Setting up a laptop as an FTP server for tethered shooting with a 1Dx

nigpd

nigpd

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Nigel
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I have been looking in to shooting tethered with my 1Dx using an ethernet cable connected to my laptop. Being able to downloading immediately and cutting out the need to remove the cards and using a USB 3.0 card reader to import the image files are the motives for trying this.

My research has shown up the need to set up my laptop (with SSD drives) to run as an FTP server (using something like Filezilla). This is getting in to unknown territory for me, so I thought I'd stop and ask here before going much further.

Has anyone any experience of doing this and if so, any hints and tips to get it right?

The next hurdle appears to be setting up the IP addresses correctly to enable the data to flow from camera to laptop, so any help here would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help
 
Thanks for the lightening fast reply, Neil

I'll dig a bit deeper about Filezilla as I assume the built in server function will make things a bit more straightforward??

Ive also been reading stuff about using GigE cable and other such stuff:)thinking:). All I know about is the standard Cat5 cable, but then I am an old fart! Do you have a recommendation for what classification/type of ethernet cable to use to ensure the fastest/most stable data flow possible?

Thanks again
 
why don't you simply use an eye-fi card?
 
They do adapter that SD to Compact.
I was looking into it for my D300
 
I know that but it doesn't even fit?
 
so has anyone ever set this up and got step by step simple to follow instructions?
 
... ok, if you want an no hassle solution, try installing FreeNAS on your laptop, and off you go.
FreeNas is an open source NAS solution and it come with several shared services already configured and ready to use (including FTP). All you need to do is enable them.

Another option will be to setup and FTP service via the Microsoft operating system you are using at home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWpZkhXnhds

Hope this help :)
 
Can't you use the Canon utility for this. I think it has an FTP option if memory serves. Not used it myself as I shoot tethered (USB) into Lightroom direct
 
KIPAX said:
so has anyone ever set this up and got step by step simple to follow instructions?
Click to expand...

I've had it setup and working on a Windows 7 pc with just a normal cat5 cable. I'll try and help if I can
 
FTP sounds like overkill....

Laptop to Camera? can't you just use a network shared folder?

Posisbly via a cheap network hub/switch? to avoid having to use a crossover cable? (connecting directly between devices requires a special cat-5 with two wires crossed over).
 
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I always thought FTP was required for canon tethering.. (At least using the canon networking). The canon utils via USB let you tether to a specific folder don't they.

If you need FTP a server is a piece of cake to set up, just install FileZilla and select the sever option.
 
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neil_g said:
I always thought FTP was required for canon tethering..
Click to expand...

just a usb cable and canon utils for tethering ..thats real easy..
 
Had a breakthrough with this and finally got it working with a lot of help from Phil (ljphil78). Thanks Phil (y)

Once Filezilla settings were set up, the process was as per the instructions in the manual.

BUT things that weren't immediately obvious to me

- the need to set the wired network connection in the lappy as a static IP address
- the need to configure Windows Firewall to allow data through Port21

When files are sent to the target folder on your lappy/pc, a complex folder structure is created in the target folder by default, which is a bit of a pain. Phil has overcome this and I have asked him how this was done.

Next step is to set up Photo Mechanic to monitor the target folder and to live ingest files as they arrive.

The eventual aim is to press SET after taking a pic and have the file in Photo Mechanic ready to go in a second or two. Could be good for being able to process images of goals and celebrations during the game, without having to take the card out of camera. I'll have to see how this goes during pre-season friendlies.
 
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Nigel

What settings are needed in Filezilla?

I have set the IP address of the network adapter on the laptop as 192.168.1.3.

Turned firewall off for now.
 
Done it, done it done it.

Whoever wants a write up needs to send chocolate :banana:
 
It's not eggzachary a great video but I changed it so that it sends all images. I shot a burst and once their is hardly any delay in the first image coming in.

PM is watching the folder they come in to.

Now I don't want all images but I did it as an experiment.

http://photoshotz.co.uk/p837845243/h2dfc6d10#h2dfc6d10

Thoughts?
 
I'll have to give this another crack, Robin. I haven't tried it in anger, but will give it a go at MK Dons rather than Reading, where the stakes are higher if you know what I mean.

It would probably be more sensible to stick it on the body with the 70-200 as this is where the goals/celes would be that would need quick sending
 
If anyone has questions about tethering on either the 1DX or D4 then let me know. I ran Getty Images' setup at the Olympics and we ran everything tethered from cameras in people's hands, to fixed remotes and finally robotic cameras.

