My Macbook Pro will not recognize my Canon Rebel T3i when I plug it in. Please help!

[aprince1982]

I've installed the necessary software from Canon, but no luck. Any suggestions?

[khouse]

Thanks for your response! I actually tried a couple of different cables, and different computers, and that didn't do the trick either. I've come to the conclusion that it's likely a defective camera and am planning for an exchange.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@kiwisimon wrote:

After all my problems the best solution I found was to use the original USB cable that Canon supplied. No problems since I did that. Some lower qaulity cables just don'T have the ability to transfer data well. Good luck. TRy installing canon updates as well and restarting your Macbook.

---

Some USB cables will transfer data but not power, others (apparently intended for use with cheap cell phones) power but not data. Good ones handle both, and those that don't should tell you they don't. But of course that will happen only when pigs learn to fly (if even then).

[TCampbell]

---

@kiwisimon wrote:

After all my problems the best solution I found was to use the original USB cable that Canon supplied. No problems since I did that. Some lower qaulity cables just don'T have the ability to transfer data well. Good luck. TRy installing canon updates as well and restarting your Macbook.

---

I've mentioned this before and I see Bob has also made the similar comment.

Once upon a time, a USB cable was a USB cable.  But now that so many devices use USB cables only for the purpose of "charging" a device, there are now devices that come with USB cables in which the only pins that are actually wired from end to end are the "power" pins.  The data pins aren't actually connected.

SO... I am usually careful to advise people to make sure the cable they are using actually has all pins wired (e.g. use the supplied Canon cable).  

If you can no longer find your original cable, buy a replacement.  I bought a 15' foot cable (for doing tethered shooting sessions) for less than $10.  I should caution that there are vendors who sell "tether" cables (cables identical to the factory cable... but much longer so your camera and computer can be more than just a few feet away) for crazy high prices ($40-50).  

If you want the original factory cable, that's a Canon IFC-200U (about $12.99 from an Authorized Canon dealer) and it's 6.9 feet long.  

[RobertTheFat]

---

@TCampbell wrote:

If you want the original factory cable, that's a Canon IFC-200U (about $12.99 from an Authorized Canon dealer) and it's 6.9 feet long.  

---

For those from jurisdictions that don't cling to inches and feet, that's a slightly generous two meters. 

[sarahsaintpere]

I have the same problem, I tried to seaarch for it under the system information tabs but i cant find my camera (yes my camera is full battery, plugged and turned on before checking the app). I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO! please help

thanks!
- Sarah

[TCampbell]

Hi Sarah -- the thread is a few months old, but ...

Make sure you're using a proper USB cable.  The factory supplied cable is ideal but you can use other cables as long as you are sure that all the data pins are connected (and since cables exist that are intended only for "charging" devices and do not have the data pins connected, you would need a way to verify the cable.)  Even if you have the factory supplied cable it is possible that the cable has gone bad (I have had issues with cables that appear to be completely undamaged -- but were flakey -- and once I replaced the cable everything was solid.)

If you use a USB "hub" on your computer, that can create a problem.  I wish I could say it would "sometimes" be a problem, but I bought a hub and had camera connection problems... some hubs didn't work at all.  Some hubs worked but were unreliable (camera would randomly disconnect).  I went through three hubs before I finally found a hub that worked.

So... even if you want to use a hub or need to use a hub because you have more USB devices than ports... at least for "testing" purposes, please make sure you connect the camera directly to the computer and don't use a hub (because if you can confirm that doing it this way does work, then you'll have isolated the problem to your hub.)

On the Mac, launch "System Profiler" (it's in your "Utilities" folder.)  Make sure the camera is connected via the USB cable and powered on before launching "System Profiler" because it only scans for connected devices when it starts (if you connect the camera after launching it then it will not appear in the list).  You can force it to re-scan for devices by selecting "File" -> "Refresh Information" from the menu bar.

If you want to get another cable, the Canon factory part was in the above post -or- you can search for a "USB tether cable" (use those terms at a place such as Amazon.com and you'll find lots of options).  The cable has a USB type A male plug on one end and a USB type mini-B on the other end.   I have a few Canon factory cables (because I own several cameras after all these years) but I wanted a long (15') cable for tethered shooting anyway -- so I picked up a 15' cable for less than $10 and it has been a solid performer.

[binduarora]

I have same problem....Kindly help at the earliest.
Thanks 🙂

P.S. I have Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 (11G63)

[canonuser1]

my macbook wont pick up my camera! help!!

[rachelktibbs]

What happens when the computer isn't recongizing the camera? I have a Canon EOS Rebel T6i and I'm using a Macbook pro. I followed your steps but I didn't see my camera on the USB Tree. I have some photos that my school wants to use in the year book, and I'd like to find a way to get these pictures to my teacher before the end of this week! Thank you!

[rachelktibbs]

Hey I have a Canon EOS Rebel T6i and I'm using a MacBook Pro. My computer isn't recognizing my camera in the USB Tree and I don't know what to do now. I have pictures that my school wants to use in the yearbook and I'd like to get the photos from my camera by the end of the week. Thank you for the help!