7 replies to this topic

[joofcorn]

This year I really want to automate my cameras for the eclipse, but all I have without buying or renting is Olympus and Panasonic micro 4/3 cameras. From what I can tell, this makes solar eclipse maestro my only option that supports them. However I don't have any Macs, let alone one over 10 years old. Is anyone or has anyone been able to get Mac Os and solar eclipse maestro running on Windows with a VM? Alternatively, does anyone know of a different way to automate Oly or Pany cameras?

[kdenny2]

I've never been able to get it working reliably. Best bet at this point seems to be to buy a used $200 macbook pro off ebay.

[gapperns]

I’m currently running it using Parallels 18.3.2 on a 2013 MacBookPro running OS X Big Sur (my other MacBookPro is a new M3 Apple Silicon Portable which for me, doesn’t seem to want to install/run OS X Mojave using Parallels). The Parallels VM is an installation of OS Mojave 10.14.6 which lets me run Solar Eclipse Maestro on it. Suffering through usb cable issues a bit, but trying to understand the various options available to me with my Nikon Z7. Haven’t found an great example of a script yet that lets me use the burst mode, which is what I’d to use to get around the approx. 1 image/sec image exposure rate that it seems to be limited to.

[rslobins]

I did some research and learned that Apple will N O T allow anyone to run any Apple operating system on any non-Apple-branded computer.    This includes running OS X on a virtual machine in Windows.

 

I want to know if anyone has been successful in operating a Nikon camera shutter through a USB to serial cable in Solar Eclipse Maestro.   The current release (1.9.1 from 2019) has windows that enable that cable interface with a camera, but unless one has the "pro" version, that feature is unavailable.

 

SEM is "donation-ware" and the pro version is paid, but there is no means to pay for that extra capability.   Has anyone used the pro version?

[Smitty14]

I too want to automate the eclipse and not being concerned with technology during totality.  I am a PC guy and didn't want to spend a lot of money for a new laptop.  So, I purchased a Macbook on ebay for $75.00.  I installed SEM and it works like a champ. 

 

Don't know if this helps.

 

Mark

[mdredmond]

This year I really want to automate my cameras for the eclipse, but all I have without buying or renting is Olympus and Panasonic micro 4/3 cameras. From what I can tell, this makes solar eclipse maestro my only option that supports them. However I don't have any Macs, let alone one over 10 years old. Is anyone or has anyone been able to get Mac Os and solar eclipse maestro running on Windows with a VM? Alternatively, does anyone know of a different way to automate Oly or Pany cameras?

I’m running SEM (Intel release) under VirtualBox on a Windows machine. That’s MacOS Mojave, btw.

It works well and seems reliable. The burst mode is slower than if I take the same burst using the shutter button so I may try to catch the diamond rings manually. That means I’ll probably miss Bailey’s Beads but that phenomenon doesn’t really do much for me anyway.

I might yet buy a MacBook to see if it performs any better in burst.

Edited by mdredmond, 15 March 2024 - 09:39 AM.

[mdredmond]

It’s very unclear to me whether the available versions of SEC support a Shoestring USB shutter release.  It sees it and I can select it, but the speeds suggest that SEC isn’t using it.  I get that Jubier is gearing up for the eclipse but would happily pay for what I want.

 

I got that MacBook and I’m working on it…

Edited by mdredmond, 16 March 2024 - 12:21 PM.

[mdredmond]

It’s very unclear to me whether the available versions of SEC support a Shoestring USB shutter release.  It sees it and I can select it, but the speeds suggest that SEC isn’t using it.  I get that Jubier is gearing up for the eclipse but would happily pay for what I want.

 

I got that MacBook and I’m working on it…

So an update.  NOT using the Shoestring DSUSB shutter release speeds things up considerably.  Like maybe  jump from 3 fps to 6-7.  I haven’t taken a burst long enough to fill the buffer yet.

 

I have tried various configurations (hub/no hub, ports on opposite side of MacBook that are probably on different controllers, etc.).  The one thing that speeds things up is eliminating the DSUSB.

Edited by mdredmond, 23 March 2024 - 03:30 PM.