21 replies to this topic

[speedster]

Doug Henderson has written ASCOM for many Sony's cameras.  With his driver, you can control Sony from NINA, APT, etc.  Works like a charm.

 

 

https://retro.kiwi/ 

https://github.com/d...onyCameraDriver

 

[gregbradley]

Thanks for the tip.

 

Greg

[danny1976]

I used to have Sony when doing bird photography. I sold everything 2 years ago and bought astro gear. Thanks for the info.

[Messierthanwhat]

I was somewhat surprised to see the SLT-A58 on the list of supported cameras. It was released in February 2013, and thus predates several of the NEX models, but none of those currently appear on the list. Has anyone here (or elsewhere, if anyone knows) tested to see whether any of the NEX models can work with this driver?

 

Edit: I've kind of partially answered my own question with my own testing. Once the driver is installed, the "finished" window offers a link to open an html document saying, "The driver should work with any Sony camera that connects to the Sony Imaging Edge Remote application in USB mode." At that point, I remembered seeing that statement previously, and determining that my NEX-5T probably would not be supported.

 

Having installed the driver, however, I went ahead to confirm that by connecting the camera, in MTP mode, to my Windows 10 laptop via USB cord. At few seconds later, a Windows message appeared, indicating that my NEX-5T "is ready to go," so I started NINA. The Sony driver now shows up on the drop-down on the camera page, but when I clicked to "settings" button, the dialog for recognized Sony cameras opened and showed that no Sony camera was recognized. So no-go with the NEX-5T confirmed, at least in NINA. The setup dialog window has a tab to select the application with which you wish to use the camera, and setting that to NINA, did not change the outcome.

 

Having noted that Sharpcap was on the list of applications, I then started Sharpcap 4.1, and repeated the exercise. Same result.

Edited by Messierthanwhat, 08 December 2023 - 12:26 PM.

[dougforpres]

Hi, I am the author of the Sony ASCOM driver. If your model is on the list of supported cameras then someone has been able to get it working and send me the info the driver needs.

Feel free to reach out to me at <retrodotkiwi [at] gmail [dot] com>.

 

As an aside, the ASCOM side of things has always been a problem with various apps, and recently I have been working on a native NINA module to support the Sony cameras.  If anyone is interested in trying it out please throw me a message at the above address.

 

Currently the NINA driver supports all of the normal imaging functions, like setting exposure and gain (with gain being displayed as a list of actual ISO values vs the ASCOM "list of numbers".

 

Additionally, the NINA version supports the camera's live-view function (if the camera supports it).

 

Note that because of the way NINA works, it save the raw ARW file instead of a FITS file. Hopefully this means folks will stop asking why the FITS images from the ASCOM version are somehow wrong (but we can never figure out just why)

 

Doug

 

PS: I rarely get the time to visit cloudynights, so please direct any questions/help-requests to the address above.

[dougforpres]

You don't want MTP mode - that mode doesn't allow for the camera to be controlled, only for files to be retrieved (like plain USB-disk mode).

On most Sony cameras it's called "PC Remote" mode.

...I went ahead to confirm that by connecting the camera, in MTP mode, to my Windows 10 laptop via USB cord.

[Messierthanwhat]

You don't want MTP mode - that mode doesn't allow for the camera to be controlled, only for files to be retrieved (like plain USB-disk mode).

On most Sony cameras it's called "PC Remote" mode.

Thank you, Doug. I obviously misunderstood. The list of supported cameras has "MTP" in the "Driver" column next to all of the cameras. What DOES that mean?

 

On the NEX-5T, however, the only choices on the "USB mode" menu are "Auto," "Mass Storage" and "MTP." To have the camera appear in as a removable drive in the Windows File Explorer, "Mass Storage" is selected. There is no "PC Remote" mode in its USB mode settings (or it's hidden somewhere else; the Sony menus are voluminous, to put it euphemistically). I also did eventually   follow the procedure in the installation instructions, running the SonyCameraInfo.exe application in both Mass Storage and MTP modes and no camera was detected in either mode.

 

One page of the operators' manual seems to be saying that there was a method for modifying the camera (firmware?) to allow for some remote operation. That page directs the user to a web page for further information about "Play Memories Remote," but the web page is no longer active. 

[Borodog]

Thanks for this; I see the Sony a6000 is supported. Been looking for this for a long, long, long time.

[Borodog]

Hi. I downloaded and installed the driver (seems like it was an update to a previous Sony driver I had tried), but  the frame data is corrupted.

 

 

Edit: After a little more experimentation it seems like the data is only corrupted when it hits the screen in SharpCap; the ARW files seem ok. Bringing the files through RawTherapee, they look good. And even in SharpCap there is only a problem in saturated regions. 

Edited by Borodog, 15 December 2023 - 05:39 PM.

