Hi!

Here we go again, with the 30 secs problem for Canon EOS. This time it is my newly modded 350D, that refuses to take exposures longer than 30 secs. This one does not have a dedicated B (bulb) setting on the settings wheel on the camera (that works on my not modded 70D). Instead, I set it to "M" and turn the exposure wheel so it says "bulb" in the LCD display. Indi recognizes this setting as B, in the settings tab of the gphoto module.

More specifically: I set it to bulb (with the M setting and turning the wheel so the LCD says "bulb"). THen I set an exposure time in Ekos, for instance 90 secs, and press preview. THen the LCD on the camera shifts, from "bulb" to "30"". And it taks a 30 secs exposure.

What is quite strange is that I have a firm belief that it at first, yesterday, actually DID take longer exposures... but then it didn't and now it sure does not.

Attached is verbose logging from the gphoto module and the kstars log. Does this make sense to anybody?

Magnus

I'm afraid it's all down to the same issue of having to switch to Bulb mode. For some reason, the Gphoto driver is unable to control the SLR as e.g. BYEOS does. My guess, and it's just that, is that the lack of a dedicated Bulb setting is proving a true problem for the 350D.

Hi!

Hrm..... so what to do when there is no Bulb setting on the settings wheel on the camera?

I also have a distinct feeling of something chaning here - I believe it worked nicely before, but I never used the 350D for astro use before it was modded, last week.

Others out there using this kind of Canon cameras without a dedicated bulb setting?

Magnus

I am using a T1i (500d) and I have to set it to M (manual setting) and set the exposure via the wheel to bulb. It works fine for me taking exposures longer than 30 secs. My camera is not modded.

--Jon

Hi!
That's interesting. Does bulb work through USB, without serial cable adapter? If so, what version of libgphoto are you using?
What indi driver?

Magnus

I am using strictly USB. Everything is stock as installed in the Ekos VM. I believe the version of libgphoto is libgphoto2 v. 2.5.8. I might also mention that it works fine from the pre-built Raspberry Pi as well.

--Jon

I doubt that it makes any difference, but I should also mention that I am using a powered USB hub in both cases.

--Jon

Hi!

Thanks. According to Andy Ellis at Astronomiser, though, the 1000D is different from the 350D in that it is controllable via USB...:
astronomiser.co.uk/300d.htm#serial

I'm going to try a serial connection and then see how that might work with Indi.. anyone doing this? I understand that 2 usb connections are needed, one for the serial interface to control the shutter, and then the usual USB to download the images..

Magnus

I should point out that I'm using the 500D (T1i) not the 1000D.

--Jon

Yes, sorry. Still, however, I understand it as the 500D supports bulb through USB while the 350D does not.

Magnus