Nikon D780 issues

[AntonioMCitati]

Unfortunately my trial period is ending tomorrow, and I could get no answer, workable suggestions or information on the bugs I found while using my Nikon  D780.

 
I could partially test the software with a borrowed D7100 and with a relative D90 and everything seems to be working as advertised with these models.

I would definitely buy the product if only I could find a way to use it with my camera.
As it is, I will have to stick to Camera Control Pro for some more time.

I hope to see soon a mail with information on the problems been solved (Liveview not working, memory fault, lens focusing not available) and to get an extension of the testing period whenever I can start to use my D780.

Regards

Antonio

[astroman133]

You created a new post rather than adding to your original post. I assume that you have found no camera settings that resolve your reported issues with LiveView.

The Nikon SDK is not as good as the Canon SDK as hiding the differences between models for independent developers like the BYN authors. On the other hand it is not practical for a small shop to purchase and physically test every model of camera that the SDK supports. 

You are just the 2nd user who has reported trying to use BYN with the D780, since last September. Both of you have reported issues with LiveView. I would suggest letting your Trial expire and check back periodically to see if the developers have added D780 support in a future release (the D780 is still not in the Supported Cameras list). Once it is supported you should ask for a second Trial license.

[admin]

At this point I need a physical camera to solve the live view issue.  It looks like Nikon has changed the live image offset address withing the live view frame data array.  They do this now and then and unless I have a physical camera to test it is very difficult to fix this blindly.

ummm.... try planetary and save the images a JPG, not avi.  send me one of those JPG image.  Maybe I can peek at the raw data and see if I can find the offset that way.  

If you need a second trial I can help you with that

 

[AntonioMCitati]

I will try planetary as you suggested and send you the data. I would need you to extend my trial license a few days, cause it expired last night.
Pity you are on the other side of the ocean, I would otherwise be happy to let you test with my D780, I suppose remote connection not easy, but in case let me know if it may help, I have visual studio installed.

Antonio

 
 

[admin]

 

I just archived your trial key.  Go ahead and add it again to your cart and proceed to checkout for a second 30-day trial.

 

Regards,

[AntonioMCitati]

Done. Unfortunately when going planetary liveview does not work and the record button is not accessible, thus cannot take the images.
Would jpeg shot manually trough in-camera liveview help? Files are too big to attach here in L size resolution and FINE quality, in case you need these I would need an email address to send them to. File attached here is max I could do, just in case it could help.

[admin]

Please send me a jpg at support [-at-] otelescope [-dot-] com.

EDIT: a regular jpeg from a still image will not work, it has to be a live view generated jpg image.

 

[astroman133]

Antonio,

You should understand that the exposure of LiveView frames are only a few milliseconds. They will appear dark, except for bright objects such as the very brightest stars, the bright planets, and the moon. So it could be that your LiveView is working, but there are no objects in the field that are bright enough to be visible.

You can use the exposure and the ISO to brighten the frame in the camera. I would suggest the highest ISO and a 2 second exposure setting. Still you need a very bright object to see anything but noise. 

[AntonioMCitati]

LiveView is definitely not working. I am not testing in the night with a telescope, but at home in daytime. Image I sent is dark because I did not bother to take the lens cap off, since i did not think it would make any difference on the data you would be looking for and also a all dark image would probably be better compressed.

The image I attached is taken via LiveView on camera.

I will send you the full resolution and fine JPG image taken from liveview on camera  via email.

Antonio

 

[astroman133]

Guylain asked for a JPG taken during a Planetary capture. The image that you provided has a name of DSC_0196.thumb.jpg. The type of image that Guylain asked for would have a name that starts with Planetary... Something like this: Planetary_1600iso_960x640_20210218-01h44m45s_000001.jpg.

Rather than send images taken with the lens cap on it may be more useful to send screenshots of what you are seeing when you say "Unfortunately when going planetary liveview does not work and the record button is not accessible". 

Use of the word "accessible" is a bit vague. Is the button missing? disabled? hidden?

Also when you talk about sending a JPG, it would be helpful to know how you captured it. Did this come from a Planetary capture? a Frame & Focus Snap capture?

If LiveView is not working, how would you get a JPG image to send?

We are not looking over your shoulder and only know what you say. The more precise your description the better we understand what is happening.

Thanks!

[AntonioMCitati]

As I said in my earlier messge the image was taken from liveview of camera, because I cannot use planetary imaging in BYN, as the record button is I would say disabled: I can see it there but cannot press it.

Attached screenshot of planetary window.

Sending you several screenshots and some frames I took in camera with liveview via email, cannot send here because 500kb limit.

Note that using my friend D7100 all works well... including focusing of lens which is disabled on D780.

[admin]

okay, back to square 1.  I really need a D780 on hand to figure this one out

[AntonioMCitati]

I know well how difficult it is to do it remotely.
I am writing software to point a telescope floating under a stratospheric balloon, different set of problems, but not easy to think about all it could (and soone or late it will!!) happen at 30,000 meters over your head... or in a camera you never had in your hand on the other side of the world..

In any case I would be ready to cooperate in any case it may lead us to a solution... other than exchange my D780 with a D750... LOL!!

[astroman133]

Thank you! The screenshot shows what you are seeing.

However, I do not understand what you mean by "...some frames I took in camera with liveview". Can you please explain? Perhaps it has to do with a difference with your model of camera, but with my T5i I cannot capture LiveView frames solely with the camera.

