Why using a DSLR or mirrorless camera?
Technology has grown a lot for the last years. Specially, when it comes to the phone market and integrated camera lens. Most of the modern iPhones, iPads, and Android devices have great quality cameras already built-in.
However, for a professional set up like a photo booth, there is still a chance of going a step further and improve the image quality. DSLR and mirrorless cameras are specialized machines, which are entirely built to cover image in great detail, which goes a step beyond the built-in phone cameras.
Wired vs. Wireless setup
The Touchpix app allows you to connect DSLR and mirrorless cameras wired. This integration supports different brands and models, and it's very important to check the compatibility before starting. For example, Fujifilm is only compatible with Wi-Fi connection.
The main differences between wired and wireless connections are:
Wired | Wireless |
Requires quality adapters and data transfer cables | The connection is done via Wi-Fi, so it does not require adapters or cables |
Since it does not block internet connection, media upload can still happen during the connection | Wi-Fi connection is blocked, hence, there will be no internet connection |
Both device and camera must be mounted together in the arm (360 platforms) | The camera can be mounted alone in the arm (for 360 platforms) |
Quicker, more reliable and stable connection | Crowded networks may interfere with the Wi-Fi connection |
Wired Setup
Required
A SD card must be inserted in the camera.
U3 class SD card for heavy videos. A U1 class SD card can be also used, but issues might be encountered.
We recommend getting a 'Lightning to USB 3' adapter from Apple if you use an iPhone or an iPad with a lightning connection.
If you use an iPad Pro with a USB-C connection, we recommend getting a 'Digital AV Multiport Adapter' from Apple.
Get the USB cable that works with your camera. The most commonly used cable is the 'Micro USB to USB-A' male or 'USB-C to USB-A' male.
The cables used for the setup must be data transfer cables, as some of them just work for charging, and do not transfer information.
Steps
Connect the camera with the USB cable to the USB adapter and connect the USB adapter to the device
Open the side menu and locate ESSENTIALS settings group
Tap on 'Camera' option
Tap on DSLR and, next, 'Connect to DSLR' to open the connection screen
If you are struggling with the connection, turn your device's WiFi & cellular data OFF to connect the app to the camera. The connection screen will disappear when the camera is connected. Now you can turn the cellular data & WiFi back ON again
If your camera is not supported by the automatic integration, then set the camera to photo mode or video mode (depending on what you want to use the camera for). Usually, you can use a switch on the back of the camera to do that
Notes
When you want to use the camera for video
Select MP4 as the video format in the Movie Recording Quality section.
Enable 'High Frame rate' when you want to use Slow Motion video.
Make sure to use a modern lens with autofocus. The session will fail when the camera detects an older manual focus lens or if the camera can't focus.
Wireless setup
Turn on your camera and set it to photo or video mode (depending on what you will use it for)
Ensure your camera is in manual or at least semi-manual mode to control settings from the app
Enable Wi-Fi in your camera settings
Create a new smartphone connection profile in your camera Wi-Fi settings, your camera will display the password
Connect your device to the camera network, and input the password displayed in the camera's screen
On Touchpix app, go to 'camera' then 'DSLR' and tap on 'connect to DSLR'
When your camera is found, you will need to accept the connection from the DSLR screen
Done, your camera is connected and ready to take pictures
Trigger photo session by pressing the shutter button (Tethered mode)
You can trigger a session by pressing the shutter button of the camera.
Open the side menu and locate ESSENTIALS settings group
Tap on 'Camera' option
Enable ‘Session after shutter’ option
Go back to the session screen and take a photo by pressing the shutter button of the camera. Touchpix will catch the last picture and process it
Note: this only works with a single photo template.
Keynotes
Touchpix has a built-in integration that switches between the photo and video functions of the camera automatically. There is no need to perform this change manually. However, if your device does not support this integration, you can’t use both the photo and video functions at the same time. In this scenario, you have to put the camera in photo mode to take photos and, in video mode to record videos.
Many newer Canon models (such as EOS R50) have a USB connection setting (in the camera menu → Wrench icon → USB) that defaults to “Canon app” or similar. For Touchpix to detect the camera correctly, change this setting to “Photo transfer with other/third-party devices”.
Remember to update your camera's firmware regularly. Devices and cameras often receive updates, which can help resolve issues.
If you're receiving 'There seems to be an issue with the DSLR connection.' when attempting to record a session, please make sure the camera is set to the expected photo or video mode first. If it does not solve the issue, try formatting the SD card.
The Canon M50 is often used among our subscribers. Sometimes the live view becomes dark with the camera and that can be fixed by turning off the exposure simulation.