• Joined: January 28, 2021

Topic: iPad and DSLR camera

My 11 year old has gotten into stop motion and is quite good at it. I'm trying to help him take it to the next level, but I'm not fully sure how to do so. He used to do it on an old crappy android phone using Stop Motion Studio and that was good for a bit, but now we've got an iPad and a DSLR camera (Canon 2000D). He was still going to use Stop Motion Studio, but we're hoping there's a way to connect the DSLR camera to the Stop Motion Studio on the iPad. I have searched all over and can not figure it out.

I've downloaded the Cannon Camera Connect and can get a live feed, but I can't figure out how to view the DSLR live feed in Stop Motion Studio?

Is there a way or do I just need to tell my son he'll either need to use the iPad camera in Stop Motion Studio or he'll need to use the DSLR and upload the pics into Stop Motion Studio?

(Also, he's not loving the idea of using the iPad camera because it doesn't feel sturdy enough on our tripod. Any tripod recommendations?)

Thank you! He's loving doing this, but is feeling frustrated that taking it to the next level is being so difficult and I just have no idea what I'm doing.

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Re: iPad and DSLR camera

You can’t control a dslr from an the iPad version of stop motion studio pro. The camera connect app is for controlling other mobile devices to use as a camera with you ipad/phone. You can control your dslr on your computer using stop motion studio pro.  Stop motion studio pro on a Mac is around $10.

Last edited by J.W. Productions (January 28, 2021 (07:04pm))

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Re: iPad and DSLR camera

You would be able to take them with the DSLR and upload them to SMS, but I would suggest to use software on a PC/MAC.

J.W. Productions wrote:

You can control your dslr on your computer using stop motion studio pro.  Stop motion studio pro on a Mac is around $10.

If you do this would be a good idea.
There is also a SMS (stop motion studio) thing for MAC, but I use PC so I couldn't tell you how to works. I think you can plug your DSLR in to your computer and set it as the live view in the MAC SMS.
But if you get into doing it on the computer there is a few other software you need, live a video editor, a sound recording program, and an image editor. But those are not necessary for a beginner.

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Re: iPad and DSLR camera

Like these other fellows have said, you definitely should get some software for your computer and connect the DSLR to that. Another thing to keep in mind is that there's other equipment helpful for DSLR animation, such as a tripod, macro lense, lights, that sort of thing.

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  • Joined: January 28, 2021

Re: iPad and DSLR camera

Darn. I was hoping there was some way to connect the DSLR to Stop Motion Studio on the iPad that I hadn't figured out. Thank you for helping me, so I'd stop wasting my time searching. And thank you for the other advice! 

Unfortunately, we don't have a Mac and don't have plans to get one in the near future. It sounds like that's something we need to look into down the road if he sticks with this. We tried Stop Motion Studio Pro on the PC laptop and he says some of the features are gone or don't work as well (copy and paste, doing sound easily,...). I think for now he's going to take the pics with the DSLR and then transfer them to the iPad. Hopefully that will work. He feels comfortable with Stop Motion Studio Pro on it and is learning iMovie. I tried to introduce him to a bunch of software for the PC and most was a bit too much for him right now.

Now I just need to help him understand that he's new to this and that his creations aren't going to look the same as his favorites on YouTube, and that's okay. He just needs to get practice and try more advanced editing software as he gets older.

We have a tripod and macro lense, but we're still trying to figure out what inexpensive (but good enough) lighting to buy. Hopefully I'll find that on Amazon today and have him fully up and running by next week.

Thanks!

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Re: iPad and DSLR camera

freckles wrote:

Unfortunately, we don't have a Mac and don't have plans to get one in the near future. It sounds like that's something we need to look into down the road if he sticks with this. We tried Stop Motion Studio Pro on the PC laptop and he says some of the features are gone or don't work as well (copy and paste, doing sound easily,...). I think for now he's going to take the pics with the DSLR and then transfer them to the iPad. Hopefully that will work. He feels comfortable with Stop Motion Studio Pro on it and is learning iMovie. I tried to introduce him to a bunch of software for the PC and most was a bit too much for him right now.

There's plenty of amazing animators who use mobile devices, and DSLR settings are a hard thing to tackle, especially for an 11 year-old, so its okay if he wants to continue using the iPad. If he thinks that the iPad is keeping him from his full potential, there's several stop motion softwares for PC you can try. (Here's one you might like: https://www.charlielee.uk/boats-animator/)

freckles wrote:

We have a tripod and macro lense, but we're still trying to figure out what inexpensive (but good enough) lighting to buy.

Really any lights you can put on a desk and point downward will work for animation. Gooseneck desk-lamps, LED panels, mini-softboxes, just make sure not to use old bulbs, since these can flicker.

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