CanonWebAPI

⚠️ BETA SOFTWARE: This project is currently in beta stage. While functional, it may contain bugs and is subject to breaking changes. Use with caution in production environments.

A web API for remotely controlling Canon DSLR and mirrorless cameras. This project utilizes the Canon EDSDK to communicate with the camera and includes automatic update capabilities.

Features

• Get camera information (e.g., camera name).
• Get and set camera settings:
  • ISO Speed
  • Aperture
  • Shutter Speed
  • Exposure Compensation
  • White Balance
• Take pictures and download them.
• Live view streaming via MJPEG.
• Trigger autofocus.
• Retrieve the last taken picture from the camera.
• Automatic updates via AutoUpdater.NET integration.
• Version display in console on startup.

Project Structure

The solution is divided into the following projects:

• Canon.API: An ASP.NET Core web application that exposes the camera controls as a RESTful API.
• Canon.Core: A .NET library that wraps the Canon EDSDK, providing a higher-level interface to interact with the camera.
• Canon.Test: A simple console application for testing the Canon.Core library.
• Canon.Test.Avalonia: A desktop application built with Avalonia UI for testing camera functionalities.
• EDSDK: Contains the necessary Canon EDSDK libraries (EDSDK.dll, EdsImage.dll).

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A compatible Canon camera (tested with Canon EOS R100 and Canon T7).
• The camera connected to the computer via USB.
• .NET 9 SDK (or newer).
• The Canon EOS Utility software should not be running, as it can prevent this application from connecting to the camera.
• Windows operating system (x64 architecture required).

Installation

1. Clone this repository.
2. Ensure the EDSDK folder, containing EDSDK.dll and EdsImage.dll, is present in the project's root directory. These files are essential for the Canon.Core library to communicate with the camera.
3. Build the solution using Visual Studio or the dotnet build command.
4. Run the Canon.API project. This will start the web server.

API Endpoints

The following endpoints are available once the Canon.API project is running:

Method	Path	Description	Request Body (Example)
GET	/cameraname	Gets the connected camera's name.	N/A
GET	/iso	Gets the current ISO speed and a list of supported values.	N/A
POST	/iso	Sets the ISO speed.	{"value": "100"}
GET	/aperture	Gets the current aperture and a list of supported values.	N/A
POST	/aperture	Sets the aperture.	{"value": "5.6"}
GET	/shutterspeed	Gets the current shutter speed and a list of supported values.	N/A
POST	/shutterspeed	Sets the shutter speed.	{"value": "1/125"}
GET	/exposure	Gets the current exposure compensation and supported values.	N/A
POST	/exposure	Sets the exposure compensation.	{"value": "+1"}
GET	/whitebalance	Gets the current white balance and supported values.	N/A
POST	/whitebalance	Sets the white balance.	{"value": "Auto"}
POST	/takepicture	Takes a picture and returns the JPEG image. The useAutoFocus query parameter (default true) can be used to control autofocus.	N/A
GET	/videostream	Starts an MJPEG live view stream.	N/A
GET	/latestpicture	Gets the last picture taken from the camera's memory.	N/A
POST	/autofocus	Triggers the camera's autofocus mechanism.	N/A

Automatic Updates

This application includes automatic update functionality powered by AutoUpdater.NET:

• Automatic version checking on startup
• Seamless updates without requiring admin privileges
• Graceful shutdown handling for web server during updates
• Updates are downloaded from GitHub releases automatically

Development & Building

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/dansleboby/CanonWebAPI.git
cd CanonWebAPI

# Restore dependencies
dotnet restore CanonSDK.sln

# Build the solution
dotnet build CanonSDK.sln --configuration Release

# Run the API
dotnet run --project Canon.API

Creating Releases

This project uses automated GitHub Actions for releases:

1. Tag-based releases: Push a tag like v1.0.0.9 to trigger automated build and release
2. Version synchronization: The workflow automatically updates project versions to match the tag
3. Automatic packaging: Creates release packages and updates the AutoUpdater XML
4. GitHub releases: Automatically creates GitHub releases with generated notes

Running Different Projects

# Run the Web API
dotnet run --project Canon.API

# Run the Console Test Application  
dotnet run --project Canon.Test

# Run the Avalonia GUI Test Application
dotnet run --project Canon.Test.Avalonia

Compatibility

Tested Camera Models

• Canon EOS R100 ✅
• Canon T7 ✅

System Requirements

• OS: Windows (x64)
• Runtime: .NET 9 or newer
• Dependencies: Canon EDSDK libraries (included)

Note: While this software has been tested with the above camera models, it should work with other Canon cameras that support the EDSDK. However, functionality may vary depending on the specific camera model and its supported features.