Serial Problem

[Hightower]

I bought a serial to 2.5mm jack cable off ebay for a fiver the other day. I'm messing on with it now, but everytime I connect it to my computer and plug it in the camera, then turn it on, the camera just starts taking photos automatically.

Have I got the wrong cable? If so, is there a quick change (ie swap two cables) I can make to the serial-2.5 cable?

It's a 350D camera.

[Hightower]

P.S. Just checked out Backyard EOS - what a powerful tool! Think I'll be buying that when I get the cable sorted.

[Hightower]

I'm going to take the cable to work today and open it up. Sure I read somewhere that the shutter cable for a 350D was slightly different to many other models - can anybody give any hints?

[Psychobilly]

Check it agains this...

Cable Release and Serial Port Cable for the EOS Digital Rebel

I have used the same cable for all my Jack plug canon cameras (350/450/500/1000D)

I normally use the Opto Isolator version...

What happens if you don't connect the serial cable camera until the control app is up and running...?

My 350D used to fire of a burst of frames when the Computer was booting..

Peter...

[Hightower]

Check it agains this...

Cable Release and Serial Port Cable for the EOS Digital Rebel

I have used the same cable for all my Jack plug canon cameras (350/450/500/1000D)

I normally use the Opto Isolator version...

What happens if you don't connect the serial cable camera until the control app is up and running...?

My 350D used to fire of a burst of frames when the Computer was booting..

Peter...

I've tried all methods of plugging it in, even setting it to remote and it still does the same - just seems as if the cable is the wrong way round. Going down to the DT department now to get my hands on a capacitor or two (what's a diode look like?) and going to try to rebuild it and see if I can get it working.

[Hightower]

Well, I think I've done it, fingers crossed. Just tested the cable with DSLR shutter and a multimeter, and I'm getting a reading when the shutter opens then it goes to 0 when the shutter closes. The reading I get doesn't seem too significant however, so not sure if it will work - but will find out when I head home for dinner.

[Hightower]

Just been home for dinner and quickly tested cable using DSLR shutter - working an absolute treat after my little cable surgery this morning.

I didn't use the exact parts listed either - just used as close as I could get based on what was lying around in DT. Managed to find a 2.2k ohm resistor (1/4 watt), a silicon diode (ISJ 150), and what appeared to be some kind of opto isolator. I found out which colour was linked to which bit in the 2.5mm jack using a multimeter. A bit of dodgy soldering later and it all seemed to work

I didn't have a box that could be re-shut, just the more common molded fitting. So what I did was used a glue gun over the components, and then sawed a couple of inches of plastic pipe and glued this over them - so there's absolutely no chance of the bare wires moving about inside.

It's been a good morning, and fairly chuffed with myself - I work in IT, but it's not often I get the chance to dig around with wires in my line of work.

[Psychobilly]

Congrats - The skies await :icon_salut:

Peter...