In this article, I’m going to share everything you need to know about using the Canon Camera Connect app, including:
- How to connect your camera to the app
- The ins and outs of the app interface
- What the app can do for you as a photographer
So if you’re struggling to get your camera connected to the app, or you simply want to know how you can use the app to revolutionize your photography, then you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s jump right in.
Step 1: Check for compatibility and download the app
Canon Camera Connect is a free app available for download on Android and iOS devices. To get started, head to the Play Store or the App Store and hit Install.
The app is compatible with a broad range of Canon digital cameras, including:
- Over a dozen Canon PowerShot models
- Plenty of Canon DSLRs, including the 5D Mark IV, the 6D Mark II, and the Rebel SL3
- Canon’s mirrorless lineup, including the EOS RP, the EOS R, the EOS R5, and the EOS R6
If you’re not sure whether your camera is compatible with the Canon Camera Connect app, you can check the full compatibility specs here, though bear in mind that the compatibility list hasn’t been updated to include Canon’s latest camera models. Alternatively, you can download the app and search for your camera:
Step 2: Connect your camera to the app
The specifics of this step will vary depending on your camera model. Fortunately, the Canon Camera Connect app offers startup instructions that take into account these variations.
In the app, select Easy Connection Guide:
Then hit Connect another camera/camcorder:
Next, search for your camera model:
Depending on your camera’s capabilities, you may have the option to connect via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC. Canon recommends Bluetooth for the best connection, but any of the three options should work.
Finally, head through the setup instructions.
By the time you’ve finished, your camera should be paired with the app and ready to go.
Step 3: Explore the interface of the Canon Camera Connect App
After you have successfully connected your phone to your camera, head back to the app home page. The menu is minimal and pretty straightforward.
While the app offers several functions – including the ability to automatically download photos from your camera to your phone – you’ll generally stick to the top two options:
- Images on camera
- Remote live view shooting
Let’s take a look at each of these items in turn:
Images on camera
Selecting Images on camera will show you a gallery of all the images on your connected camera (i.e., on the camera’s memory card), sorted by the date they were taken.
To open an image, simply tap it with your finger. You’ll see it displayed large.
At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find several useful options, including Info (which lets you view camera settings for the file), Rating (which lets you give your file a rating between one and five stars), Import (which lets you download the file to your phone), and Delete (in case you want to erase the image from your camera on the spot).
Remote live view shooting
Selecting Remote live view shooting will give you a live camera feed on your phone. Hit the big circle at the bottom of the screen to fire the camera shutter.
You can make adjustments to settings, too; for instance, from your phone, you can change the point of focus, the shutter speed, the aperture, the ISO, the white balance, the AF area mode, and more.
When to use the app for amazing results
Now that you’re familiar with the Canon Camera Connect app basics, let’s discuss some common situations where the app can help your photography, starting with:
1. Photographing landscapes without a dedicated remote trigger
When shooting landscapes, it’s best to avoid using the shutter button to take photos. After all, most landscape photography occurs at slow shutter speeds, where the action of pressing the shutter button can introduce unwanted blur.
So what do you do?
Well, most landscape shooters rely on one of two options: They either carry a remote trigger, or they use the camera self-timer.
Unfortunately, both these methods come with significant drawbacks. It’s easy to forget a remote trigger at home, plus it requires batteries of its own, and it introduces yet another element of uncertainty into a camera setup. And the camera self-timer fails when you’re trying to photograph moving objects, such as a wave coming in on the beach; thanks to the delay, you rarely end up with the result you envision.
Enter the Canon Camera Connect app, which lets you fire your camera remotely, straight from your phone. You don’t need to carry anything extra (except for a smartphone, of course, but these days, who doesn’t?). And you don’t have to worry about self-timer delays.
2. Photographing from odd angles
If you’re the type of photographer who shoots from down low, up high, or any other uncomfortable positions, you’re going to love the Camera Connect app.
Simply turn on the remote live view shooting option, then position your camera without hurting your neck or scraping your elbows.
Preview the composition and exposure through your smartphone feed, then take your photo.
3. Doing street photography from the hip
In street photography, the goal often is to shoot without being noticed by your subject.
This has led street photographers to develop various techniques for shooting inconspicuously, including shooting from the hip, which involves blindly firing your camera without looking through the viewfinder.
Unfortunately, shooting from the hip, while discreet, results in very few keepers – unless you preview images through the Camera Connect app first.
In other words:
Set up your shots the way you normally would, with your camera held below eye level. But hold your phone in one hand and surreptitiously check the remote feed for framing information. That way, you can ensure your compositions look good before firing the shutter button, and your keeper rate will immediately skyrocket.
Make sense?
4. Product photography from a distance
If you like to shoot products (or any still life subjects, really) with studio lighting, you probably spend a lot of time walking to your lights, then back to your camera, then back to the lights, and back to your camera, and so on.
It may not seem like a lot, and if you’re just starting out, it probably isn’t. But over time, moving back and forth between camera and lights can become frustrating, and you’ll wish you had some way to simplify the process – such as the Canon Camera Connect app.
With the app, you can preview images and fire off test shots while standing next to your lights, then simply reach over and make adjustments to your light settings without needing to journey to your camera and back.
How to use the Canon Camera Connect app: final words
Well, there you have it:
How (and why) to use the Canon Camera Connect app. Hopefully, you can now confidently connect your camera to the app – and use it to improve your photography workflow!
