Just got the trial, a few questions

[cardboardboxprocessor]

My images do not seem to be downloading form the camera. and is there a way to use the lenses autofocus to focus manually from the program? 

[tcab]

Lens focus in not available in BackyardNIKON.

 

I too am evaluating BackyardNIKON and am disappointed that there is no focussing support.

 

ImagesPlus 6.5 can focus Nikon lenses - so it is possible.  Any chance you can look at this again and try harder? ;-)  it would mean the difference between me sitting comfortably inside my house all night vs. going outside periodically braving the bugs and mozzies to refocus.

[admin]

I too am evaluating BackyardNIKON and am disappointed that there is no focussing support.

 

ImagesPlus 6.5 can focus Nikon lenses - so it is possible.  Any chance you can look at this again and try harder? ;-)  it would mean the difference between me sitting comfortably inside my house all night vs. going outside periodically braving the bugs and mozzies to refocus.

 

This was just implemented, it will be in the next release 2.0.3 sometime in April.  Just like Canon's lens, Nikon's also require that you set the focus switch to AF to drive the lens motor focus drive... which needs to be switched back MF.

 

Regards.

[tcab]

Great news re the upcoming focusing feature.  I'm happy to beta test, if that is helpful.

 

I am a little confused about the AF/MF switching you refer to, and am not familiar with Canon systems.  I don't have access to the backyard eos manual  where this is presumably documented, as I downloaded the backyard nikon demo only.  Is it possible for me to somehow get the backyard eos manual or presumably a beta of the new backyard nikon manual so that I can learn about this?

 

As I sit comfortably inside the house, using backyard nikon and the camera is outside connected to another laptop (am using remote desktop) I hope I don't have to continually run outside and flick physical switches on the camera - once for focussing, then run inside and use the backyard nikon software to nudge focus, and then again have to run outside to flick mode to allow for the actual taking of the pictures.  

[admin]

You will have to run outside sadly.  The lens motor can ONLY be driven when the physical switch on the camera body and lens is set to AF (auto focus).  The lens CAN NOT be driven otherwise.  This is a physical limitation, not much can be done here sadly.  

[s3igell]

TCAB:  You need to remember that the Limiting Factor in any DSLR Imaging is the Camera and Lens Hardware itself.  Neither Canon nor Nikon designed their Cameras with Dual Control Paths - BYE/BYN and other Software is required to work within the Controls that the Camera provides.

Software can't take an Exposure without Lifting the Mirror and Triggering the Shutter (so Lens Caps for Darks). And Software can't Focus without Switching the Lens ON.

[s3igell]

TCAB:  Perhaps you can avoid the Running Around by using the Display of the Laptop sitting near the Mount to View and Control your Focusing Effort - most Remote Control for Windows still Displays the full BYE/BYN UI on the "Host Computer" even when under Remote Control.  THen, once Focused, return Indoors for the rest of your Imaging Session.

[tcab]

You will have to run outside sadly.  The lens motor can ONLY be driven when the physical switch on the camera body and lens is set to AF (auto focus).  The lens CAN NOT be driven otherwise.  This is a physical limitation, not much can be done here sadly.  

Fine, so why not leave the camera body in autofocus mode, which will allow both:

• focus to be adjusted via software and
• the software to trigger taking pictures

With the camera body in autofocus mode, by simply setting the Nikon custom settings menu "a2" to "release" not "focus" - the camera will take a photo regardless of whether it is in focus or not, and will not attempt to autofocus.

 

This is how another camera control imaging app I have works, and I can definitely leave the camera body switch on "autofocus" mode for the whole night of both focusing and taking pictures.  Just tried it again now, successfully with a D750 body and both an old Nikon f1.4 D lens and a new 70-200 f4 G lens.

[admin]

Sounds like you solved it, pretty cool

[s3igell]

Fine, so why not leave the camera body in autofocus mode, which will allow both:

• focus to be adjusted via software and
• the software to trigger taking pictures

With the camera body in autofocus mode, by simply setting the Nikon custom settings menu "a2" to "release" not "focus" - the camera will take a photo regardless of whether it is in focus or not, and will not attempt to autofocus.

 

This is how another camera control imaging app I have works, and I can definitely leave the camera body switch on "autofocus" mode for the whole night of both focusing and taking pictures.  Just tried it again now, successfully with a D750 body and both an old Nikon f1.4 D lens and a new 70-200 f4 G lens.

 

This Result Post would be a good example of the Contents that could be Accumulated in the Stickies that I proposed in Pinned Threads for In-Camera Settings per DLSR Model.

[admin]

What camera model do you have?

[cardboardboxprocessor]

I have a D810. Lens I was wanting to focus was a Tamron 24-70 F/2.8 VC. 

 

I am highly interested in this product for dithering purposes. 

[admin]

Lens focus in not available in BackyardNIKON.

 

The D810 is supported and should work.  I have several users using it and I had one on consignment from Nikon for testing a few years back.

 

Try running with admin rights and see if images are downloading.

 

Keep us posted,

[cardboardboxprocessor]

Okay. it also appears to change my settings and the live veiw on the computer seems not as high of resolution as zoomed in on the back of the camera on live view is there a away negate this?  

 

also, is there a way to use mirror and electronic shutter? like set a 2 min bulb exposure then a 1 second mirror lock up shutter fire and just loop that? 

 

also, i understand I can dither. does backyard nikon automatically connect to PHD2 or... how do I make them communicate? 

[astroman133]

The LiveView image is displayed as it is downloaded by the camera. I do not believe that you can change this.

 

BackyardNikon does not support independent mirror lockup. This feature is not well-supported by the Nikon SDK, so BYN does not support this for any model. This is shown in the Supported Cameras table on this web site.

 

The BackyardNikon User Guide, which is installed with the BYN software has a section that describes how to dither with PHD. You can launch the User Guide from the '?' button at the upper right of the BYN main window, from the Windows Start Menu, or by double-clicking on the PDF file after browsing to the BYN installation folder. There is also a post in the How-to's Support Forum (https://www.otelescope.com/index.php?/topic/4-how-to-setup-byebyn-and-phd-for-dithering/#entry627) that provides the same information.