topic Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

GlassyEyed — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 02:50:10 GMT

I am trying to get my BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII for the first time. Have successfully paired it w/the camera but cannot figure out how to actually use it. Feel stupid but I have switched back and forth repeatedly between the online manuals for both the camera and the remote and am stuck on the step for switching the camera drive mode to "remote". There is no such thing - the drive modes are single, high speed continuous +, high speed, low speed continuous, self-timer 10 seconds, self-timer 2 seconds, self-timer continuous. There is no drive mode with a picture of a remote, as indicated in the manual for the remote. The manual for the camera just refers me to the manual for the remote so it's like a circular argument. I've looked up a few different youtube videos and they are not providing clarity. I thought maybe I needed a firmware update, the camera has version 1.1.1 which doesn't seem like the most current version, but when I try to download software it just gives me what appear to be manuals or documentation. Nevertheless I dragged and dropped the files to the SD card as instructed in a video I watched and then put the card in the camera to see if a usable file could be extracted and the camera did not recognize anything there to update. Not surprising considering the Canon website at first told me there was nothing available for my OS (Sonoma 14) so I'm not sure what I even have in those files. I read the "read first" files as instructed, they don't tell me anything useful having anything to do with updating the firmware or using the camera. I don't even know if this is the issue. I am completely confused. The only other idea I have is that maybe the battery in the wireless remote is dead, but then I don't know why it would have worked to pair. This is a brand new remote purchased from B & H, but the red light is not coming on at all anymore like it did when I held the "W" and "T" buttons down simultaneously during the pairing. I don't have one of those batteries handy to swap it out and am still confused by the fact that there is no "remote" setting on the drive as the manual indicates that there should be. TIA

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

shadowsports — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 03:48:02 GMT

Greetings,

Does the remote appear in your list of paired bluetooth devices? If yes..

On your camera, set the drive mode to 2 sec. Put the remote into photo mode and test it out.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

GlassyEyed — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 02:50:22 GMT

Yes, the remote does appear as paired, but nothing happens when I try this. There are no red lights appearing on the remote anymore, as there were when I first paired it, no matter what buttons I push, as they did when I paired it which doesn't seem like that is right. It doesn't matter what position the slider on the side of the remote is positioned in, the remote seems nonfunctional now that it is paired. Maybe it just came with a battery that was nearly dead? I'm thinking this is the next step, to replace the battery?

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

Waddizzle — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:42:36 GMT

Try switching the Mode Dial to bulb. I think the camera’s User Guide provides complete instructions on how to set up the camera to use the wireless remote.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

GlassyEyed — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:00:14 GMT

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately putting it in bulb mode did not work. I had been referring to the camera User Guide but when it gets to the part about using a wireless remote, it just says to see the User Guide for the Wireless Remote so it just kind of goes in circles. I did follow the step-by-step instructions for the wireless remote but as I described in the original post, there is just no drive setting on this camera for "remote" which is what the user guide for the remote says to use. I tried to research the issue on youtube and ran across a video there that implied that the R6 at one point could not be operated with a wireless remote, but said that the good thing about it was that Canon had updated it so that it could be the issue. I'm very confused at this point as to whether or not the camera I have, which was purchased less than a year ago, can actually be controlled with this remote (BR-E1) or not, but if it paired with it one would think it can, or, if the problem is that the remote went dead right after it paired with the camera. I'm leaning towards the latter issue as the light indicating that anything is happening with the remote, does not come on at all now, no matter which buttons I push. Again, thank you for your suggestion. I've also tried putting the camera and the remote into video mode instead of camera mode, since the remote is capable of controlling it that way, just to see if anything happened and it does not.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

Waddizzle — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:06:45 GMT

What other devices or connections are on the camera?

Is it connected to computer using USB? Strobe trigger? Etc?

