DSLR Remote Pro for Windows Help

Overview

DSLR Remote Pro for Windows allows the Canon EOS digital SLRs to be operated tethered to a PC using a USB cable or via wifi (some models only). All of the camera's controls remain fully operational when connected to the PC and pictures can be taken directly using the camera's shutter release or remotely from the PC.

It is advisable to use a mains DC adaptor when using DSLR Remote Pro for Windows for extended periods or when using the time lapse features. If the camera is located a long way from the PC or is not easily accessible it is essential that there is a way of turning the power to the camera on and off. Then if there is a communication failure between the camera and PC it is possible to turn everything off and to start again.

Photo Booth Mode

Please see the section on photo booth shooting for help on setting up a photo booth.

Camera notes for photo booth users

Best value camera for photo booth shooting: Canon EOS 1300D/Rebel T6. Suitable for normal photo booth shooting and boomerang GIFs, but not recommended for video because it cannot use an external microphone.

Most versatile camera: Canon EOS M50

This camera has all the advantages of the Canon EOS 200D/Rebel SL2 and Canon EOS 750D/Rebel T6i, but is more compact, particularly when using the EF-M 22mm STM lens.

The Canon EOS M50 is also suitable for slow motion video capture because it can capture video a 120fps and save it at 1/4 speed (30fps).

Important: Please check that the M50 is running firmware version 1.0.2 or later. Earlier versions of the camera firmware may not trigger external flash reliably when the shutter speed is set to 1/125 of faster.

Best value camera for photo and video booth shooting: Canon EOS 200D/Rebel SL2

This camera have microphone inputs allowing an external microphone to be used for better sound quality when recording video. It also has Canon's excellent dual pixel AF for improved auto focus in live view.

The Canon EOS 200D/SL2 is slightly more compact than the Canon EOS 750D/Rebel T6i.

Use with caution:

Canon EOS 2000D (aka Canon EOS 1500D and Rebel T7) and Canon EOS 250D (aka Canon EOS 200D Mark II and Rebel SL3): These cameras make it tricky to use external flash because they do not have a central contact on the hotshoe. This limits it to E-TTL compatible flash. A normal hotshoe to PC sync adaptor will not work with these cameras.
Note: In spring 2020 Canon updated the Canon EOS 2000D (aka Canon EOS 1500D and Rebel T7) to include a central contact on the hotshoe making this camera suitable for photo booths using flash. When purchasing this camera please ensure you are getting the updated version with the center hotshoe contact.

Canon EOS 4000D (aka Canon EOS 3000D and Rebel T100): This is a cut back, budget version of the Canon EOS 1300D/Rebel T6. It's main limitation over the Canon EOS 1300D/Rebel T6 is that it is tricky to use an external power adapter to power the camera. This is because it does not have an access slot for the power lead. This camera also makes it tricky to use external flash because it does not have a central contact on the hotshoe. This limits it to E-TTL compatible flash. A normal hotshoe to PC sync adaptor will not work with this camera.

PowerShot cameras:

Recent Canon PowerShot cameras can be used with DSLR Remote Pro. They are smaller than EOS cameras and have powered zoom lenses which can be controlled remotely. The Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II and the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III support 120fps slow motion video at both 720p and 1080p. However, please note that none of the supported PowerShot models have hotshoes and will require a suitable optical slave unit triggered from the camera's built-in flash if you want to use an external flash unit for photos. Unlike EOS models, PowerShot cameras have a power button that has to be pressed to turn the camera on as opposed to a power switch that can be left on.

Please note: These recommendations are based on the cameras available at the time of writing (October 2019).

Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8

 
DSLR Remote Pro for Windows fully supports Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 with the Canon camera models listed below.

Windows 7: Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020 and therefore we no longer test or support our software on Windows 7.
Windows Vista: Microsoft ended support for Windows Vista on April 11, 2017 and therefore we no longer test or support our software on Windows Vista.
Windows XP: Microsoft ended support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014 and therefore we are no longer test or support our software on Windows XP

Canon PowerShot cameras: It is recommended that the camera aspect ratio is set to 3:2 for maximum compatibility with Canon EOS cameras when using photo booth mode.

Running DSLR Remote Pro for Windows on high DPI computers

Some modern laptops and tablet computers have very high DPI screens which can cause problems and confusion when running DSLR Remote Pro in photo booth mode. If an application does not declare itself as DPI aware Windows will scale its output and make it larger so that it is readable on a high DPI screen. This can result in text looking blurry and screen images being a different size than expected e.g. a laptop with 13" screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels may scale the screen to 1280x720 pixels when displaying the output an application that is not high DPI aware.

DSLR Remote Pro defaults to being "DPI aware" to ensure that it uses the full display resolution to produce sharp images and text. However this may cause problems with screens created using older versions of DSLR Remote Pro not filling the screen. If this is a problem you can disable "DPI awareness" in the preferences settings (File->Preferences).

Wireless Tethering (WiFi operation)

DSLR Remote Pro can wirelessly control recent cameras including the Canon EOS R series cameras, Canon EOS M6 Mark II, Canon EOS 90D, Canon EOS 80D, Canon EOS 77D, Canon EOS 70D, Canon EOS 6D Mark II, Canon EOS 6D, Canon EOS 800D/Rebel T7i, Canon EOS 200D/Rebel SL2 and mid to high end Canon DSLRs with the appropriate Canon WFT Wireless File Transmitter.

Before running DSLR Remote Pro the connection between the camera and computer needs to be setup by using the wireless settings on the camera and by running Canon's EOS Utility Launcher software (which can be downloaded from Canon's website with their EOS Utility software). Click on the "Pairing over WiFi/LAN" button and then select wifi connection on the camera and "Remote control (EOS Utility)" on the camera to establish the connection between the camera and computer. Please see the camera instruction manual for more information on how to setup the connection.

Older Canon cameras which come with a software CD may require Canon's WFT Pairing Utility to be run on the PC to setup the connection.

Once the camera and PC have been paired successfully DSLR Remote Pro will connect to the camera just like a normal wired USB connection. Please make sure no other software (e.g. Canon's EOS Utility) is running as this may prevent DSLR Remote Pro from connecting to the camera.

In operation the wireless connection should work just the same as a normal wired USB connection and give full access to the camera's controls, live view etc. The wireless connection may be slower than a USB connection, particularly as the distance between the camera and computer or wireless access point increases.

Please note: It is not possible to connect to the Canon EOS 1300D/Rebel T6, Canon EOS 750D/Rebel T6i or Canon EOS 760D/Rebel T6s wirelessly from a PC. These camera models can only be controlled wirelessly from a smart phone or tablet.

Cameras with WiFi built-in to the camera do not support video capture when connected via wifi or LAN whereas cameras with separate WFT Wireless File Transmitter units normally do support video capture.

Important: The camera's USB port is disabled when WiFi is enabled. Please make sure wifi is disabled on the camera before attempting to connect via USB.