setup
shoot + share branded photos at live events using your favorite camera.
the world's fastest photo workflow.
our app connects to professional cameras from Canon and Sony for instant processing and delivery.
follow this guide to connect your camera for the first time.
overview
the world's fastest photo workflow.
our app connects to professional cameras for instant processing and delivery.
follow this guide to connect your camera for the first time.
wired
a wired connection is the fastest way to connect your camera.
we currently support canon and sony cameras.
you don't need expensive "orange" cables or other gimmicks to connect.
newer iphones with a usb-c port (ex: iphone 15) just need a standard usb-c cable:
older phones with a lightning port (ex: iphone 14) need a usb-a/c cable plugged into apple's camera adapter.
once you have the correct cable, power on your phone and camera, then connect them.
wired connections skip ahead to step 7 below...
wireless
a wireless connection is a fast, fluid way to shoot without wires.
only newer canon cameras that support camera control api (ccapi) can do this.
repeat: only some canon cameras support wireless transfer.
you must activate ccapi via firmware first using canon's official software.
this process takes 10-15 minutes and happens once per camera.
what you need:
iphone
camera
sd card
usb cable
computer
do not skip steps.
1 / compatibility
check this list to confirm that your camera supports ccapi:
confirm compatibility →
need a compatible camera?
need a compatible phone?
need help with your gear? ask our discord...
3 / activate ccapi
download the "ccapi_activation_tool_v1.4.0.zip" to your computer.
open the zip file on your computer, then open the dmg (mac) or exe (win) file inside.
power on your camera and plug it into your computer with your usb cable.
now open the activation tool on your computer.
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click the execute activation button.
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click the accept checkbox and press next.
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ccapi is now activating.
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click ok to finish activation.
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if installation works, you just successfully installed ccapi on your camera :)
if installation fails, try deleting "canon webcam utility" and/or "eos utility" from your computer, then run the ccapi installer again.
now power cycle your camera and twist the top dial to program (P) mode.
automatic (A+) mode may hide menu items that you need later.
4 / enable wifi
let's enable the wifi network on your camera.
the screenshots below may differ between camera models so look carefully...
newer cameras (ex: canon r8)
press the "menu" button on your camera.
select the purple "connectivity" tab.
select "advanced connection" and press ok.
select "camera control api" and press ok.
hint: if "camera control api" is missing, return to step 3.
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scroll down to disable the "https" setting.
hint: "https" may block connections to your phone.
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if you're enabling wifi for the first time, select "add connection" and follow this sequence:
add with wizard > camera access point mode > easy connection
otherwise select "connect" and press ok.
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this will display the built-in wifi network (ssid) provided by your camera.
your camera is now waiting for devices to connect.
note your network name and password.
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leave this screen open until you finish connecting your phone.
continue to step 5 below...
older cameras (ex: canon m6ii)
press the "menu" button on your camera.
select the purple "connectivity" tab.
select "wifi settings" and press ok.
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scroll down and select "camera control api" and press ok.
select "add connection" if you're enabling wifi for the first time and follow this sequence:
add with wizard > camera access point > easy connection
otherwise select "connect" and press ok.
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this will display the built-in wifi network (ssid) provided by your camera.
your camera is now waiting for devices to connect.
note your network name and password.
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your camera wifi is now running and waiting for devices to connect.
leave this screen open until you finish connecting your phone.
continue to step 5 below...
5 / connect iphone
tap into settings > wifi on your phone and select your camera's built-in wifi network.
enter the wifi password shown on your camera.
a spinner will appear next to your network selection — this is normal.
since your phone is connected to your camera, it's no longer connected to the internet, so you might see "no internet connection" under the network name.
6 / connect internet
now let's connect your phone to the internet via cellular.
tap the "info" icon next to your camera wifi network you just joined.
scroll down to "configure ip" which is set to "automatic" by default.
copy the ip address (192.168.1.XX) and subnet mask (255.255.255.X) shown on your phone.
do not copy the numbers from our screenshot — yours may be different.
now set "configure ip" to "manual" and enter the ip address shown earlier.
enter the subnet mask shown earlier and tap save (top right).
7 / launch hypno
you're now ready to capture and upload photos using your camera.
make sure your camera has a fleshly formatted SD card inside.
launch the app, open "public test event" and tap into its camera, then press the "camera" icon (bottom left).
the camera connect screen should appear initially and then display the name of your camera.
camera connect only works inside events created by studio and brand subscribers, like our public test event.
for sony cameras, you will need to set "usb connection" to "pc remote" before transferring photos.
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now press the shutter button on your camera.
photos should transfer to your phone and populate the grid almost instantly.
press the white arrow to upload and display a unique qr code for that set of photos.
we recommend shooting no more than 20-30 photos at a time into this grid before pressing upload.
8 / performance
once you have a feel for the app, start playing with performance.
wired connections are faster and work best with M/L image quality.
wireless connections are slower and work best with S/M image quality.
your originals will always save to your sd card — including your raw files.
fact: your phone is limited to 4096x4096 photos or smaller at export.
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try setting your target "aspect ratio" directly on your camera.
for example, selecting 1:1 on a canon camera will send square photos to your phone.
available aspect ratios differ between camera makes and models.
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remember that wired and wireless connections will drop if your camera powers off.
we recommend disabling all power-saving features to avoid surprises like this.
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for wireless connections, enable "auto connect" so wifi starts every time your camera powers on.
this makes it fast and easy for your phone to find and connect to your camera.
for wired connections, it's better to disable "auto connect" instead.
otherwise you may have connection conflicts if the phone jumps between wired and wireless connections.
you may need to "disconnect" your private wifi connection first to enable/disable this menu setting.
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more suggestions for wireless connections:
DO NOT separate your phone and camera with walls or distances
DO NOT shoot near other electronics that cause wifi interference (ex: dj booth)
DO NOT connect multiple phones to the same camera
if you experience disconnects of any kind, please report them in our discord...
9 / graphics
hypno makes it easy to add instant branding to your photos.
when prepping graphics, create a custom graphic for each aspect ratio you plan to capture.
shooting on your phone?
by default, you can capture 9:16 and 16:9 photos with custom graphics.
you can also enable the 4:5 toggle inside "labs" to crop your photos for instagram with custom graphics.
shooting on a professional camera?
you can capture photos with custom graphics at any aspect ratio available on your camera.
you can also enable the 4:5 toggle inside "labs" to crop your photos for instagram with custom graphics.
custom graphics and 4:5 cropping is only available to paid subscribers.
10 / gallery
setting up a branded gallery where people receive their photos is easy.
add your logo, background and font to customize the look of your gallery.
need data capture? brand subscribers can quickly configure custom forms and advanced legal.
please contact us to discuss data capture and brand subscriptions.
thank you
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