EOS R8 won't connect to PC via Wi-Fi, EOS Utility crashes

[JaredNel]

EOS R8 with EOS Utility 1.33.4 on Windows 10

Hi guys,

I bought a Canon R8 camera with stock the 24-50mm lens. I installed the Canon EOS Utility 1.33.4 on my Windows 10 PC.

Firstly, the camera will not connect to my PC via WiFi with EOS Utility. Selecting the Pairing over WiFi/LAN option doesn’t show the camera. Trying to connect to the camera’s temporary WiFi network connects for a moment and then disconnects before actual pairing can be completed. Only using a USB cable seems to make some progress. But then:

Secondly, when connecting my camera via a USB cable, and trying to use the Canon EOS Utility, the program gives random errors and closes. For example, when I hover over the software shutter button, it sometimes says unable to focus. Other times when I push the software shutter button, it says capture failed. This was in M (Manual mode). Then when switched to A (Auto mode) the software takes the photo but then simply closes immediately afterward. Also, whenever trying to do a live view with the software by clicking on Live View, it closes/crashes immediately. Strangely, in every case when these software errors occur, the camera itself seems to then get stuck in a "busy" state and can't be used after that until it is unplugged from the computer or restarted. It’s as if the EOS Utility locks up the camera. Interestingly, when left locked up in the “busy” state for several minutes, the camera actually starts to heat up and the temperature bars icon appears on the cameras lcd screen.

I just cannot get my new Canon R8 camera and the EOS Utility software to work together. Is this an R8 camera issue, or buggy EOS Utility software issue, or something else?

Side note: there also seem to be severe lag issues between video and audio over both HDMI and USB when doing basic streaming.

Anyway, any advice or tips would be massively appreciated. Thank you!

[John_Q]

Hello JaredNel,

I'm not sure what version of EOS Utility you have loaded on your computer. The latest version is actually 3.18.11 for Windows. Let's try installing the latest version. You can download the most current software from our website. Click HERE to access the webpage of your camera for the download. Once on the support page, click the Software & Drivers link. 

[JaredNel]

Hi John,

Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to help me with this - it's much appreciated. 

My apologies for the confusion. EOS Utility version 3.18.11 is in fact what I have. My original post mentioned the windows executable file version instead of the actual app version, but yes, I do have the latest version.

Interestingly, on one occasion now, the R8 got so locked up by the app, then even after disconnecting my camera from the laptop, it was still stuck. I even turned the camera power switch to the off position, but the LCD screen remained on showing the typical camera options that I could scroll through. I had to physically remove the battery from the camera to get it to turn off. 

I'm wondering if I should try record the behaviour on my mobile phone. I'm not sure if that would be useful to anyone or whether there's a simply fix that I'm missing. Happy to try any suggestions.

Thanks again, John.