[AntonioMCitati]

On Nikon cameras while in liveview on camera you can take photos or video, depending what kind of button you press.
Photos will be then be saved on memory card , I am under impression that it would be saved exactly the same as a photo taken trough the optical viewfinder and be of no use to understand what iis going on, but never dabbled into looking at the files for differences.

D7100 does actually SHOOT a picture, interrupting liveview and using the shutter, while D780 has an option (I guess inherited from mirrorless nikons) which is "silent" with no liveview interruption and no use of the shutter.

I get no liveview on BYN in both settings of silent liveview and normal liveview,

Photo I sent via email was shot via silent liveview, I guessed it would be more similar to what BYN would do.

 

Antonio

 

[astroman133]

Antonio,

Thanks for the clarification. I now understand that you are shooting a still JPG image while LiveView is active. I believe that this is not what Guylain was requesting. 

When BYN is in Planetary mode, it downloads individual LiveView frames onto the PC's hard drive. Then once all the required frames have been downloaded BYN assembles them into an AVI file. It may then keep or delete the individual JPG files, at your option. It is one of these Planetary LiveView frames that Guylain was asking you to provide. However, it appears that you are unable to do this if the Record button is always grayed out.

I think that it is up to Guylain to understand what is causing the LiveView button to be disabled. You might also review the camera's settings to see if any settings jump out at you that may affect LiveView operation. For example, try different values for LiveView AutoFocus to see if they make a difference.

[admin]

Correct, this is not what I need.  

I was hoping (and now it is clear that I was rather dreaming) that the live view was working and that live view images were downloaded but just not displayed and this would have meant that those jpg images would at least be downloaded and have one of those live view generated jpg would give me a clue as to where the actual image offset is inside the image data array (the jpg). 

I just looked at the price of a D780... a bit too steep to buy one at my end .  I already have over 20 DSLRs, I don't think I can convince my wife I need another DSLR, lol.

[s3igell]

Guylain:  Could you gin-up a special debug version that loaded more LiveView Startup Debug Info into a Log File??  (Next best thing to being there??)

[AntonioMCitati]

5 hours ago, admin said:

Correct, this is not what I need.  

I was hoping (and now it is clear that I was rather dreaming) that the live view was working and that live view images were downloaded but just not displayed and this would have meant that those jpg images would at least be downloaded and have one of those live view generated jpg would give me a clue as to where the actual image offset is inside the image data array (the jpg). 

I just looked at the price of a D780... a bit too steep to buy one at my end .  I already have over 20 DSLRs, I don't think I can convince my wife I need another DSLR, lol.

I feel your difficulties on the wife side....

[AntonioMCitati]

2 hours ago, s3igell said:

Guylain:  Could you gin-up a special debug version that loaded more LiveView Startup Debug Info into a Log File??  (Next best thing to being there??)

Let me know if any kind of remote connection to my PC and camera here may help....

[AntonioMCitati]

7 hours ago, astroman133 said:

Antonio,

Thanks for the clarification. I now understand that you are shooting a still JPG image while LiveView is active. I believe that this is not what Guylain was requesting. 

When BYN is in Planetary mode, it downloads individual LiveView frames onto the PC's hard drive. Then once all the required frames have been downloaded BYN assembles them into an AVI file. It may then keep or delete the individual JPG files, at your option. It is one of these Planetary LiveView frames that Guylain was asking you to provide. However, it appears that you are unable to do this if the Record button is always grayed out.

I think that it is up to Guylain to understand what is causing the LiveView button to be disabled. You might also review the camera's settings to see if any settings jump out at you that may affect LiveView operation. For example, try different values for LiveView AutoFocus to see if they make a difference.

I guessed that it would be different but gave it a shot. I believe the "silent" liveview imaging of the camera doing the same as BYN does and saving individual liveview frames (shutter is not used when doimng this) as opposed to "noisy" liveview where liveview is suspended, shutter is used to take the picture and then liveview is reactivated again.  But I guess that the way the file is saved on camera on on BYN would be different.
Tried all different combinations of focus mode and options and never succeeded to see liveview working.
Also always have the unhandled exception issue when double click the image in frame & focus mode and the absence of lens focusing keys whatever combination of focus I may choose.
I guess all related more or less to the same issues in different handling of the camera, which is in a way a DSLR beefed up with fuctions from nikon mirrorless cameras. 

[AntonioMCitati]

I guess you did not get my mail... maybe too large size of attachments?

Your message did not reach some or all of the intended recipients.

 

      Subject:     D780 issues

      Sent:  18-Feb-21 22:37

 

The following recipient(s) cannot be reached:

 

      'support@otelescope.com' on 18-Feb-21 22:41

            552 5.2.3 guidelines. b17sm6744665pfb.75 - gsmtp

[admin]

There is nothing that can be done remotely, I need a physical camera connected to my development environment

[mcannizzo]

Was this ever solved for the D780? I have the same issues and am running into the same live view issues. 

[admin]

13 hours ago, mcannizzo said:

Was this ever solved for the D780? I have the same issues and am running into the same live view issues. 

Can you start a new thread explaining your issue? This is a 4-year-old thread, and several versions have been released since, would be nice to have this documented specifically for your issue/scenario.

[astroman133]

There has been at least one other thread with the same issue. In that thread you said that without a D780 in hand for testing there could be no resolution.

Here is a link to that thread:

Just to refresh everyone's memory...the above occurred with the BYN version 3.5.0.RC7 X64 which was made available in pre-release earlier this year.