Can a Canon EOS 5D (original) transfer photos wirelessly to a Mac?

Asked 8/5/2013

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I have an original Canon EOS 5D with only a CompactFlash slot. Is there any practical way to transfer photos wirelessly to a Mac or over a network? I’ve heard of Eye‑Fi/Magic card ideas, but this camera doesn’t take SD cards. I’m also open to DIY options such as using a Raspberry Pi or other small computer.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

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Maybe.

You can install a tethering app (Canon's EOS Utility included with your camera's software disc and free update downloads available from Canon is one such app) on anything that will run the correct OS. A small tablet or netbook running Windows, for instance, will let you connect the camera via a USB connection. Any Apple device that runs Mac OS X (original version) should be able to do the same thing.

If you choose to use EOS Utiliy, be sure to download it using the 5D support page, as the latest versions of EOS Utility no longer support the 5D. By using the 5D support page and designating the OS you are using on your device, you will get the last version that does support the 5D (ver2.7.3). The latest Windows version that is supported is Vista, so you'll have to choose that to get the EOS Utility 2.7.3 download. Even though there is no version of EOS Utility compatible with the 5D when Widows 7 is chosen as the OS, it will probably work with Windows 7. (I've found this to be true with other older versions of Canon software that had no version listed for an OS released after the Camera was no longer supported by updates). The last Mac OS that shows an EOS Utility download is OS X (with no updates). I do not know whether that version of EOS Utility will work on a later version of OS X.

Set up EOS Utility (or other tethering app, such as LR, if you can find a version that supports the 5D) to transfer images as soon as they are recorded. There are apps that allow you to tether cameras to Android or iPhones/iPads as well. The 5D may or may not be supported by these.

From there, it's just a matter of having the tablet/netbook/device connected to the internet via WiFi (or directly to your Macbook if it is within WiFi range) and using a file transfer app that will monitor the folder(s) you are saving the photos to and send them to the Macbook as they are created. In the past I've seen event photographers at large conventions roaming the room wearing a tethered tablet on a harness sending to their assistant in a sales booth at the venue over WiFi. Now that many higher end bodies include SD card slots I haven't seen a device tethered to the camera in a while.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

13y ago

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Yes, but there’s no simple built-in wireless option on the original 5D. Practical possibilities mentioned were:

  • Tethered transfer via USB using Canon EOS Utility on a compatible computer. For the 5D, you may need an older EOS Utility version from Canon’s 5D support page, since newer releases dropped support.
  • DIY wireless bridge: connect the camera by USB to a small computer such as a Raspberry Pi, then send files over Wi‑Fi/network. This may work with tools like gphoto, but support for the original 5D has been reported as experimental, so reliability is uncertain.
  • Eye‑Fi in an SD-to-CF adapter: some older Eye‑Fi cards have reportedly worked in certain CF adapters and older Canon bodies, but this is unofficial, can be finicky, and may reduce range. Avoid formatting the card in the adapter.
  • Canon WFT-E1/E1A wireless transmitter: this is the official-era solution, but used units can be hard to justify versus newer camera bodies.

So: it is possible, but expect compromises. The most dependable route is usually tethering to a nearby computer; wireless on the original 5D is mainly a workaround or DIY project.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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