Viable Option For D70/d80 Users.

[RobWest]

I'd love to be able to use this program with my rig. So much so that I even considered buying an EOS body. I almost drool when I think about the options Backyard offers. But, (here it comes) for me there are three major drawbacks. First, my D80 doesn't have Live View. Second, the OS on all of my computers is Win7 Pro. Third, I realize that the offered Dsub cables are hand made, but they are more expensive than I am prepared to pay for a cable used in a hobby. (Why are the Nikon ones so much more expensive than the Canon ones?)

 

The option pictured is the route I'm going for now. they are all over ebay and mine came with a very thick and detailed instruction book, (in correct English, no less!). So for less than $12 and a 9 day wait I can be stacking as soon as the weather finally clears.

 

I know this post will probably ruffle some feathers, but not everyone's circumstances are ideal.

[s3igell]

That appears to be a rather standard OEM version Intervalometer.  It can manage a basic Imaging Session to the standpoint of a correct number of Exposures of a single specified Duration and even insert a specified Delay before and between Exposures.

But an Intervalometer cannot integrate with PHD to perform Dithering, nor manage the File Naming Processes nor even download the File to the PC so that it can be reviewed in Real-time on the PC in order to confirm various qualities - Exposure, Tracking, Focus, etc.

That is a lot of Functionality that you miss out on...  Is it enough to justify the cost of the DSUSB ??

[RobWest]

The Dsub only triggers the exposures, correct? Why can't I still send the exposures to this, (or any similar program) via usb for dithering, naming and viewing as you mentioned? But that still wouldn't sort out the Vista Mode issue either.

[s3igell]

The SDK's don't really allow for BYE/BYN to simply Download an Image - an Image that wasn't requested via the SDK.

As the Intervalometer would be triggering the Bulb Exposures, BYE/BYN wouldn't even know when an Exposure had been taken nor what internal Camera Filename had been assigned.

 

BYE/BYN also wouldn't know when the Intervalometer had completed an Exposure, in order to perform the Dither Operation (which must be performed in real-time between Exposures), nor be able to advise the Intervalometer that the Dither Operation had been completed (Dither Operations are terminated when Guiding reaches a certain threshold rather than at a specific time interval).

[s3igell]

But that still wouldn't sort out the Vista Mode issue either.

Assuming that you are referencing the requirement to run BYN in Vista Compatibility Mode, this is a result of the older-style Drivers and SDK components which Nikon chooses not to Update for the older Nikon DSLR Models.  Canon DSLRs of the same Era are consigned to similar Support restrictions - including the Oldest 20D/20Da/30D and 350D/400D not being supported in any 64-bit version of Windows, nor in Win7 or Win8 32-bit without invoking Compatibility Mode settings.

 

This is just a consequence of the Limited Economics of Supporting Older Models of most anything...