EOS-1D X Mark II trouble with ethernet connection.

[Steve_B]

I've recently got myself a nearly new DX1 mkii. Absolutely mint and I'd read that it has ethernet provision. It came with the usb cable (And protector for the cable) and Canon Utlity works (V 3.19.0.12) fine with that, no delay, or hesitation on downloading the images. So I thought I'd try out the ethernet port, and found a cable in the draw of 'stuff' and tried it after configuring the camera to cable and EOS utlity. The camera thought about it but no communiction.

I suspected a dodgy cable and today bought a 3 and a 15 foot one (CAT6A). Hooked up the three foot one and again, nothing. The laptop is running Win 11 and Avast anti virus...so I went in the MS firewall and discovered that the default is blocking input to the eithernet port on the laptop. I changed that and this time the camera could speak to the laptop but it was a LONG time on auto to find the IP address before the next message said to turn on the utility.

I looked online and it was then I found others saying to open the utility app when the camera had asked for it and not before. (It was alread plugged in at both ends). This I did and I clicked the button for 'pairing over wifi/lan' expecting things to spring into life, but nothing. (Just the box with an empty space where the camera details usually are)

The camera sat there doing nothing as did the utlity, I looked in the firewall settings and the camera is clearly seen to be enabled and accessible. But still no progress. Eventually the message on the LCD was communication is lost. (About ten minutes after saying it was communicating). 

I then reset the camera settings to 'as new' and uninstalled/reinstalled the utility, but another try still has the same result. I suspect it's something so glaringly obvious and staring at me but I can't see it. 

Any help gratefully accepted. It's not an essential thing but would be nice to have it. Thanks in advance. 

[p4pictures]

When you connect the camera to the computer, what IP address do you have set on the camera and what is set on the computer ethernet port? If the two are not compatible then communications is unlikely to happen. Conventionally the computer and camera connect to another device that allocates them a suitable IP address, but with a direct cable connection that doesn't happen so you need to manually set ip addresses in both. 

For some settings that should work…

• manually set the camera ip address to 192.168.1.10
• manually set the laptop manually to 192.168.1.9
• set the subnet mask on both to 255.255.255.0 

[jrhoffman75]

Rodger on this site uses his 1DX bodies with Ethernet. I will send a note to him. Maybe he can assist. 

[wq9nsc]

It has been some time since I set my last 1DX series body up for Ethernet (I have 2 1DX II and 2 1DX III bodies and I always connect them via Ethernet for transferring images) but it takes the camera some time to first establish the setup.

First, if you don't already have it go to Canon support and download the separate manual for Wired Lan operation, it is on the Canon support site and you will scroll through a lot of 1DX II special manual selections to get there:  https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/eos-1d-x-mark-ii

Before following the instructions in this guide, first delete any existing connection setting put in by a previous owner as this can create a problem.  Then create your own setting and use the connection wizard option in the camera, choosing eos utility, wired lan, and auto as your options.  

Connection Wizard is SLOW when negotiating this initial setup.  I recall from experience that if it fails, it will work after a couple of attempts but you need to use task manager to completely kill and then relaunch EOS utility after a failed attempt.  Otherwise it will just fail again.

MOST IMPORTANT:  Once it succeeds, make note of the address settings negotiated by the Wizard and set these as the manual configuration for your connection setting or otherwise it will try to go through the slow connection wizard process every time you connect your camera.

The setup process is flaky BUT once you get through that it is fast and reliable and I have never had any communications issues once the camera is set up.

Good luck!

Rodger

[jrhoffman75]

Thanks for this assistance Rodger. 

[Steve_B]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the advice, I'm trying that as I type this now, manually inputting the IP and Subnet mask numbers. So far it still has the pairing with the computer in progress...  after ten or so minutes. I'll leave it a while and come back to it. I initially tried automatic (twice) as Rodger suggests below but that didn't work. 

[Steve_B]

Hi Rodger, 

Sorry to be a pain! I decided to have another try when I came home from work. I (once again) cleared the camera settings and started again (Auto IP/Subnet mask search). I didn't open the utility until the camera had confirmed connection and asked for it. The green led is flashing on the camera and 'progress' message on the LCD and still asking to start the utility (Which is turned on and pairing over WIFi/Lan box is open). So far after 30 minutes nothing is populating in it, how long after confirmation should it do so? Or should I just call it a day and use the USB cable instead? 

[wq9nsc]

It never took over 2 minutes with mine Steve for the initial link using the Canon connection wizard and then seconds for subsequent connections after I locked in the address settings. 

I wonder if Windows security or its firewall setting is blocking communications necessary for this pairing to take place?  Try going into settings, choose network and internet, choose ethernet, choose network and sharing center, change advanced sharing settings, and turn on network discovery and automatic setup of network connected devices to see if this will let it find your camera ethernet port.

Rodger

[Steve_B]

Hi Rodger I checked and I'd already changed the settings you mentioned in the private network settings, but I enabled the public one anyway just in case. I got the same result as before, the camera says connection is established but when opening the utility nothing happens. No IP or subnet mask number showing in the box. Camera still insisting it's pairing with the computer and asking me to open the utility. Oh well, I can still use the USB cable, 

[wq9nsc]

Steve,
Sorry that it won't connect, I remember a lot of frustration when I bought my first 1DX II getting the ethernet set up because it wanted to go through the entire connection wizard setup every time.  

The USB connection will also work fine, I just prefer ethernet because of the robust connectors used with it.  I primarily use an HP Z series dual CPU workstation for photo processing but I am setting up a new Z series laptop later this week and for fun I will connect one of my 1DX II bodies to it via ethernet.  If I learn of any new "tricks" to get it to work, I will let you know.

I think it is definitely smart to transfer either via USB or ethernet rather than constantly inserting and removing cards from the camera body so as to avoid damage to both.  I reformat cards about once a month.  

I don't use the in camera GPS function because it is an additional battery drain and if you are shooting in an area where signal strength from the GPS constellation is low or blocked entirely, it can create annoyance.  Without GPS, you will want to update the camera internal clock on a regular basis.  It won't drift far but if you start shooting with multiple cameras at an event then you want the EXIF data to be dead on.  Often during a single football play I will use two camera bodies and I want the EXIF data to sequence them properly.  Out of habit, I use the time standard from NIST which is THE platinum standard source but your computer network time will suffice; NIST time website: https://www.time.gov/  NIST will handshake with your computer and then display the correct time along with the discrepancy of your system clock.

You will love the 1DX II, it is a great extremely reliable body.  I continue to use two 1DX II bodies along with a pair of 1DX III bodies and the sensor performance is very similar between them; there was a huge jump from the 1DX mark 1 to the mark 2.  I have shot many events in rain, snow, below freezing, heavy fog, 95 plus heat in direct sun, etc. with zero glitches or failure.  These bodies do exactly what a camera needs to do, they provide reliable repeatable performance so that you can focus on capturing what is critical without thinking about the camera.

Rodger

Rodger