Canon Eos 350D BULB Mode. Cam capture not more as 30"

Good Morning

I have installed Kstars / Ekos under Kubuntu (20.04) and on the Raspian PI4, but I cannot expose for more than 30 seconds on both systems.

I do the following:
Start Kstars / Ekos
Connect the camera to the system (Kubuntu)
Switch on the camera, mode "M" and set the exposure time to "BULB"
Start the camera profile for my Canon in Ekos and start Indi.
Set an exposure time> 30 seconds.
The exposure starts and after 30 seconds the camera stops recording while EKOS counts down the remaining seconds.

As soon as I start recording via EKOS, the camera no longer shows BULB on the display, but rather 30 "

The indilog shows nothing conspicuous:

2020-09-29T08: 14: 05: [INFO] Exposure done, downloading image ...
2020-09-29T08: 13: 22: [INFO] Starting 40 seconds exposure.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 43: [INFO] Debug is disabled.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 43: [INFO] Debug is enabled.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 29: [INFO] Preset Bulb seconds selected.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 24: [INFO] World Coordinate System is enabled.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 24: [INFO] Device configuration applied.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 24: [INFO] Force BULB is enabled. All expsures shall be captured in BULB mode except for subsecond captures.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 24: [INFO] Upload settings set to client only.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 24: [INFO] Loading device configuration ...
2020-09-29T08: 09: 23: [INFO] Detected Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL Model Canon EOS 350D DIGITAL.
2020-09-29T08: 09: 23: [INFO] Canon DSLR Digital Rebel XT (normal mode) is online.

Jasem please help me.
I tried to find a solution to the problem in the forum. I found an entry that is more than 5 years old and a solution was not shown.

Best regards
Thomas

Hi!

I also used to use a 350D. It is not capable of taking more than 30 sec via USB. You need a separate shutter release cable. Do you have one of those?

Magnus

Hello Magnus
Yes, I once built one with an Atmega8, which also works with mirror release and has a timer.
But I can only use it locally in front of the telescope.

I actually wanted to save myself the additional effort and control the camera and telescope via Kstars / Ekos.
I read your thread a few years ago, it looks like you got stuck.

I know that it worked years ago with an old version of Gphoto. But that was certainly 10 years ago.

If the translation is a bit bumpy, I apologize.
I use google translate.

greeting
Thomas

Thomas,

No problem reading which is your native language, by the way?

I very much doubt that GPhoto could produce exposures for more than 30 secs over USB - as I understand it, this is a matter of the design of the camera, not the driver.

If you have a shutter release that works - could you not try attaching a serie-to-USB-adapter to that and connect to the computer? My old cable has the small connetor to the camera on one end (like an earphone-plug) and a serial D-Sub in the other end. The serial D-sub was then connected to a starad RS232-USB-adaptor like this:
www.dustin.se/product/5011025600/usb-to-...Y366kbMaAkpcEALw_wcB

Which has a USB connector in the other end. And that one to the computer.

I think you can still buy the whole serial release cable online, but I cannot recall from who I bought mine - someone in UK.

Magnus

Hello Magnus

I'm German.

I can't do anything with the timer, I don't think I still have the old software. I built the timer 10-15 years ago.

If I understand you correctly, then you use a cable with a 2.5mm jack on the camera and an RS232 adapter on the other side which goes into the PC?

So you have 2 cables on the EOS?
One cable for USB data and one for triggering?
Which software do you use for the control, EKOS?

Please excuse the many questions, but you made me curious.

At the moment I can only record a maximum of 30 seconds. That is not a problem, but there is a lot of data. In addition, the mechanics of the camera will suffer over the years.

Thomas

Hello Magnus

I've made myself a little smart.
www.gphoto.org/doc/remote/

"gphoto2 --get-config shutterspeed" gives me a list of numbers that correspond to the exposure time.
"0" would be for me = "bulb"

"gphoto2 --set-config shutterspeed = 0"
Puts the camera in "bulb mode"

The following command shows that the camera does not recognize the "bulb" command.

