ASCOM Focuser

[onielg]

I just started using the trial version for Nikon everything else looks good except my focuser doesn't work, the controls are disabled. I read through the forum and have set the lens to Auto Focus, i tried manual too earlier. however when i click on the check button on the focuser, it just makes a beep sound. I am using Nikon D5100, could you please help me with this issue, i am really excited on using this software. 

[admin]

These controls are for an ascom compliant focuser.

[astroman133]

The ASCOM Focuser functionality is for focusing a telescope focuser with an ASCOM driver, not a camera lens.

The camera is designed to autofocus when shooting daylight terrestrial images, but is not able to reliably focus when aimed at a night sky. This is a camera limitation, not a BYN limitation.

Your best bet is to put the lens in MF mode and use the focus ring to adjust focus while looking at the LiveView stream. You can use the HFD or FWHM metrics to achieve critical focus. Then tape the lens down so it does not shift while imaging.

Oh, and since the D5100 does not support shooting BULB exposures via the USB connection, you will need a separate shutter control cable to open and close the shutter for BULB exposures. Look in the page footer and go to the Supported cameras page and follow the link to the Shoestring Astronomy site to learn about their shutter control cable that is compatible with BYN.

[onielg]

10 hours ago, admin said:

These controls are for an ascom compliant focuser.

Thank you Team. However I don't see the lens controls either that allows you to control the lens as shown on the video on the the page below. it will be really nice if I could control the lens using the software.

 

[onielg]

Thank you Rick for the information. This is really helpful. However, I will I not get any lens control from the BYN, I don't see the controls to focus the lens as was shown in the video. Focusing through the software will be very convenient rather then doing it manually. I also looked up the Shoestring Astronomy site, If I purchase the DSUSB adapter, will my BYN then support shooting BULB exposures. 

[admin]

This has been discussed in the past.

The ability to control the lens motor in BYN is dependent on both the lens and camera body. It's been more of a hit-and-miss with Nikon cameras, where not all cameras will pass along the command to the lens to activate its motor. Canon, on the other hand, will have a lot more camera/lens combinations that support this feature. As for Nikon, I was able to make it work with some of the most recent mirrorless cameras, but not the older DSLR models per se.

A Shoestring cable will not do anything for controlling the lens, that cable is only to achieve BULB with older models that can't do BULB over USB, that is the only thing a Shoestring cable will get you.

[onielg]

16 hours ago, admin said:

This has been discussed in the past.

The ability to control the lens motor in BYN is dependent on both the lens and camera body. It's been more of a hit-and-miss with Nikon cameras, where not all cameras will pass along the command to the lens to activate its motor. Canon, on the other hand, will have a lot more camera/lens combinations that support this feature. As for Nikon, I was able to make it work with some of the most recent mirrorless cameras, but not the older DSLR models per se.

A Shoestring cable will not do anything for controlling the lens, that cable is only to achieve BULB with older models that can't do BULB over USB, that is the only thing a Shoestring cable will get you.

Thank you for the inputs.

[astroman133]

I am using BYE 3.2.2 with a T5i and here is the behavior that I am seeing.

1) With the body cap in place and the camera plugged into the PC and powered on. When I connect BYE to the camera and switch to Frame & Focus, I do not see the lens control chevron buttons.

2) if I then disconnect BYE (but do not shut it down) and replace the body cap with an EF lens in AF mode and then connect BYE to the T5i and switch to F&F mode, I see the lens focus buttons and am able to adjust focus of the lens. When I replace the EF 18-135 mm IS lens with an EFS 55-250 mm lens I get the same behavior as long as BYE is disconnected from the camera when the switch is made.

Since BYE and BYN are built from the same code base, your issue could be coming from the Nikon SDK or the camera itself.

I hope this helps.