5d setting EXACT "Time / Date" in camera?

[kiva]

<p>I've always had a great deal of trouble setting the "Exact" time / date stamp in my Canon 5d. I can set the time I want and watch the official U.S. time at this site http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java but the Time just never seems to be exactly what it was reading when I entered the time.</p>

<p>I can actually set the time and date but the date always seems off by 3 or more seconds one side or another of the exact time. Of course I want the exact time because my second photographers are all asked to set clocks to the exact time as well so that the files can be easily sorted according to time at an event photo session.</p>

<p>What I've been doing for a few years is to just keep looking at the atomic clock and punching in the time until I get Lucky! </p>

<p>There's got to be a better way! Right? Does the clock reset to the exact time of my computer if connected to the computer in any way?</p>

<p>Help is greatly appreciated; I know there's got to be a solution to this that will make me feel silly but that's ok as long as I find a way to set the Date/Time stamp on my 5d.</p>

<p>(Interesting that I can set the time exactly in my canon 20d cameras but the 5d seems to be lame for setting the time.)</p>

[howard_m]

<p>you'd have to check the DPP software or something like that. I shoot Nikon and as I recall, there is an option in Nikon Transfer (the downoad utility) to sync the camera clock to the computer clock (which is on atomic time).</p>

<p>Pls realize that all cameras and devices have time drift and need correction on a moderately regular basis if you want true accuracy.</p>

[mendel_leisk]

<p>Is there some reason you need deadly accuracy? Like, are you trying to sort files from multiple cameras, chronoligically?</p>

<p>Per Howard, any time keeping device will likely "drift" over time. Setting my digital watch, which I know from experience is very slightly slow, I'll set it maybe 15 seconds fast, and then know it'll be reasonably accurate for the next few months.</p>

[howard_m]

<p>there is a 'set the camera date/time' function in the EOS Utility software taht came w/ the camera (I just checked the manual for that software).</p>

[kiva]

<p>Thanks guys ... I'm aware of "drift" and that's why I set my camera every wedding or event. I ask the same of the second photographers but it's always a chore to get them right.</p>

<p>Yep, it's pretty important to be very accurate when you have a few thousand image files to coordinate and trim down to a manageable number.</p>

<p>Selecting files that are "off" by two or three seconds for a huge folder of image files is not a task that is pleasant to having it accurate to within a second is really, really nice. Helps see the event "as it happens" instead of out of sync with the action. </p>

<p>There must be a way. Thank for your thoughts.</p>

[howard_m]

<p>like I said, if the set time function in EOS Utility allows setting/synching to the computer time, then you're all set. Simply have the computer be synch'd to the worldwide NTP (network time protocol) system. If it doesn't allow it, then complain to Canon.</p>

[kiva]

<p>Don't have the EOS Utility on my computer and at the moment I'm searching the Canon website for the Utility Software I need. </p>

<p>I'm trying to get ready to travel to a weekend wedding so time is limited. Thank for the help.</p>

[kiva]

<p>Finding the "update" for the utility software ... but the update doesn't help when you need the utility software to be present for the update to be effective.</p>

<p>Will continue my search.</p>

[howard_m]

<p>I went to the Canon site and dropped into the web page for one of their EOS cameras and then went to the Drivers & Downloads.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>You have to have at least one Canon app installed on your HD for the Canon updates to work. They're full installs but check for the presence of Canon software.</p>

[jwilli4834]

<p>Hi William,<br>

I would take the time to test the camera and PC for drift. I have seen pc clocks drift as much as 10 seconds per hour...</p>

[cabbiinc]

<p>If you have the Canon software installation disk from just about any EOS camera, even a different model, you could use that without installing the software that you don't need. I've never tried doing it that way but the updates always state to have that disk ready in case the update asks for it.</p>

<p> </p>

[kiva]

<p>Just back to read the messages ... I think I'll look for an old copy of the EOS software that came with my camera.</p>

<p>Thanks for the input everyone!</p>