EX1 camera control?

[Charles Young]

So it is very cold where I live here in Colorado at 8000 asl. Makes for some very clear skys for the 8" SCT telescope that I use with my Sony A-700 on a USB tether. I can control everything from my computer, telescope mount, focus, and camera exposure, shutter etc. I typically shoot in equatorial mount but I want to try putting the mount in altitude-azmuth mode and mount my EX1 opposite the scope. It would be great if I could control the EX1 exposure, frame rate, gain, frame accumulation, etc like the DSLR. Anybody think it could be done? Maybe through the USB/service port or something? I have the little remote for the EX1 but zoom will probably be the only function I would use since I will be recording through the SDI out to the computer.

[Alister Chapman]

Unfortunately there are no remote control options for the EX1 or EX1R beyond what can be done via the lens control port or IR remote.

[Charles Young]

That is to bad.

Alister, if you were to try to capture northern lights with an EX1, what settings would you start with?

I truly am bummed there is not some way to control the EX1, It seemed like a few years ago I used the service port to update the firmware on the camera. Has anyone fiddled with that particular port?

[Alister Chapman]

I did capture the Northern Lights with my EX1 and EX3 many times. I used interval record, 1 frame every second and the EX slow shutter at 16, 32 or 64 frames depending on the brightness of the display.

I've moved on now and use large sensor cameras which are much more sensitive for real-time Aurora and DSLR's for time-lapse. The PMW-F3 and F5 have enabled me to shoot the Aurora in real time without needing interval record.

I think only Sony have details of what data can be passed over the service port. I very much doubt it's worth the time and effort trying to reverse engineer the code, esp as this is now an end of line camera. From the PMW-200 on you have WiFi control.