Camera Connect woes with EOS M50 and Smartphone

[vancanuck]

Hello 

I've been having a terrible time getting Camera Connect to work with my M50 and Moto G9 Play phone.

I can use Bluetooth for some basic functions, but geotagging is not working, even though the photos do show the little satellite flag in the corner. The wireless connection is a bigger problem, because although I've transferred photos successfully, the connection keeps dropping, with my phone switching to my home WiFi.

The app sort of worked with the older version, although in an inconsistent and unreliable manner, but the newer version is not working properly. I've lost count of how many times I've reset both my phone and camera to get the system working, to no avail.

Although I may not have explained my problem well enough, I would welcome any suggestions.

Regards,

Denis Harrison

One would expect the pairing of the two devices could be easily configured only once, without having to struggle every time you need to use the app, which I mainly need  for geotagging.

[Hazel_T]

Hi vancanuck,

I'm sorry to hear you're having connection issues with your EOS M50 and the Canon Camera Connect app. The issue with your phone switching to your home wifi is likely related to a setting on the phone. Sometimes phones will prioritize switching to the nearest network with the strongest signal. Home routers typically have a stronger signal than the wifi in the camera, so they can end up switching to the home network. For help switching that setting on your phone we would recommend contacting the maker of the phone.

For the geotagging issue it is odd that the photos are showing the flag, but you aren't seeing the geotagged information. Typically if the flag is showing on the image that would mean the information was saved to the photo. What program are you using to check the geotagging information? Some programs can't read the EXIF data on photos and those programs might not show it.

If you transfer the geotagged photos to your computer our Digital Photo Professional software would be able to read the EXIF data. If you want to download that software it is available HERE. Once you are on the web page click on the Software & Drivers button and the current version is Digital Photo Professional 4.17.0.

[vancanuck]

Hello Hazel

Thank you very much for your prompt reply. Silly me, of course the phone will switch to the strongest signal. That can be easily resolved. Regarding the geotagging issue, I looked at the pictures with DPP and the GPS coordinates are in the EXIF file. I don't know why my cell cannot show the location as it does with the pictures taken with the phone and displayed with the Photos app in Android 10. I do remember this wasn't a problem before, but many things could have changed since then. 

My last question relates to the way Canon guides the user when installing Camera Connect. Why pick Bluetooth as the preferred connection, when W-Fi is required to transfer pictures from the camera to the phone? I think that what each connection mode provides - Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or NFC - should be thoroughly explained, so all the app's capabilities are always fully available.

Regards,

Denis Harrison

[Waddizzle]

I suspect smart devices drop their camera connections because they are looking for an Internet connection.  I think the cure is to go into the wireless setup in your wireless device and DISABLE the setting to automatically connect to WAP.  Make the smart device ask for permission to switch.

[EDIT] Alternatively, you could connect the camera and smart device to your home Wi-Fi, and the issue of dropped connections will go away.