Sony DSLR Support for ASIair Pro

peter491

I just bought an ASIAIR PRO and wanted to use it with my Sony a7iii and now I find it won't connect because you don't support it. Please explain why? Your advertising states, "allows you to control all ASI USB 3.0 cameras, ASI Mini series cameras, and Mainstream DSLR cameras". If it doesn't support Sony, this is false and misleading. Or are you asserting Sony is not mainstream? In your ZWO cameras, you use Sony components, so please explain to us all why you have excluded Sony? I think it's time you make good, because you can't sell products using false advertising. Maybe Sony should stop supplying you components until you make good.

wvreeven

peter491 Support for DSLR cameras is complicated since most manufacturers do not open their software for third party developers. If one camera of a vendor, say Sony, is supported then it doesn’t automatically mean that ALL cameras of that vendor are supported since the software on a camera usually is very different from the software of other cameras, even of the same vendor and even from previous versions of cameras of the same line!

All DSLR camera support is done by GPhoto and ZWO adopts that in ASIAir. So, if GPhoto supports the Sony a7iii then ASIAir may too. In other words, try and find out if your camera is supported by GPhoto and let ZWO know. That way you actually help improving this great product.

ZWO state “most of the mainstream DSLRs” and apparently your camera doesn’t fulfill that criterium. There is no false advertising there. Just a misunderstanding on your side.

In the mean time you may want to point your wrath at Sony for not opening up their software instead.

Swizerlan

peter491 You have got to be kidding me. Did you look at the list of supported dslr’s? Peter for the sake of cringe think before you post.

Swizerlan

wvreeven all we really need is control over the dslr intervalometer port. You could plate solve and autoguide through the guide cam.

peter491

I have been in touch with Sony and ZWO. Sony have produced the SDK and made it available in 2020. Sam (the Director) of ZWO said they will try to see if they can make it work for the ASIAir range, so a win-win for Sony and ZWO consumer. I have since ordered ZWO cameras and will use my Sony as a second camera once Sam has made it available. Thank you Sam!

dagerber

I would really appreciate Sony Mirrorless camera support for my portable setup.

Manos

I am buying an asiar pro and i hope that soon Sony mirrorless cameras will be supported,

Lain402

Manos
Hope springs eternal

- Alexander Pope

grimstod

Here is a hack slash work around for getting non supported cameras to work. This is with an Olympus Camera. https://youtu.be/4Cyexn86PEo

mferrocosta

I also expect support for Sony Cameras, Sony Alfa 7sii. I am tired of workarounds. Things that are suposed to work but don't. I will buy when we have support. Celestron Skysync and Skyq do not work. APT seems an alpha software concept. I just want something easy with livestacking without having to buy redundant stuff

duardito

I just bought asiair plus, I expect to see someday support for Sony a73.

agent-orange

Any update on this?

peter491

Swizerlan As it happens, v2.1 now includes Sony because of me contacting the directors of both Sony and ZWO.

abaylus

Swizerlan This seems so simple - I can use my external intervalometer to perform this and it cost under 10% of the ASIAIR+ did. There is no reason that they can not activate the DSLR port to control cameras using the universal format. Give some of the functionality back to the end users. Use the guide camera for plate solving.

It is almost just as easy to run my Polemaster (not ASIAIR supported) and PHD 2 on my laptop then only getting half of the features on the ASIAIR.

atan

I own the Benro Polaris and it uses GPhoto library to connect cameras including the Sony A7iii.

Swizerlan

abaylus yea im not sure why this continues to receive silence. We just need one change to the camera connection screen that says intervalometer only. Then we should be able to ask that plate solving be done at the guide camera. It would then be up to the user to manually focus the dslr in live view and to manually store data on the dslr. Simple concept!

Lain402

Swizerlan
Think about this: if all DSLR could be used with the ASIAIR how many people would buy their dedicated astro-camera ? The less the ASIAIR support third party cameras the more potential buyers maybe purchasing a ZWO camera. I doubt they will change this business model anytime soon.

agent-orange

Lain402 But most people will anyway buy a dedicated Astro camera sooner or later, if they were using a DSLR in the past. I started with DSLRs, later I bought my first astro-cam and now I even have a 2nd astro cam from ZWO. The capabilities of a dedicated astro cam are so huge compared to a DSLR. But it would be still cool, when I could use my old astro-modded Sony A7R sometimes cause I will 100% not by a FF ZWO cam.

Tbh It's contra productive not to add support for Sony and other astro-cams. A competitor could see this as a business opportunity to release a product with support for Sony, Nikon, Canon, Sigma etc. and also for other Astro-Cam manufacturers. If ZWO would add the supports for more products, it will be difficult for a competitor to steal customers from ZWO. Why should someone switch to a different product, when the Asiair has already such a great product compatibility. This it could only be achieved with "next-level features" and developing such features is much more difficult than just extending the product compatibility

gdiegoli

hello, are there any updates on the compatibility between asiair and sony cameras?

Swizerlan

Still silence on this topic? Zwo why wont you acknowledge the need of the community?

w7ay

Unlike open sourced systems such as INDIGO, that are there to make the hobby more fun, ASIAIR exists for the sole purpose to help ZWO make more money. Not to help the hobbyist community.

As long as they can make more money by not supporting a third party device, they will pick that choice. They think they can force people too use their devices.

They will not admit it in public -- that is why they stay silent.

It is a matter of time when a friendly (and one that actually works properly) open sourced project becomes available.

Chen

Sam@ZWO

w7ay Chen, This is not true. we tried to support SONY's camera but the user experience is not good . some issues such like long delay when change exposure time. many customer will complain if we release such a version and say that we support SONY.
we will keep testing and we will announce support once no such big issues