[dougforpres]

The list of supported cameras has "MTP" in the "Driver" column next to all of the cameras. What DOES that mean?

The Microsoft driver is called the "MTP" driver - MTP is an extension to PTP, which is what the camera uses (or a Sony variant).

The column for "Driver" was added when I was trying to support Sony's switch to "libusbk" for their newer cameras, but I was never able to detect a camera (made harder by the fact I didn't have one ). "MTP" in this case was meant to indicate "Uses Windows MTP driver".

I'm just going to remove that column for now.

 

I added a small blurb on the wiki explaining the different settings on the camera w.r.t USB connection protocol

https://github.com/d...ection-protocol

[dougforpres]

... it seems like the data is only corrupted when it hits the screen in SharpCap; the ARW files seem ok.

Glad to hear that the ARW is all good. It's the raw bytes sent through from the camera, so I'd hope so!

The data sent to sharpcap is the ARW file after it's been decoded by the "libraw" library. Typically those images are darker as libraw does zero processing to the data, unlike apps like photoshop that use the meta-data to adjust the image. (ASCOM doesn't have a mechanism to pass any of that data through - though APT does allow you to specify custom gamma values which makes the image look much better)

I suspect that SharpCap, along with most other tools, does a super-quick stretch on the data for your preview window.

 

I note most of the nastiness is around vertical edges... almost like a compression artifact due to the high contrast.

 

If anyone is an expert in the libraw library, or the "dcraw" tool that it makes available, I'd be interested to chat with you about my choices for the decoding parameters.

 

Doug

[martor2000]

Glad to hear that the ARW is all good. It's the raw bytes sent through from the camera, so I'd hope so!

The data sent to sharpcap is the ARW file after it's been decoded by the "libraw" library. Typically those images are darker as libraw does zero processing to the data, unlike apps like photoshop that use the meta-data to adjust the image. (ASCOM doesn't have a mechanism to pass any of that data through - though APT does allow you to specify custom gamma values which makes the image look much better)

I suspect that SharpCap, along with most other tools, does a super-quick stretch on the data for your preview window.

 

I note most of the nastiness is around vertical edges... almost like a compression artifact due to the high contrast.

 

If anyone is an expert in the libraw library, or the "dcraw" tool that it makes available, I'd be interested to chat with you about my choices for the decoding parameters.

 

Doug

Hi All. Did anyone find a solution to this? I have the same issue - RAW files downloaded from the camera via the Sony ASCOM driver (v1.0.1.18) are fine, but the images in Live View and any saved captures in SharpCap or NINA show a lot of these weird stripe artefacts, almost like the file is corrupted. I have tested with a Sony a5000 and a6400 and they both have the same issues.

[calypsob]

One thing I will suggest here is that you make a 100% sure that that your Sony camera is not set up to be charged with a USB cable. If you have this setting, turned on and try to image using a driver, it will do all kinds of weird stuff. On my A7r3 I just flat out cannot image unless I deactivate the charge over USB option. It’s gotten me a couple times because if I am driving down the road and want to keep my battery at 100%. I will plug it in while I’m driving. Then I have to remember to turn it back off.

[tocster]

Any chance we might see support for the A7r5?  Doesnt seem to work.

[xeperwhat]

Images don't look at all similar in NINA to what I see on my camera's display, especially the live-view. The images in NINA are always orders of magnitude darker.

Live view runs exceptionally slow and is never bright.

 

A7R IV here.

[bashbrook]

My Sony A7s has worked for a year with a driver I found on the internet with no issues.

I thought I would try my A9 and that never worked.

So I tried downloading the Sony Camera Plugin for DougH in NINA, no luck.

Tried his troubleshooting and created a log file to send.

I sent it off this afternoon, curious to see if he can find the problem.

 

I tried SharpCap and got an error message as well.

[Recorte]

Any chance we might see support for the A7r5?  Doesnt seem to work.

It's in the list of supported cameras

https://github.com/d...pported-Cameras

[paolos]

Hi all!

I'm trying to control my Sony Alpha 7s with the Ascon driver, but with no success.

• I've followed Installation instructions in "wiky" , and I see that Ascom App correctly finds the Sony Camera.
• As soon as I open SharpCup and I connect the camera, it starts alone to shoot, with a self timer, and changing the Shutter time to one second, even if I choose a shorter time...

Has anyone already tried the Sont Alpha7s?

Thank you!

[Tapio]

I see that Sony SDC RX-10 Mk IV is supported.

Is it possible that Mk III could also be?

[reasonablekeith]

Hi everyone,

 

I was stoked to see that drivers had been written for the Sony SLR/Ts, but unfortunately haven't been able to get it to work. I'm frustratingly close. Let me caveat by saying I'm entirely new this, and was trying to get this to work before I bought a skywatcher as a Christmas present.
 
