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How far can I
setup my camera from the PC?
The maximum length of a USB
cable is 5m. USB repeaters can be used to extend the cable
length to approx 20m and more expensive, fiber optic
extenders are available for longer lengths. Suppliers of USB
repeaters can be found by searching on Google with search
phrases like "USB repeater" or "USB extender". You can also
use a USB server which connects to an ethernet LAN e.g. the
USB server from
Keyspan.
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Is it possible to
use manual focus when the camera is connected to the PC?
No, but it is possible to
lock the auto focus on a subject and use the same focus
setting for several pictures.
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Can the lens be
zoomed from the PC?
Yes, it is possible to
control the lens zoom setting from the PC when using cameras
with zoom lenses.
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Can live
viewfinder images be displayed on the PC?
Yes, all PowerShot cameras
except the G1 and Pro90IS can display live viewfinder images
on the PC.
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What is
the maximum frame rate when the camera is connected to the
PC?
This varies according to the
camera model, the image size and quality and whether the
images are saved to PC or the camera's memory card. When an
image is taken in remote mode it has to be downloaded before
the next shot can be taken. At the lowest JPEG resolution
and quality, in manual exposure mode and with the AF locked,
the maximum frame rate is approximately 3 secs/frame. With
normal AF and auto exposure the interval between shots is
approximately 3 secs plus 3 secs for every megabyte of the
file being downloaded e.g. a 2Mb JPEG would take
approximately 9 secs.
Update: New cameras like the Canon
PowerShot S2 IS have a USB 2.0 interface which is much
faster.
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Can I use the
camera's controls when it is connected to a PC?
The only control you can use
when the camera is connected to a PC is the shutter release.
All other camera controls are disabled by the camera's
firmware when it is connected to a PC.
