topic Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help? in Camera Software

EOS Utility doesn't recognize EOS 20D

Bench514 — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 17:40:51 GMT

Hello dear community, I registered to this forum because I am out of ideas and am really wondering if it'll ever work:

I have had my 20D since 2009 and been loving it since. Never gave me any problems...until today.

This is new to me and I want to make it work.

Shooting session coming up in 2 days and I want to shoot tethered (for the first time), either with EOS Utility, or through Lightroom. I don't care which, as long as it works. BUT it doesn't.

EOS utility (v1 or v2) doesn't recognize the 20D when I plug it in.

-USB

-OS X El Capitan

-Both EOS Utility won't work.

Am I missing something?

Thanks in advance!

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

RobertTheFat — Mon, 15 May 2017 22:45:23 GMT

Uninstall EOSU and install EOSU V3, then all updates. Your 20D will certainly not work with V3; but when you open V3, it will realixe that you need V2 and open it instead. You'll know you have the correct version and may have better luck.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

Bench514 — Mon, 15 May 2017 23:11:20 GMT

I did not know where to find the various versions of EOSU. The Utility never shows up on the EOS 20D download page, so I downloaded everything from the 5D MKIII page.

Unfortunately, no succes. None of the canon softwares react when I fire up the camera.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

Bench514 — Mon, 15 May 2017 23:14:44 GMT

At this point I am wondering if it'll ever work with my iMac. I tried with my dinosaure windows xp laptop and it worked. But it's super slow. I'd rather use the recent iMac if a solution exists.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

ebiggs1 — Tue, 16 May 2017 12:31:49 GMT

I don't know about EOSU because I use LR to tether. LR should work. You need a pretty current version, for instance LR4 or newer. If it doesn't you need to look elsewhere because it isn't LR's fault. Some Canon models, I don't use a 20D, require the memory card to be installed or they won't tether in LR. If you're using a long USB cable or a USB extension, try using a shorter USB cable. Remove the USB extension, or use a powered USB hub. Use USB 2.0 or better. Reset the perfs in LR.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

ScottyP — Tue, 16 May 2017 13:01:28 GMT

Seems like you really got your money's worth buying a 2004 20d in 2009 at a good price and then using it until it is 13 years old. By 2009 30d and 40d had superseded it. Maybe it is time to upgrade a little. Even another 5-year old used camera?

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

RobertTheFat — Tue, 16 May 2017 13:07:06 GMT

@Bench514 wrote:
At this point I am wondering if it'll ever work with my iMac. I tried with my dinosaure windows xp laptop and it worked. But it's super slow. I'd rather use the recent iMac if a solution exists.

On many laptops some USB ports are faster than others. So try switching around until you're sure you're using the computer's best port. Also, the 20D, an old camera, will itself not have an up-to-date USB port. It's possible that your IMAC wouldn't perform any better than your old Windows XP machine does.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

Bench514 — Tue, 16 May 2017 13:57:48 GMT

I tried on 3 computers so far. the iMac with El Capitan, and 2 laptops. 1 Windows XP and 1 Windows 7 64bits.

The only instance where it works is the old WIndows XP (a 2003!). For for tether to work, EOSU has to be up and running in the background for LR (v3) to succesfully control the camera.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

Bench514 — Tue, 16 May 2017 14:02:23 GMT

Thanks everyone for your interest and help. It looks like there are no way around the fact the 20D is old and companies have stopped supporting it 😞 Shame really.

I'm 2 days into testing and trial and errors and I feel I have tried everything. I'm sure I didn't, but I'll just put a fail stamp on it and move on.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

ebiggs1 — Tue, 16 May 2017 14:59:50 GMT

LR3 may not be new enough. LR4 has some upgrades that 3 doesn't.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

RobertTheFat — Tue, 16 May 2017 20:14:18 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
LR3 may not be new enough. LR4 has some upgrades that 3 doesn't.

I guess I could believe that LR3 might not be new enough to work with some modern operating systems, but I have a hard time believing that it wouldn't support the 20D. According to Wikipedia, the 20D preceded even the first beta release of Lightroom by more than two years (August 2004 vs October 2006).

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

ebiggs1 — Tue, 16 May 2017 21:14:18 GMT

Bob for Boston, Mass.

"LR3 may not be new enough."

I have no idea because I don't LR3 any longer and I never had a 20D of my own. But knowing Adobe I would not be surprised they were behind the curve. If LR3 had it, LR4 got all the camera models LR3 had plus the bug fixes it didn't have. Give me a break there Robert!

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

Bench514 — Wed, 17 May 2017 11:46:35 GMT

Lightroom is not the problem here gentlemen 😉 At least I really don't think so.

I say that because I tried to pair 20D with Lightroom 5 and 6 without success. And for some bizarre reason, it only worked with LR3...well, 50% success:

- Lightroom would not recongnize the 20D unless the EOSU was running in the background. Only then it would tether the camera correctly.

-Almost 1 out of 2 shots would not make it through to show up in lightroom. I often had to press the shutter again so that a picture would download correctly in lightroom for review.

Less than ideal!

The shoot is today. I'll have to make it without a review screen. But I still can't put this to bed yet. A simple solution HAS to exist.

Re: EOS 20D in 2017 help?

ebiggs1 — Wed, 17 May 2017 14:21:21 GMT

With my experience about using Adobe PS and LR since it was, tells me if 3 worked 4, 5, 6, will also. Something else is wrong. I suppose Adobe 'could' remove cameras form LR as they age but no in just the next version.

The conclusion that EOSU needs to be running for LR to work is flawed, I would bet EOSU running in the background is an issue not a help.

Your next best move would be to call Adobe. However, they may not support LR3 any longer.