Trying Byn Bet 02With D40X

[Ray2661]

For completeness I post the initial email below:

 

Hi Ray,
 
The D40x, D50, D70, and D3### are not supported because Nikon has no Software Development Kit for these models sadly
 
Please use the support forum <http://www.otelescope.com/index.php?/index>  for all application software issues.  This will make our conversation public and may help others in the future as well be creating a solid knowledge base... and other users with similar issues may also jump in to help.
 
Thank you for your cooperation.
 
Guylain Rochon
 
-----
BackyardEOS & BackyardNIKON
www.otelescope.com <http://www.otelescope.com/>
 

 

 
 
 
On Sat, Jan 24, 2015, at 02:00 PM, Ray Heinle wrote:

My main concern is that being "not supported" could mean tht BYN could suddenly expire while I was at a dark sky site since the version I have is a beta.  All I want to do here is use my Nikon to shoot on my Sky Tracker mount for wide field work and if I can get the photo composed and focused on the computer, I can always do the rest of the shooting manually using my IR remote.BYN does indeed work with my D40x  but the main issue I have been having is that the download times are very long  >30 seconds, such that frame and focus could not work.  BYN does not seem to be able to bin the pixels for F&F to work.  I am using Windows XP on an Asus netbook so that could contribute to the slowness.

Hi,

I downloaded backyard Nikon  beta 2 for my D40x.

 

 I am trying to make it work with little success.  I can get BYN to fire the shutter in regular imaging mode but it says to drag image here (in center of screen) but there is no image to drag.

 

In “Frame and Focus” mode the instructions say to “center the star.”  but no star appears to center.  I click the “frame and focus button and absolutely nothing happens.

 

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[Ray2661]

I have finally tried out the new release of BYN on my D40x using my XP laptop.  Most things  work OK but BYN does not seem to know when the download is complete so BYN merrily fires the camera again, even though only the first image has been displayed.  Once this happens no further images are displayed and BYN either locks up or crashes.

[admin]

Thanks Ray,

 

The BYN camera support grid is in the thread.

 

Regards,

[admin]

 

BYN does not seem to be able to bin the pixels for F&F to work.

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A DSLR is not like a CCD.  A DSLR is not capable to doing binning and/or download a cropped area...  it is all or nothing when downloading images

 

Regards,

[s3igell]

Ray,

Perhaps you didn't understand Guylain when he stated:

 

 

The D40x, D50, D70, and D3### are not supported because Nikon has no Software Development Kit for these models sadly

 These "Software Development Kits" (SDK) are pieces of Software written by Nikon and supplied to 3rd-party Developers such as Guylain.  The purpose of an SDK is to provide Functions which directly address the Camera Hardware through the Nikon Driver for that Camera, and cause some action to occur - some Setting to be Read or Changed / some Camera Action to occur / some Image Data to be returned.  These SDKs, as well as the Camera Drivers, are written by Nikon (not Guylain).  For several Models of Nikon DSLRs, Nikon has chosen for some reason to NOT make an SDK available - perhaps none was Written, or it Required a License which Nikon was unwilling to Extend to 3rd-Parties, or Nikon deemed it unnecessary to Develop / Support / Deliver an SDK due to their Marketing Strategy for a specific Model, or they did not wish to expend the Effort to Update an older SDK Project into the current supported OS Environments.

 

In any case, Guylain is advising that the D40x is amongst the short list of Nikon DSLR Models for which he was unable to secure a working SDK.

 

That BYN was able to operate the D40x at all is a bit surprising, but it must be because this Camera was recognized as a related Model for which an SDK was available.

 

That BYN was NOT able to produce a LiveView display for Frame&Focus is NOT SURPRISING - the D40x doesn't support LiveView (nor did the D40, nor its Canon "rival" 400D) so there is no Video Source for BYN to acquire.

 

Note: On DSLRs which do support LiveView, BYE/BYN acquires that Video Stream which the DSLR CPU has already processed and resized for original display on the DSLR's own back-side LCD.  Most such LCDs on modern DSLRs are approx 1024x768 in size, so that is the size streamed across the USB Cable by BYE/BYN for display within the PC App Window.  Many of these same DSLRs support a 5x and maybe also a 10x Zoom LiveView, and when available to the SDK then this is offered by BYE/BYN as well.

[admin]

It is possible that the D40x use the same SDK as the D40... in which case it will/may connect... but as indicated by S3igell the D40x does not have live view so you will be stuck taking still images in frame and focus.

 

Regards,

[admin]

I am trying to make it work with little success.  I can get BYN to fire the shutter in regular imaging mode but it says to drag image here (in center of screen) but there is no image to drag.

 

 

BYN is also an image viewer, the "drag image here" mean you can drag images from Windows and see them in BYN if you want.

 

 

In “Frame and Focus” mode the instructions say to “center the star.”  but no star appears to center.  I click the “frame and focus button and absolutely nothing happens.

 

 

Of course not.  The 40Dx does not have live view so it is absolutely normal that nothings happens in Frame & Focus.  You won's see anything unless you actually take a picture.

 

Regards,

[willcarney]

I have not tried my full spectrum D40x with BYN since it won't connect at all.  But I do have the Nikon program Camera Control Pro2.  It won't control over 30 seconds but anything up to that is just fine.  The trick to Camera Control Pro2 is use a 2.18.0 version but nothing too much newer.  If you update the CC2 program it drops support for the D40x.  I currently just use the IR remote for over 30 seconds and a stop watch for my D40x.  I had planned on buying a D5300 and getting it modified to full spectrum but I'm out of work right now so have to use my D40x.  The white balance is tricky to get with Nikon lenses.

[s3igell]

It seems like the D40x is rather persnickety about connectivity whether in PTP mode (CC2) or SDK (BYN).

That's too bad, because BYN adds a lot of Functionality beyond simply Looping Exposure Timer - LiveView Focusing, Framing, Dithering Control, etc.

 

It sounds like you could really benefit from a Wired Intervalometer (Neewer brand are great for the value) to automate those Bulb Exposure sessions.