This Bluetooth remote aims to replicate Canon's BR-E1 behavior while adding key features like fully programable time-lapses that most Canon cameras lack! Fortunately, M5Stack proposes a nice little inexpensive development board that perfectly fits our needs, the M5Stick-Cplus.
The BR-M5 has been primarily developed for the Canon M50 Mark I, which misses a descent timelapse mode that can do long exposures. The shutter speed option in M50's timelapse mode is indeed limited to 1/30s. Furthermore, the M50 doesn't have any shutter release port to plug classic intervalometers. No official Bluetooth, WiFi, or tethering tools currently offer time-lapse capabilities.
- Install Visual Studio Code and the PlatformIO IDE extension.
- Clone this repository -
git clone https://github.com/ArthurFDLR/br-m5-, open it as project in PlatformIO and upload -Ctrl+Alt+u- to a M5Stick-Cplus connected to your PC.
Download Arduio IDE zip from: https://www.arduino.cc/ Unzip and run the ide: ./arduino-ide In the arduino ide add 'aditional boards' (Instructions in https://docs.m5stack.com/en/quick_start/m5stickc_plus/arduino ) Add 'M5Stack' board and M5Stack library to Arduino IDE
Install any aditional python packages using linux package manager e.g: serial
yay -S python-pyserial
Arduino might throw permission issue while uploading to M5Stick cplus
Find the group using:
$ ls -l /dev/ttyUSB0
crw-rw---- 1 root uucp 188, 0 Sep 18 17:46 /dev/ttyUSB0
Add your username to the group e.g
sudo usermod -a -G dialout <username>
Add libraries
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Lib1: https://github.com/rpolitex/ArduinoNvs 1a Download zip from github 1b Import in IDE using Sketch > import lib... > add lib...
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Lib2: https://github.com/ArthurFDLR/BR-M5 2a. Copy all folders under /lib to ~/Arduino/libraries
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Youtube Tutorial on connecting M5stick : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdTl0400uM
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Create new sketchbook in arduino ide. Sketch > Verity/Compile Sketch > Upload
- Power on by pressing the left-side button and power off with a 6 seconds press on the same button.
- Keep pressing BtnA (The main button below screen) to activate the bluetooth pairing mode.
- You can connect to your Canon DSLR as soon as the remote is powered on and displays Pairing in progress.
- Once connected, to use the remote the camera need to be in the right 'shooting mode'
- Set to corret mode using: Menu > Camera > 4 > Drive Mode > remote icon
- To change the interval, press the right-side button for half a second and use the same button to increase and the center button to decrease the timelapse interval. Once set, press the right-side button for half a second again.
- Start and stop time-lapses using the center button. The remote takes single shots if the interval is set to 0 seconds.
- Fix connection reliability issues.
- Auto connection to camera when remote start-up.
- Add battery level indication.
Feel free to contribute!