Basic answer to the question is only use FTP tethering if you can not use USB. If you just want a way to quickly and easy get photos from your camera to the computer, a 5M lead plus the camera software is much better/reliable.
 
Gerard, my thinking has been that the Cat5 cable connection is much more secure than the USB connection as the Cat5 "clicks" firmly in to place. I would be using this to tether a 1Dx/70-200 combo to my laptop and switching between cameras during the footy match would involve a lot of movement with the risk of a USB cable coming adrift. Just my thoughts and hence the leaning towards the Cat5 connection being the better option.

Is the 5M lead you mention a type of USB cable? (pardon my ignorance)
 
Cat5 probably would be slightly more secure. 5m lead was a USB one.

To setup it up, all you need to do is:

Install FileZilla server and setup folder, username and password
Give the Ethernet port of your laptop a static IP address, let's say 10.1.1.1
Give your camera a static IP in the same range, 10.1.1.2
Point the 1dx to 10.1.1.1, ie your laptop

And you are done
 
I can't see any reason why USB would be preferred apart from speed - if it was quicker.

As has been mentioned Cat 5 cable clicks in and shouldn't get bent. I can see a USB cable getting bent at the camera end if it was knocked at all, or pulled near the connection end and the cable can come out more easily.

I did mine yesterday with Filezilla but thinking about it, if you have Win 7 Pro, Enterprise or Ultimate, could you not just install IIS/FTP and do it through that?

When I tried the Canon software (EOSUtlity) with a Cat 5 cable I clicked to download images but that then stopped me shooting and I couldn't see a way of only downloading selected images. There was the option to download automatically but I didn't try that. So you may be able to shoot and download continuously.

I prefer (at the moment) to only download 'selected' images and that is easy peasy using the FTP option as by default it is configured to download the current viewed image when you press set. Although it is only a couple of clicks on the camera to change it to download all.

Gerard my Filezilla was a bit more complicated than yours so I think I need to play with it more. I ended up starting it up with 127.0.0.1 and enabling passive mode and putting my static ip address in there.

n.b. I am a complete FTP server novice, so I suspect your better knowledge has made it much easier.
 
USB is far more reliable than the FTP method. I completely take your point about damage to the cable and the Cat 5 cable is more resilient to damage.

127.0.0.1 is called a loop back address and is a way of self referencing a machine. Your computer would have still needed another IP setup.

As for FileZilla vs IIS, FileZilla is much easier to setup and easy to configure than IIS.
 
Thanks Gerard.

If I put 10.1.1.1 in to Filezilla when it comes up it won't connect to server. I can only get it working by starting 127.0.0.1 and the popping the 10 address in the Passive mode.

Is that a way to miss that step out?
 
Ok here goes, let me see if I can do the write up - quite a few pics so please don't post whilst I do it :)
 
bigrob said:
Thanks Gerard.

If I put 10.1.1.1 in to Filezilla when it comes up it won't connect to server. I can only get it working by starting 127.0.0.1 and the popping the 10 address in the Passive mode.

Is that a way to miss that step out?
Click to expand...

The IP you are talking about in FileZilla is the one the management interface connects to; you are not setting an IP at that point.

127.0.0.1 tells the interface to connect to your computer as that address will always refer to the computer you are currently using.

To set the computer's IP that needs to be done via the networking control panel.
 
How to connect a Canon 1Dx to FTP & transfer locked images

Aim

Not have to take cards out of the camera during a game.

Transfer only best shots by pressing SET on the camera.

Images go in to a watched folder that is read by PhotoMechanic or the Editing/Captioning software of your choice.

Steps – if you are fairly PC literate you can wiz through a lot of this.

n.b. where you see > that means click or press OK or go to the next section

Fix the IP address of your built in network card

Install Filezilla Server

Configure Filezilla

Configure 1Dx and connect to Filezilla

Transfer images.

This is done using a laptop with Windows 7

Click Start > Control Panel > underneath Network and Internet click > View Network Status and tasks
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> then top left click on Change Adapter settings.

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Here you are looking for Local Area Connection. You will probably only have one. I have 2 because of a Blackberry connection I have. It is the other one I want.

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Right click on Local Area Connection and click on Properties from the menu that pops up.

Click on TCP/IP version 4 and then click on Properties

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Then instead of Obtain an IP address automatically, click on Use the following IP address and pop in 10.1.1.2, include the Subnet Mask 255.255.255.192, then click OK. This is so it remains the same all the time or fixed.
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Download and install Filezilla FTP Server

Link here for the PC version

https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=server

Here is a Youtube video on how to install it and get it to start automatically


– I didn’t bother with setting an Admin password but I have enabled logging (but you may not be interested in that). I also didn’t create a Group. I only popped in my Windows user name name and password as a user.

