Kuuvik Capture 5.5 : Multi-Point Live View on EOS R5

The latest update to my Canon EOS tethering app, Kuuvik Capture, is now available for Mac and iPad. The headline feature is multi-point live view availability on the EOS R5.

When R5 support was introduced in Kuuvik Capture 5.2, the release notes indicated that multi-point live view is not available due to firmware bugs. Later Canon informed me that these “bugs” were actually “by design” behavior, and not going to change.

Fortunately, I’m a sucker for impossible problems, and was able to make it happen what Canon declared impossible. So multi-point live view is now working nicely on the R5. The only limitation – shared with the 1D X Mark III – is that depth of field preview is not available during multi-point live view. This is caused by another odd firmware behavior. Speaking of which…

This release also works around the aforementioned issue when moving to a marker: if DoF preview was active before the move, it will be re-activated after the new position is set.

On the iPad, a fine-tuned gesture detection improves long-tap handling when a tap is used to stop flick panning. The original implementation drove me nuts by bringing up the context menu way too early.

Plus the iPad version sports the missing “local network” permission handling message discussed in my former post.

We have published “privacy nutrition labels” for the app. It’s rather simple: we do not collect data from Kuuvik Capture. We are in the business of making and selling software to you, and not selling your private life to some sneaky data brokers. This is one reason why the prices of our apps are what they are.

The update is free for existing Kuuvik Capture 5 users. We also offer an upgrade from 2.x-4.x to version 5.

Kuuvik Capture 5.4 Released

The latest update to my Canon EOS tethering app, Kuuvik Capture, is now available for both Mac and iPad.

With this release, we’re starting to roll out a new focus bracketing engine. Building on new features of the DIGIC 8 and DIGIC X processors, Kuuvik Capture can now execute focus brackets with the mirror locked up during the entire bracket (on DSLR cameras), saving time and reducing mirror wear. The new engine is initially available for the EOS-1D X Mark III and 250D/Rebel SL3/Kiss X10/200D Mark II. Of course we’re planning to bring it to other cameras as well in the future.

The new engine also drives focus bracketing for the EOS R5, much faster than the old one did. Electronic shutter is supported for focus brackets with both the 1D X Mark III and the R5, resulting in minimal shutter and mirror wear, and rather quick operation.

Firmware for DIGIC X-based cameras unfortunately still full of bugs hindering proper tethering operation. A newly discovered one is that once depth of field preview is engaged, you won’t be able to move around the point of operation (that is, can’t move around in live view when zoomed in, or can’t jump to a marker). This is a rather serious oversight from Canon.

We’re mitigating this issue by automatically turning off DoF preview when it would break the operation you are going to perform. For example, one typically uses DoF preview with the jump to marker feature to be able to assess depth of field with the current focus placement. We faced a choice here, either a) jumping to a marker would silently fail when DoF preview is on; or b) turn off DoF preview and do what you asked for. B is a clearly better solution here, and we consistently do the same in case of all other operations where the bug would cause a problem.

On the 1D X III this bug also causes issues with multi-point live view, so we completely disable DoF preview during multi-point live view.

The update is free for existing Kuuvik Capture 5 users. We also offer an upgrade from 2.x-4.x to version 5.

Kuuvik Capture 5.3 : JPG Only Download Option

The latest update to my Kuuvik Capture tethering app is now available for both the Mac and iPad.

This is the first Canon remote control solution that offers native Apple Silicon support, and is also optimized for macOS Big Sur.

Regarding new functionality, we’ve added an option to allow downloading just the JPG from a RAW+JPG pair. This ensures a much faster image display in cases where the download is slow – for example when using the camera’s built-in Wi-Fi transmitter.

Download options when shooting RAW+JPG

Of course the camera will store both the RAW and the JPG to the memory card, so you can process RAW files later.

With the release of iPadOS 14.2, Apple fixed the USB tethering bug that rear up its ugly head with iPadOS 14.0. So this very convenient and fast connection option is back in business. But they also took care of another bug report of mine, which makes a pretty neat little feature possible.

iPadOS 13 immediately suspended all USB camera communication when you put the app into the background, for example to write a note, or check a message. With iPadOS 14.2 and Kuuvik Capture 5.3, the connection will stay alive for 30 seconds. Your sequence, or download will continue to run in the background. After 15 seconds you’ll get a notification, that the communication will be suspended soon, but you have plenty of time to return to the app – the easiest way being to tap the notification. This is the same behavior you get when using Wi-Fi/Ethernet connections.

The update is free for existing users. New users can buy the app in the respective App Store. Don’t forget that the Mac and iPad versions are sold together – buy any of them and you’ll get the other for free!

Enjoy!

iOS 14 Breaks USB Tethering

WARNING: iOS and iPadOS 14 that is going to be released later today completely breaks USB camera remote control on iPad and iPhone.

Customers relying on USB connections for Kuuvik Capture and ShutterCount Mobile MUST NOT upgrade to iOS 14.

We had reported the problem to Apple on July 23, and it is still not yet resolved as of today despite our numerous attempts to get Apple to fix it. I will not add further comments right now, I think the facts speak for themselves, but I’m not amused. Not remotely amused.

Update (October 2): Apple confirmed that this is a bug in iOS 14, with no workaround, and they “anticipate a fix getting included in an upcoming iOS release”. Stay tuned.

Update (November 6): The just-released iOS 14.2 fixes the bug.