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

GlassyEyed — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:06:59 GMT

No other devices are connected to the camera, I've never connected anything else wirelessly and I don't do wireless transfers of photos to the computer, I just remove the SD card from the camera and put it into the card reader that is built into the MacBook.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

GlassyEyed — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:10:02 GMT

I did give this a try, but nothing happens. I don't know if the red light on the remote should light up when the remote is activated, like it did when I paired it to the camera, but now when I press any of the buttons on the remote, the red light on it never comes on at all, which doesn't seem right to me. It's almost as though the remote went dead immediately after I paired it, so I'm wondering if it just came with a bad battery and I just don't happen to have a spare one of those types of batteries to try swapping it out to see if that fixes the problem.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

GlassyEyed — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:13:29 GMT

It does appear in the paired bluetooth devices. I've tested this method and I've tried putting it in "bulb" mode as suggested but nothing happens in either of these and I've also tried using it with the video mode on both the camera and the remote with the same results, nothing happens. It's as though the remote went dead so I'm wondering if the battery in the remote was defective and just went dead immediately after pairing because nothing lights up on the remote now no matter what buttons I toggle or push.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

kvbarkley — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 19:54:18 GMT

Looks like you use continuous shooting, but there is no real indication for it:

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

GlassyEyed — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 01:39:13 GMT

Thank you for your answer. I've tried it in every drive mode and nothing happens. I think I just need to replace the battery. At this point, I think it came with a dud of a battery because the only time a light came on, on the remote, was when I paired it with the camera. I'd think the red light on the remote would light up when I pressed the buttons on the remote, whether or not I had the correct drive mode selected on the camera, but nothing at all happens with that light now, as well as nothing triggering the release of the shutter.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

photomenon — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 02:22:57 GMT

@GlassyEyed, were you ever able to fix the problem? I'm having the exact same issue with my Canon R7 and a brand new BR-E1 wireless remote.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

photomenon — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 03:17:48 GMT

So I just figured it out... you need to first switch your camera to movie mode on your camera, then access the Menu and look in the red section with the camera icon for "Remote Control", then change it to "enable". And make sure you are still in movie mode on your camera so you can use your wireless remote. I just discovered that the menu changes depending on if you are on photo (stills) or movie mode, and it won't show the "Remote Control" setting in photo mode.

I also realized, unfortunately, that you cannot wireless trigger recording when you are in photo mode, which is odd since the BR-E1 has a switch to go between photo and movie triggering. It's misleading if you were to ask me. I think it should be able to wireless do both photo and recording while in photo mode since you can do it on the actual camera at least on the Canon R7 since it has a dedicated recording button.

Hope it helps people looking for an answer!

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

stevet1 — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:01:39 GMT

photomenon,

If your BR-E1 is not working to your satisfaction, one option your might try is the JJC wireless remote. This the write-up on Amazon:

JJC Wireless Bluetooth Remote Control Replace Canon BR-E1 for Canon EOS R100 R50 R10 R8 R7 R6 Mark II R6 R5 M50 M6 Mark II M200 6D Mark II Reble T8i T7i SL3 PowerShot V10 G5 X Mark II G7 X Mark III

Steve Thomas

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

Rolling_Lens — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:07:04 GMT

Yeah, there is no setting in the "red camera icon" part of the menu in movie mode that says remote control. Not sure why you are giving out incorrect info, but it's not helpful. Please stop.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:49:31 GMT

Try with camera set to One-Shot and Bluetooth activated.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:53:41 GMT

@photomenon wrote:

@GlassyEyed, were you ever able to fix the problem? I'm having the exact same issue with my Canon R7 and a brand new BR-E1 wireless remote.

Try with camera set to One-Shot and Bluetooth activated.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

Waddizzle — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:06:12 GMT

I’m don’t think anyone asked about checking the communication mode setting. I don’t have my camera with me. But, I think that you need to tell the camera what type of device it should be pairing with, in addition to enabling Bluetooth.

Re: Trying to get BR-E1 wireless remote set up to work with my R6 MKII

Waddizzle — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:24:51 GMT

Check the. 1st Wireless menu.