Run Filezilla Server and choose the default Server of 127.0.0.1 and also accept the default Admin

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And you should see it logged in

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Now we need to set-up an FTP server for the 1Dx to connect to.

Click Edit > Settings > Passive mode settings. Now put in the IP address that you set to be fixed for your Network Card 10.1.1.1 then click OK

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We now need to give access to our FTP server to a user – i.e. you.

You can create a separate user here but I am just going to use my Windows user account.

Click Edit > Users

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Click Enable account and then Add and type in your Windows user name.

Now click on Shared folders.

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Click on your name under Users, then under the Shared folders click Add and navigate to a folder where you want your images to go - N.b. It will create a subfolders A\DCIM\100EOS1D. This will be the folder that you are getting Photomechanic or your image editing program to look at.

n.b. I couldn’t get it to work unless I had all the boxes tick under Files and Directories in the Shared Folders section above.

Click OK and you are done with Filezilla.

Now on the 1Dx

Use the wheel to scroll or the Multi controller to move around.
Menu > Yellow Setup 3 Page > Communication settings > Communication func – change to Enable
Go down to Network Settings > Communication Mode > FTP trans >
Connection Wizard > Select communication method = FTP Trans >
Lan type = Wired > it will say busy please wait then you will see
Network > Manual setting > IP address set. = Manual setting
> IP address > using the wheel scroll until you get to the first part of the IP address. Scroll the wheel until it is on 10 then press SET to go to the 2nd part. Carry on until you get to the fourth part – here choose a number above the IP address of your Network card – in my case I will chose 2, then go down and do the same for the Subnet Mask 255.255.255.192 >

Gateway > Disable > DNS address > Disable >

FTP server > Address > here you set the IP address of your network card – in our case 10.1.1.1 > Port number – leave as 00021 > Passive mode - Enable > Proxy server – disable >

Login method > Login password > this will come up as anonymous, press the bin button on the camera continuously until anonymous has gone, then press the Q button (just above the scroll wheel on the back), this will take you to the letters, characters and number box, use the wheel or multi-controller and the SET button and type in your Windows login name and then press Menu.

Press the Bin button to delete the password. Press the Q button to get to the letters, characters and number box and as before use the wheel and SET button to type in your Windows password and press menu when done – remember this is case sensitive.

Target folder leave as Root folder > and IF all is well you will see a message Connected to FTP Server.

Click OK and you will get the chance to save the settings as a Set. If you haven’t already got any Sets saved then it should come up with Set 1, select that and click OK.

If you make any mistakes you may need to go back and start again.

You are now done – yippee.



By default the Camera will be set to transfer images with the SET button, IF you want all images go back in to the network Settings menu and choose Set Up



Make sure by LAN setting you have chosen the Set number you chose earlier. Here you can change to Automatic transfer and disable Transfer wit SET.
 
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You can double check your settings as well by choosing Confirm settings.

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You should now be able to scroll through images and press the SET button to transfer them. The Filezilla Windows Service should start automatically if you followed the youtube video install. So all you need to do each time is connect your camera and it should work J

In the screen shot below the user was ftprobin, which I have now changed to robin.

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Did you like the Hello Talk Photography welcome in the box above???

Obviously this works for me. Gerard or others may be able to give shortcuts that I don't know of haven't figured out.

It is easy to say oh just do this and that and a lot of people can then figure it out. Mine isn't perfect but hopefully it can be followed easily enough.

Thanks Robin
 
Really good guide. You need all the options (Read, Write etc) ticked because when you first connect the 1DX will look to see if all the permissions are there and fail if not. If you look, it is writing the files as if it was writing to a memory card (drive letter\dcim\camerafolder\) which is why it needs the extra permissions.
 
Ah thanks Gerard. I can see why no-one wanted to do write up as I looked everywhere on the web and couldn't find one. Now it can be improved upon or adapted by people.
 
Has anyone done this with a Mac laptop running Maverick? This is exactly what I am looking for but can't exactly figure out how to do it running Mac.

Thanks
 
I can't imagine it would be much different if you use Filezilla.

I was going to use this in anger today but the ref called the match off before it even started.
 
Unfortunately Filezilla is completely different on a Mac so having a hard time creating the static ftp server.
 
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