EOS 20D in 2017 help?

[Bench514]

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!

[RobertTheFat]

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.

[Bench514]

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.

[Bench514]

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.

[ebiggs1]

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.

[ScottyP]

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 By 2009 30d and 40d had superseded it.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?

[Bench514]

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.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@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.

[Bench514]

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. 

[ebiggs1]

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