"gphoto2 --set-config shutterspeed = bulb"
"gphoto2 --set-config bulb = 1 --wait-event = 30s --set-config bulb = 0 --wait-event-and-download = 2s"

The camera does not recognize "eosremoterelease = Immediate".

thomas @ work computer: ~ $ gphoto2 --list-config
Detected a "Canon: EOS 350D (normal mode)".
/ main / settings / ownername
/ main / settings / capturesizeclass
/ main / settings / iso
/ main / settings / shootingmode
/ main / settings / shutterspeed
/ main / settings / aperture
/ main / settings / exposurecompensation
/ main / settings / imageformat
/ main / settings / focusmode
/ main / settings / flashmode
/ main / settings / beep
/ main / actions / syncdatetime
/ main / status / model
/ main / status / datetime
/ main / status / firmware version
/ main / status / driver
/ main / driver / list_all_files
thomas @ work computer: ~ $

As you say, the problem is with the camera

A question for Jasem.
Is there a way in Ekos to control an Arduino so that it triggers the camera via optocoupler / relay?
That would also solve the problem with mirror lock-up.
I think some older cameras have the problem, not just the Canon EOS350 (rebel xt)
The Arduino could handle the mirror lock-up and exposure time.
When the recording time is up, the Arduino sends a "done" and Ekos reads the image.
It's just an idea.

greeting
Thomas

linuxer wrote: If I understand you correctly, then you use a cable with a 2.5mm jack on the camera and an RS232 adapter on the other side which goes into the PC?

So you have 2 cables on the EOS?

Hi Thomas and Magnus, sorry for jumping in here. Thomas, die beiden Kabel, die Magnus verwendet, sind nicht beide an die Kamera angeschlossen, sondern hintereinander, "in Reihe". Das Kabel mit dem Klinkenstecker ist an die Kamera angeschlossen. An der kameraabgewandten Seite hat es eine sub-D Buchse. Daran angeschlossen ist ein serial-to-USB Adapter, dessen USB-Stecker dann im PC steckt.

Kamera <-> Klinkenstecker - sub-D Buchse <-> sub-D Stecker - USB-Stecker <-> PC.

Hope this helps.
CS!

Hallo Herrhausen,
Hmm, ja schon klar, nur wie löst Magnus die Kamera aus ??
Das Kabel steckt im PC. Vernachlässigen wir einmal den RS232/USB-Adapter. Wenn ich das richtig verstehe dann hat Magnus auf der einen Seite einen PC mit RS232/USB Ausgang - Kabel mit 2,5mm Klinkenstecker in die Kamera.
Da muss doch ein Adapter dazwischen sein der die Seriellen Signale in einfache Schaltsignale umwandelt was die Optokoppler/Relays/Transistoren ansteuert.

Sorry ich stehe da irgendwie auf dem schlauch.

Gruß
Thomas

Hi!

I can almost, but only almost, decode the German...

Your question about cables: yes, I had two cables. On shutter release, and one regular USB-cable. And I controlled the camera with Ekos/Indi. Worked very well. But I now use a CCD instead.

Magnus

Hi Magnus,

Thomas wonders how to actually configure and fire the camera. I assume you set up the USB port in "Indi - Canon Camera - Main Control - Shutter release"? If so, do you have to change anything else or does the camera otherwise behave normally?

Thomas, Magnus hat (doch) zwei Kabel an der Kamera. Eins wie von mir beschrieben zum Fernauslösen der Kamera und das zweite USB-Kabel zum Übertragen der Bilddaten. Im Indi-Setup der Kamera gibt es ein Feld "Shutter Release - Port". Ich vermute da trägst Du die Schnittstelle ein, über die der Fernauslöser an die Kamera angeschlossen ist, also sowas wie /dev/ttyUSB0.

Ok, I'll get back under my rock...

Okay you two

let's stick to English out of politeness

So Magnus you had 2 USB cables on the camera.
One cable for triggering the camera (Ekos) and one for data transmission from the camera to Ekos.
Fine

I saw you were busy researching the Bulb history of the camera in 2016.

So I need a shutter release cable. Understood.

@ jasem
forget the story with the arduino

Thank you both I will try to find data about it and build or get one.

greeting
Thomas

Hi!

Yes, two cables, and then I don't really remember - it was some time ago. I think it was perhaps a matter of identifying them correctly (USBtty0 and USBtty1, I think) - which is easily done by unplugging one and see with for instance dmesg which one it was. I think setup is fairly straightforward, once you have the correct shutter relase-to-USB-cable. Unfortunately, I can't find a link to one now.