Basically. I have a Sony A58 (on the compatibility list) I've installed the drivers and the ASCOM environment. Along with N.I.N.A. I can select the camera in nina, I can see its serial number in the the drop down, and it pulls all the sensor stats back. It's obviously found it to some extent.
 
However, if I hop over to imaging in nina and take a 1sec exposure, I never get a picture back. Nina does take control of the camera, I can see it scrolling through the exposure settings, hear the shutting open and close for the correct amount of time, but it always then just hangs as if it's still taking the picture. Then after 60 seconds I get this...

 

 

Not sure I've uploaded that right, but it basically says - Camera Timeout - Camera did not set image as ready after exposure time + 60 seconds.

 

And really that's as far as I get.

 

I've tried this on two different computers and get the same result. I've also tried it with APT and get the same thing, finds the camera, can't get the picture.

 

I've tried different cables too, but I don't think this is the issue because I can use the sony Imaging edge remote controller, that does take pictures and I get them in the remote on my laptop.

 

I've sort of run out of things to fiddle with now!

 

 

 

So I read that given this camera is in the list, someone has got this working at some point. Any help as to what might be going wrong would be appreciated!

 

 

NB

I did upgrade the camera to 1.0.1 firmware. I am running the camera set to PC Remote.

I also did the thing with changing the driver to the MTP windows driver. I don't know if I needed to do that, but it get the same error before and after on both laptops

 

Here are some logs. Thanks!

