Using Sony cameras with qDSLRdashboard – A report

qDslrDashbord error reports
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hensil
Posts: 14
Joined: 26 Feb 2018, 04:35

Using Sony cameras with qDSLRdashboard – A report

Post by hensil »

I am basically a Nikon user and have D5, D4, D800e, D500 and D200 that I have used successfully with qDSLRdashboard on Android phones. The TP Link 3040 works flawlessly with D5, D4 and D800e. The D500 works wirelessly without any problems.
The reason for writing this report is to help other photographers understand the limitation working with Sony cameras and qDSLRdashboard.
I have Sony a6000 that I use with qDSLRdashboard without any issues. As you may be knowing Sony cameras only connect via wifi with the qDSLRdashboard. The only problems I have is, sometimes in certain situation the wifi signal may get lost and the qDSLRdashboard will disconnect. You can reconnect, the qDSLRdashboard will continue from the last setting.
My friend owns Sony a9 and a7 and after introducing him to qDSLRdashboard I have helped him successfully work with qDSLRdashboard on these two cameras.
A couple of weeks ago I got Sony a9 and a7S2 and three lens from Sony Middle East on loan to take with me on a photo tour. Unfortunately, I had never used Sony a7S2 before this and hardly had enough time to fully understand the camera menu. I used the a9 for shooting stills and the a7S2 to shoot timelapse and videos. I struggled quite a bit to use the auto focus in video mode and when ever possible I stuck to manual focus. By the way, the menu system of a7s2 and a9 is very different with a9 much better.
On my two weeks tour I shot a lot of timelapse on a7s2 using eMotimo and iFootage slider. Half of these timelapse sequence were shot with qDSLRdashboard. I had no issues connecting both the cameras with qDSLRdashboard on wifi. But I learned about a big problem only after returning from the tour. For some reason whenever I used the qDSLRdashboard with a7s2 the camera only shot in JPG even though in the settings it was showing RAW+JPG. When the qDSLRdashboard was not used and the timelapse was controlled by eMotimo or an external intervalometer (Vello) the camera shot in RAW. This problem was only with a7s2 and not with a9.
As I mention earlier, my friend has a9 and a7 (first version) and he does not face this problem of only shooting in JPG. Other than this I had no other problem working with qDSLRdashboard and Sony cameras.
Henry
hubaiz
Site Admin
Posts: 2001
Joined: 27 Jan 2015, 18:58

Re: Using Sony cameras with qDSLRdashboard – A report

Post by hubaiz »

After you start the 'Smart remote control' camera application and connect with qDslrDashboard to it, you can press the 'Menu' button on your camera and enter in the 'Smart remote control' application settings. There you can change the capture quality to RAW+JPG.
Unfortunately this is the only way and it is by the 'Smart remote control' design.
hensil
Posts: 14
Joined: 26 Feb 2018, 04:35

Re: Using Sony cameras with qDSLRdashboard – A report

Post by hensil »

Thanks hubaiz.
Yes I remember now reading somewhere abut this, i.e changing the file capture in the Smart Remote.
Henry
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