Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

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GreenSugar
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:03 am
Location: California

Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by GreenSugar »

Further to this topic, I'm dealing with some frustration having to switch USB plugs to download images after shooting a stack, actually, a lot of frustration - https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... ight=a7rii

Has anyone attempted to wire up a male 15 pin USB to provide both image transfer and shutter control from StackShot? I am thinking of giving it a shot using the normal USB 5 pins A1-5 for data transfer, and pins 4 and 2 for shutter control. I'd be grateful for any advice.
PaulF209

jfiresto
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:54 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by jfiresto »

Is this the connector you are asking about? Are you seeking advice for constructing a combined remote-shutter / USB 2.0 data transfer cable?

I have made such cables for Olympus's similar but somewhat tighter, 12-pin multiconnector.

What do you need to know?
– John

GreenSugar
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:03 am
Location: California

Post by GreenSugar »

Hi John

You nailed it, yes, that is exactly the connector I am referring to, from the same supplier. I am looking for advice on building it, and am curious if it will perform correctly without damage to the camera. I dont expect any, and intend on adding a separate switch to prevent stackshot from sending the 3 volt shutter pulse during data transfer, if I were to trigger by accident.
PaulF209

jfiresto
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:54 am
Location: Northern Germany

Post by jfiresto »

Hi Paul,

I have zero experience abusing Sony cameras, but from what little I have read, like Olympus, they expect the remote control to ground the FOCUS and SHUTTER inputs to focus the camera and take a picture. You can configure Olympus µ4/3rds cameras so that they power up and pretend to be disk drives, when you plug them into a computer's USB port. While they are pretending, they ignore the remote shutter inputs.

The cameras watch the USB VBUS (+5 power) signal to detect when you plug them in and unplug them. Inserting a toggle switch that interrupts and reconnects that wire between the computer and camera will do the trick – plus a resistor and capacitor, if you wish, that may make the switch more reliable and long lived. (The added parts will not hurt.)

With that I can leave everything hooked up. I can take pictures, flip the switch to "plug in" the camera, copy the image files on the computer, dismount the camera from the "desktop", flip back the switch to "unplug" the camera, turn on the camera again, and take more pictures.

Is something like that that you have in mind?
– John

GreenSugar
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:03 am
Location: California

Post by GreenSugar »

John

That is precisely what I had in mind! My thought was to put the switch on the shutter trigger terminal, but your suggestion of using the 5 VDC Bus pin makes much more sense.

Grateful for your advice! Thanks
PaulF209

jfiresto
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:54 am
Location: Northern Germany

Post by jfiresto »

You are welcome.

Here is an old version of an Olympus remote shutter, tethering box, before I flipped everything upside down and made a peek inside less interesting:

Image

At the far left is a salvaged and potted Olympus 12-pin multi-connector that plugs into the camera. At the right is a red and silver toggle switch that connects and disconnects the computer, as described above. Near the switch is a yellow LED that warns when connected. Off to the right are plugs to the camera (grey) and the computer (gold and black with USB logo).
– John

pierre
Posts: 288
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2010 12:37 pm
Location: France, Var, Toulon

Re: Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by pierre »

Hello,

I drive a Sony A6300 with a laptop and drive the Stackshot the same, both via USB.
The trick used is to use both at the same time Sony Remote for Setting the camera / liveview / Shot / direct picture transfert after shot (don't need any SD card in the A6300) and Zerene Stacker 's Stackshot tool to drive the Stackshot unit.

In order to take a picture, you will have to parameter ZS Stackshot's tool external trigger command "robot" is used to move the mouse and "clic" on the Sony remote shot button.

Parameters used:

robot: MM 1850 970 MP 16 MR 16 KP 10 KR 10
Obviously, the 1850,970 is the location of the shot's icon on Sony remote and depends of your screen's configuration.

See details of the commands used there https://zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker/d ... shot/robot

It work fine for me since years.

ZS has to be set as "administrator"

I hope it will help.
screenshot
screenshot
Regards

Pierre

GreenSugar
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:03 am
Location: California

Re: Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by GreenSugar »

Finally had the time to get back to this, and greatly appreciate all the comments. Very helpful, but not exactly the solution I was looking for. After more research, and hacking into the StackShot shutter (only) cable, came up with this simple solution. The switch on 5 VDC+ works exactly as Jfiresto describes. The 15 pin multiport connector is available at reasonable cost from Studio1productions.com.
Attachments
Stackshot Cable Diagram.jpg
PaulF209

Steve S
Posts: 84
Joined: Fri May 10, 2013 1:52 pm
Location: Southern Arizona, USA

Re: Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by Steve S »

When I was setting up an A7RM4 for use with the Stackshot tethered I was concerned about having to get into one of these clever hacks, but I had the universal IR release available with the Stackshot, and it works fine, not the cheapest way but certainly the laziest.

GreenSugar
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2017 11:03 am
Location: California

Re: Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by GreenSugar »

Steve S. Necessity is the mother of all invention. Laziness is the favorite Aunt. Well done!!!
PaulF209

jfiresto
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2018 4:54 am
Location: Northern Germany

Re: Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by jfiresto »

Thanks for the followup. I am happy that the suggestion to switch the USB VBUS connection did the trick. Sometimes the simplest solutions work out the best – and a simple switch, mechanical or electronic, is hard to beat.
– John

hkv
Posts: 535
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 3:58 pm
Location: Sweden

Re: Sony A7Rii USB Tethering

Post by hkv »

Not sure if still of interest, but there are ready-made cables to buy that split the Sony USB into a USB to the computer and a 3.5 mm connector for the trigger button. I have used such cable for a couple of years and tethering using Capture One and triggering with a simple trigger button connected to the 3.5 mm connector. Should work for the Stackshot as well I assume.

Here is the link to the cable:

https://www.mobilexcopter.com/mobile/sh ... ry=3342130
https://www.instagram.com/micromundusphotography
https://www.flickr.com/photos/micromundus
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0UdYN ... YH_litDZjA
Olympus BX51 | Olympus CX23 | Olympus SZ4045 | Carl Zeiss Jena Sedival | Swift FM-31 | Zeiss EVO LS 10

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