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There is nothing to explain because it was so simple, however I want to post an explanation of what I just did with my bluetooth cellphone and my brand new Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

I had this idea many time ago, while I was studying photography, but I never had the time to test it.

So:

  • this works with all Canon EOS cameras but will work also with Nikon (or other brands) using the right software you can find your camera box
  • install “EOS Utility” (for Canon EOS cameras) or whatever software you use
  • configure the software and the keys you want to use to change shutter speed, aperture and to shoot the pictures.
  • connect your bluetooth cellphone to the computer. Both Mac OSX and Windows have native softwares to do that.
  • on the bluetooth cellphone, activate the “desktop” function
  • with the “desktop” function you can use your cellphone like a mouse/keyboard, so now you can shoot pictures and setup your EOS camera from your cellphone using the keys you configured earlier

This is very useful to do professional portraits because you can put your camera on a tripod, a notebook near/behind the person you’re shooting at, and take pictures with just a cellphone in your hands (seeing the result of the pictures in realtime on the notebook’s bigger screen).
I also find this so important to make the person feel comfortable talking with a person and not with a telephoto lens.

The next step is to do the same thing with anything that haves a browser, like an iPhone using wireless (radio) connection.
That can be done at a distance of 140 meters according to this folk.
Of course, unless you’re connection works, you can also be in the other side of the world because it’s an over-ip way to control the camera.

Another way is to spent $2.49 and use this software by Apple to use the camera directly (via usb cable) from your iPhone.

Enjoy ;)