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------N.I.N.A. - Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy--------------
--------------------------Version 3.1.2.9001--------------------------
-------------------------2024-12-11T18:17:51--------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------Microsoft Windows 10.0.22631---------------------
-------------------------OS Architecture X64--------------------------
-----------------------Process Architecture X64-----------------------
------------------------------.NET 8.0.8------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------Processor Count 8---------------------------
--------------------Total Physical Memory 15.69 GB--------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DATE|LEVEL|SOURCE|MEMBER|LINE|MESSAGE
2024-12-11T18:17:51.8288|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|69|Found 0 ASI Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:51.9870|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|84|Found 0 Altair Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:52.3628|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|96|Found 0 Atik Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:52.3634|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|110|Found 0 FLI Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:53.3814|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|130|Found 0 QHYCCD Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:53.4239|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|158|Found 0 ToupTek Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:53.4284|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|173|Found 0 Ogma Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:53.4338|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|188|Found 0 Omegon Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:53.4716|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|203|Found 0 RisingCam Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:53.4777|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|218|Found 0 MallinCam Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:53.4793|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|244|Found 0 SBIG Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:54.5780|INFO|ApplicationVM.cs|CheckDiskInfo|100|Available Space on Drive C:\: 65.78 GB
2024-12-11T18:17:54.5783|INFO|ApplicationVM.cs|CheckDiskInfo|100|Available Space on Drive D:\: 66.28 GB
2024-12-11T18:17:54.5791|INFO|ApplicationVM.cs|CheckASCOMPlatformVersion|81|ASCOM Platform 7.0.2.4675 installed
2024-12-11T18:17:54.5807|INFO|ApplicationVM.cs|CheckDiskInfo|100|Available Space on Drive U:\: 218.19 GB
2024-12-11T18:17:54.8993|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|264|Found 0 SVBony Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:54.9063|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|264|Found 0 PlayerOne Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:54.9140|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|264|Found 0 ASTPAN Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:54.9152|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|278|Found 5 ASCOM Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9108|INFO|SwitchChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|71|Found 0 Alpaca Switch Hubs
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9108|INFO|DomeChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|67|Found 0 Alpaca Domes
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9108|INFO|WeatherDataChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|69|Found 0 Alpaca Observing Conditions
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9108|INFO|SafetyMonitorChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|71|Found 0 Alpaca Safety Monitors
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9110|INFO|RotatorChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|68|Found 0 Alpaca Rotators
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9110|INFO|FilterWheelChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|193|Found 0 Alpaca Filter Wheels
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9110|INFO|FlatDeviceChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|67|Found 0 Alpaca Cover Calibrators
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9126|INFO|TelescopeChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|69|Found 0 Alpaca Telescopes
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9138|INFO|FocuserChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|67|Found 0 Alpaca Focusers
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9200|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|290|Found 0 Alpaca Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:56.9231|INFO|CameraChooserVM.cs|GetEquipment|303|Found 0 Canon Cameras
2024-12-11T18:17:58.9331|INFO|CameraVM.cs|Disconnect|645|Disconnected Camera
2024-12-11T18:17:59.4347|INFO|AscomCamera.cs|Gain|316|ASCOM - Driver does not implement Gain SET
2024-12-11T18:17:59.4793|INFO|AscomCamera.cs|Gain|298|ASCOM - Driver does not implement Gain GET
2024-12-11T18:17:59.5309|INFO|AscomDevice.cs|GetProperty|379|Property Camera.CCDTemperature GET is not implemented in this driver (Sony Mirrorless Camera (ASCOM))
2024-12-11T18:17:59.5351|INFO|AscomDevice.cs|GetProperty|379|Property Camera.ElectronsPerADU GET is not implemented in this driver (Sony Mirrorless Camera (ASCOM))
2024-12-11T18:17:59.6261|INFO|CameraVM.cs|ChooseCamera|448|Successfully connected Camera. Id: ASCOM.SonyMirrorless.Camera Name: Sony Mirrorless Camera (ASCOM) DisplayName: Sony Mirrorless Camera (ASCOM)Driver Version: 6.4.0.42
2024-12-11T18:18:06.3573|INFO|DockManagerVM.cs|InitializeAvalonDockLayout|356|Initializing imaging tab layout from C:\Users\reaso\AppData\Local\NINA\Profiles\f6f8d65c-796c-45bc-a8b4-7a9fb9cb4af2.dock.config
2024-12-11T18:18:09.1542|INFO|CameraVM.cs|Capture|737|Starting Exposure - Exposure Time: 0.1s; Filter: ; Gain: -1; Offset -1; Binning: 1x1;
2024-12-11T18:19:18.0036|ERROR|CameraVM.cs|Capture|767
NINA.Equipment.Exceptions.CameraDownloadFailedException: Camera Timeout - Camera did not set image as ready after exposuretime + 60 seconds - Exposure details: Exposure time: 0.1, Type: SNAPSHOT, Gain: -1, Filter:
2024-12-11T18:19:18.0044|ERROR|ImagingVM.cs|CaptureImage|254|Camera Timeout - Camera did not set image as ready after exposuretime + 60 seconds - Exposure details: Exposure time: 0.1, Type: SNAPSHOT, Gain: -1, Filter:
2024-12-11T18:19:18.0056|ERROR|AnchorableSnapshotVM.cs|SnapImage|414
NINA.Equipment.Exceptions.CameraDownloadFailedException: Camera Timeout - Camera did not set image as ready after exposuretime + 60 seconds - Exposure details: Exposure time: 0.1, Type: SNAPSHOT, Gain: -1, Filter:
   at NINA.WPF.Base.ViewModel.Equipment.Camera.CameraVM.Capture(CaptureSequence sequence, CancellationToken token, IProgress`1 progress) in C:\Projects\nina\NINA.WPF.Base\ViewModel\Equipment\Camera\CameraVM.cs:line 769
   at NINA.ViewModel.ImagingVM.<>c__DisplayClass38_0.<<CaptureImage>b__0>d.MoveNext() in C:\Projects\nina\NINA\ViewModel\ImagingVM.cs:line 224
--- End of stack trace from previous location ---
   at NINA.ViewModel.Imaging.AnchorableSnapshotVM.SnapImage(IProgress`1 progress) in C:\Projects\nina\NINA\ViewModel\Imaging\AnchorableSnapshotVM.cs:line 384
2024-12-11T18:19:33.2045|INFO|AscomDevice.cs|Disconnect|299|Disconnecting from ASCOM.SonyMirrorless.Camera Sony Mirrorless Camera (ASCOM)
2024-12-11T18:19:33.3376|INFO|CameraVM.cs|Disconnect|645|Disconnected Camera
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5089|INFO|ApplicationVM.cs|Closing|288|Application shutting down
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5288|INFO|DomeVM.cs|Disconnect|336|Disconnected Dome Device
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5309|INFO|FlatDeviceVM.cs|Disconnect|279|Disconnected Flat Device
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5367|INFO|CameraVM.cs|Disconnect|645|Disconnected Camera
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5409|INFO|TelescopeVM.cs|Disconnect|763|Disconnected mount
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5421|INFO|FilterWheelVM.cs|Disconnect|324|Disconnected Filter Wheel
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5436|INFO|FocuserVM.cs|Disconnect|426|Disconnected Focuser
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5456|INFO|RotatorVM.cs|Disconnect|438|Disconnected Rotator
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5470|INFO|SwitchVM.cs|Disconnect|298|Disconnected Switch
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5484|INFO|WeatherDataVM.cs|Disconnect|292|Disconnected Weather Device
2024-12-11T18:19:34.5495|INFO|SafetyMonitorVM.cs|Disconnect|208|Disconnected Safety Monitor

Edited by reasonablekeith, 15 December 2024 - 05:00 AM.

[reasonablekeith]

Doug just got back to me, turns out I'm an idiot, and it was just the JPEG quality setting not including the RAW file that was the issue. Thanks Doug.

[Anomaly_11]

Hello, does anyone know a way of how to adjust the pixel size? When I connect a7cII, NINA shows pixel size as 5.95, when it should be 5.12 for this camera. Changing pixel size in options of NINA does not help, as it seems driver always overrides whatever I try to overwrite there.