade is free for those who have this BETA???

    Why can't I see free version?
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    Because it's good software and the developer deserves to get paid. Beta doesn't mean it's not valuable, it means that the software isn't very mature or well tested. if you want it now, you pay. If you want to pay once it's well tested and proven then wait.

    Either way, quit your sniveling people. This is an AMAZING deal at that price. If you can afford a DSLR and know how to use it, you can afford 10 times this and would gladly pay it. If you think otherwise, you likely don't need this software to begin with and have nothing to complain about.
    View

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