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How to Connect to Canon IP Camera in C# .NET

Video Capture SDK .Net Media Blocks SDK .Net

Brand Overview

Canon Inc. is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo. Canon's IP camera division produces the VB series of network cameras targeting professional and enterprise surveillance markets. Canon cameras are known for their optical quality, leveraging Canon's expertise in lens manufacturing. Canon has been reducing its IP camera lineup in recent years, focusing on higher-end models.

Key facts:

  • Product lines: VB-H series (box/PTZ, current), VB-M series (PTZ/compact), VB-S series (compact), VB-R series (PTZ), VB-C series (legacy PTZ)
  • Protocol support: RTSP, ONVIF (VB-H and VB-M series), HTTP/CGI with proprietary -wvhttp-01- path
  • Default RTSP port: 554
  • Default credentials: root / (camera-specific) or admin / admin (varies by model)
  • ONVIF support: Yes (VB-H and VB-M series)
  • Video codecs: H.264, H.265 (VB-H47, VB-H761 series), MJPEG

RTSP URL Patterns

Canon cameras use profile-based streaming with channel and profile identifiers in the URL path.

Current Models (VB-H / VB-M / VB-S / VB-R Series)

Stream RTSP URL Notes
Channel-based rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Channel 1, H.264
Profile stream rtsp://IP:554//stream/profile1=r Profile 1, read mode (note double slash)
Profile (short) rtsp://IP:554/profile1=r Profile 1, shorter variant
Unicast profile rtsp://IP/profile1=u Unicast mode, no port

Profile-based streaming

Canon cameras use profile identifiers with access modes: profile1=r for read (multicast-capable) and profile1=u for unicast (direct connection). Use =r for general access and =u when connecting directly without multicast.

Model-Specific URLs

Model RTSP URL Type Notes
VB-H41 rtsp://IP:554//stream/profile1=r Fixed box Profile with double slash
VB-H43 / VB-H45 rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Fixed box Channel-based
VB-H47 rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Fixed box H.265 capable
VB-H610D / VB-H610VE rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Fixed dome Current
VB-H730F rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Fixed dome Fisheye
VB-H751LE rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Fixed bullet Outdoor
VB-H761LVE rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Fixed bullet H.265 capable
VB-M40 rtsp://IP/profile1=u Compact PTZ Unicast, no port specified
VB-M42 / VB-M44 rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Compact PTZ Channel-based
VB-M600D rtsp://IP/profile1=r Compact dome Read mode
VB-M620D / VB-M640V rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Compact dome Current
VB-M741LE rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Compact PTZ Outdoor
VB-S30D / VB-S31D rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Compact Indoor
VB-S800D / VB-S900F rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 Compact Indoor
VB-R11 / VB-R11VE rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 PTZ dome Current
VB-R12VE rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 PTZ dome Outdoor

Legacy Models (VB-C Series -- HTTP Only)

Legacy VB-C cameras do not support RTSP. They use Canon's proprietary -wvhttp-01- HTTP URLs:

Model HTTP URL Type Notes
VB-C300 http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetLiveImage PTZ dome HTTP only
VB-C10 http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetLiveImage Compact HTTP only
VB-C50i http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetLiveImage PTZ dome HTTP only
VB-610 http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/video.cgi Fixed HTTP only

Connecting with VisioForge SDK

Use your Canon camera's RTSP URL with any of the three SDK approaches shown in the Quick Start Guide:

// Canon VB-H series camera, channel 1
var uri = new Uri("rtsp://192.168.1.70:554/cam1/h264");
var username = "root";
var password = "YourPassword";

For profile-based access on older VB models, use rtsp://IP:554/profile1=r or rtsp://IP/profile1=u depending on the model.

Snapshot and MJPEG URLs

Canon uses a distinctive -wvhttp-01- path prefix for all HTTP-based image and video access:

Type URL Pattern Notes
Live Image http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetLiveImage Current snapshot
MJPEG Stream http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/video.cgi Continuous MJPEG
Snapshot (sized) http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetOneShot?image_size=WIDTHxHEIGHT Custom resolution
Snapshot (continuous) http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetOneShot?image_size=WIDTHxHEIGHT&frame_count=0 Continuous capture

Canon -wvhttp-01- prefix

The -wvhttp-01- path prefix is unique to Canon network cameras. All HTTP-based image and video URLs use this prefix. This distinctive path can help identify Canon cameras on a network.

Troubleshooting

RTSP must be enabled in the web interface

Canon cameras may not have RTSP enabled by default. Access the camera's web interface and navigate to the streaming settings to enable RTSP. Without this, the camera will only respond to HTTP requests.

Legacy VB-C series are HTTP only

The VB-C series (VB-C300, VB-C10, VB-C50i) and VB-610 do not support RTSP at all. Use Canon's -wvhttp-01- HTTP URLs for video access from these models:

  • http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetLiveImage for snapshots
  • http://IP/-wvhttp-01-/video.cgi for MJPEG streaming

Profile read vs unicast modes

Canon profile URLs use two access modes:

  • profile1=r -- Read mode: Allows multicast distribution, suitable for multiple viewers
  • profile1=u -- Unicast mode: Direct connection, one viewer per stream

If multicast is not configured on your network, use profile1=u for a direct unicast connection.

Double slash in some URLs

Some Canon models (notably VB-H41) require a double forward slash before the stream path:

  • VB-H41: rtsp://IP:554//stream/profile1=r (double slash)
  • Most others: rtsp://IP:554/cam1/h264 (single slash)

Default credentials vary

Canon cameras do not have a universal default credential:

  • Current models: Often root with a password set during initial setup
  • Older models: May use admin / admin or root / camera
  • Check the camera label or setup guide for model-specific defaults

FAQ

What is the default RTSP URL for Canon cameras?

For current Canon VB-H and VB-M series cameras, use rtsp://root:password@CAMERA_IP:554/cam1/h264. For older models, try rtsp://CAMERA_IP:554/profile1=r or rtsp://CAMERA_IP/profile1=u.

Do Canon cameras support H.265?

Select Canon models support H.265, including the VB-H47 and VB-H761 series. Most other VB-series cameras use H.264. Legacy VB-C models support only MJPEG over HTTP.

What is the -wvhttp-01- path in Canon URLs?

The -wvhttp-01- prefix is Canon's proprietary HTTP path used for all web-based image and video access on their network cameras. It is used for snapshots (GetOneShot, GetLiveImage), MJPEG streaming (video.cgi), and camera control. This path is unique to Canon cameras.

Can I connect to legacy Canon VB-C cameras?

Legacy VB-C cameras (VB-C300, VB-C10, VB-C50i) are HTTP-only and do not support RTSP. You can access their video using the HTTP URL http://CAMERA_IP/-wvhttp-01-/GetLiveImage for snapshots or http://CAMERA_IP/-wvhttp-01-/video.cgi for MJPEG streaming.