Sony A7iii main camera

mmuir

I just purchased an ASIAir Pro. How do I get it to recognize my Sony A7iii as the main camera? It gives me the options of ASI120MM Mini, which is my guide scope, or None.

PMTeam@ZWO

You need a USB cable. If you want a long exposure, you also need a shutter cable.

mmuir

Thanks for the quick response. I've tried connecting from the camera's USB 3.1 Type-C and its USB Micro B Multi ports into the ASIAir Pro's USB 2 and USB 3 ports. The camera goes into USB Mass Storage mode and the ASIAir app recognizes the camera as an external storage device. I have turned camera on first and then started the ASIAir; turned ASIAir on first and then turned on camera.

I will want a long exposure. Where does the shutter cable go to/from?

mmuir

I plugged a shutter release cable from the ASIAir's Shutter Release Port into the USB Micro Port on the A7iii. This is the same cable and same port I normally use for my intervalometer. Turned the camera on. Turned the ASIAir on. It still thinks the camera is an external storage device.

mmuir

I turned off the Control w Smartphone option on the A7iii menu, which allows me to change the USB Connection option. I have tried the Auto and PC Remote options with both the USB 2 and 3 ports on the ASIAir but the camera just says Connecting... The app still only recognizes the guide camera.

mmuir

I have the release cable plugged into the Micro B multi port and I am using the USB 3.2 port to connect to the ASIAir.

mmuir

Btw, the wire I am using to connect the camera to the ASIAir is the same one I use to connect the camera to my laptop, so I don't think that is the issue.

PMTeam@ZWO

Hi, mmuir.
Connect the DSLR camera to ASIAIR Pro through the camera data cable. Before
connecting in the app, select the following camera settings before launching the app:
Camera Mode: M
Shutter Mode: Bulb
Image Format: RAW (RAW + JPEG not available)
Image Quality: L (maximum size)
In addition turn off any any power saving mode or long exposure noise reduction. If
using a DSLR camera with mirror lock functions you should also turn these functions off.

mmuir

I've done all that. Any other suggestions?

mmuir

I can do a remote connect to my laptop using Sony's Imaging Edge software, so it doesn't seem to be a problem with any of the settings on the camera. The ASIAir Pro app just doesn't recognize the camera. Any further suggestions?

PMTeam@ZWO

Confirm with developers that AAP does not support Sony series cameras：（

mmuir

Bummer. The ZWO Facebook page says it is supported. Are there plans to support Sony cameras any time soon?

mmuir

As a workaround, I was using the guide scope as the main camera in order to polar align and then switching it to the guide scope to do the auto guiding. With the new firmware release, I can not use the guide scope to polar align any more. Was this an intentional change in the software? Any suggestions on how to use the guide scope to polar align with the new firmware? Also, are there plans to support Sony cameras any time soon?

PMTeam@ZWO

mmuir With the new firmware release, I can not use the guide scope to polar align any more. Was this an intentional change in the software? Any suggestions on how to use the guide scope to polar align with the new firmware?

0.4-33 degrees for the first generation and 0.2-33 degrees for the Pro. You can judge by the tools that calculate FOV on your device.
http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/

PMTeam@ZWO

mmuir Also, are there plans to support Sony cameras any time soon?

The date is still being set.

jditria

Just another Sony camera (A7, A9) owner hoping for ASIAir Pro support in the not too distant future...! Its strange to me with all the Sony sensors used in your CMOS units that the Sony DSLR's and mirrorless cameras not supported (yet)...anyhow in the meantime I will continue using your great ASIAir Pro and ASI120MM mini & ASI2600MC products... 🙂

sdcinvan

I'm finding it rather frustrating that ZWO doesn't appear to publish their hardware compatibility chart in one location that is easy for them to update.

The ZWO compatibility charts appear embedded in a larger image that seems like it could be more difficult to update. Like here:
https://astronomy-imaging-camera.com/product/asiair-plus/ - This chart is different from what I've seen others show in YouTube videos.

But I can confirm that my Sony a7R II seems to work with my ASIair Plus when I did a simple connectivity test. I can't seem to get a live preview to work and capture updates are both noisy and slow. I think I need to get into a full training video to learn how to use the ASIair because it's not as intuitive as I would have thought. Also the app seems rather sluggish with my Lenovo Tab M8 HD 8” (Android 11) which I purchased specifically for use with my ASIair Plus. Did I make a good purchase?