Date and time settings

[Ontario55]

I shoot hockey and ringette games with 2 cameras.
I have the date and time sync'd so the cameras are identical
When the play is coming towards me I shoot with my 7D MK 11 and when its crossing the blue line I switch to my 5D MKIV
A week ago I set the date and time on both cameras
Shoot a game today and the pics are out of sequence
Checking the date and time there is a difference of 14 seconds
Is this something that needs to be set each and every time?
If I use my 5D in between games and recharge the batteries is the camera capable of holding the settings without the batteries?
Is there an internal battery that should hold this date?
Thxs

 

[Don Haines]

I shoot hockey and ringette games with 2 cameras.
I have the date and time sync'd so the cameras are identical
When the play is coming towards me I shoot with my 7D MK 11 and when its crossing the blue line I switch to my 5D MKIV
A week ago I set the date and time on both cameras
Shoot a game today and the pics are out of sequence
Checking the date and time there is a difference of 14 seconds
Is this something that needs to be set each and every time?
If I use my 5D in between games and recharge the batteries is the camera capable of holding the settings without the batteries?
Is there an internal battery that should hold this date?
Thxs

clock accuracy is a problem with most consumer electronics. basically, it is impossible to have a low power clock that is accurate, and drift rates of a couple seconds per day are not that unreasonable. For most devices, like phones and computers, the solution is to sync automatically to some external standard.... for cameras, that is a bit of a problem as they are usually stand alone devices....

 

[LDS]

Is there an internal battery that should hold this date?

There is an internal battery to keep settings when the main battery is not present, but a drift of 14s in one week is a bit large - check the internal battery - especially the one from the camera further away from the correct time.

Anyway it would be better to sync the camera time through the EOS utility just before the game, from the same computer. You can set the EOS utility to automatically set sync the time from the computer each time the camera is connected.

But cameras with built-in GPS are able to get the time from the GPS signal. If the settings is to auto update, it will get the time when you turn it on, and a GPS signal is available. Ensure both cameras get the time from GPS at the same time, or both don't. Probably, I would prefer to sync them from the same computer to ensure they get the same time (you can still sync the computer from an external time source via NTP if you need the correct time).

The WFT-7 transmitter can sync cameras within a smaller range, but it's a quite expensive option. AFAIK, the 5D4 wifi can't do that alone.

 

[Don Haines]

I did a short experiment with the 6D2.... connected over Bluetooth and WiFi to see if it would automatically sync the time..... it did not.

If you enable gps, no problem syncing the time.....

 

[RGF]

But cameras with built-in GPS are able to get the time from the GPS signal. If the settings is to auto update, it will get the time when you turn it on,

When I travel I turn on the GPS unit all my bodies to set the local time and then most of the time turn them off to save battery life. GPS units can drain the battery when the camera if off

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The battery should not drift that much, but its possible that the internal battery is weak on one of the cameras. Temperature is another big factor in accuracy. Electronic wrist watches are very accurate in part because your wrist keeps them at a constant temperature.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The battery should not drift that much, but its possible that the internal battery is weak on one of the cameras. Temperature is another big factor in accuracy. Electronic wrist watches are very accurate in part because your wrist keeps them at a constant temperature.

I just checked my SL2, its 10 sec off and has not been synched with time for weeks.

 

[LDS]

I did a short experiment with the 6D2.... connected over Bluetooth and WiFi to see if it would automatically sync the time..... it did not.

AFAIK, the internal transmitters don't get the time over wify/bt from an external source but through the EOS Utility.

The WFT transmitters are capable of setting a master camera, and then slave cameras to sync time with the master within +/- 0.05s, especially since they allow linked shooting. As said, an expensive option worth only if very precise timing is required.

Syncing manually before shooting, or using GPS when available, should be enough for many uses. Anyway, even GPS can have a +/-1s of precision (accordingly to the manual), which in some sports may be somewhat too much.

 

[midluk]

The Android Camera Connect App allows to sync time from the phone to the WiFi equipped camera.

14s in a week is about 25ppm. This is only slightly more than the 10ppm per camera that good crystal oscillators are often specified for. I think your observation is totally normal.

 

[Maximilian]

...
is about 25ppm. This is only slightly more than the 10ppm per camera that good crystal oscillators are often specified for. I think your observation is totally normal.

+1 I wouldn't expect anything better from devices not automatically synchronized.

... but its possible that the internal battery is weak on one of the cameras. Temperature is another big factor in accuracy. ...

This could be the answer and maybe help you.

So I would go for replacing the internal buffer battery of both cameras.
But if this is showing no positive effect I wouldn't expect any other solution.
(Edit: outdated information)

It seems that you'll have to live with the fact that you'll have to sync the Cameras directly in front of shooting such events :-\

 

[midluk]

So I would go for replacing the internal buffer battery of both cameras.

AFAIK current Canon DSLRs don't have any user-changeable buffer battery any more. Older cameras had a battery behind a door in the battery compartment, but current cameras don't have that. They have a small battery (or perhaps a supercapacitor) that is automatically charged from the main battery to keep the RTC running while you change the main battery. You can't replace that without disassembling the camera.

 

[Maximilian]

So I would go for replacing the internal buffer battery of both cameras.

AFAIK current Canon DSLRs don't have any user-changeable buffer battery any more. Older cameras had a battery behind a door in the battery compartment, but current cameras don't have that. They have a small battery (or perhaps a supercapacitor) that is automatically charged from the main battery to keep the RTC running while you change the main battery. You can't replace that without disassembling the camera.

You're right. I just checked the manuals of 7D2 and 5D4.
There is no mention on buffer batteries anymore.

 

[okaro]

i have solved the problem by checking the error in each camera and then I use a a combination of a script and a program to adjust the file timestamps. With this I can achieve an accuracy of 1-2 seconds a month.

 

[Frodo]

i have solved the problem by checking the error in each camera and then I use a a combination of a script and a program to adjust the file timestamps. With this I can achieve an accuracy of 1-2 seconds a month.

Okaro, this sounds very useful. Can you provide more detail?
Thanks