Sony cameras combined with the VIEW Intervalometer makes it easy to achieve advanced timelapse sequences.

Full list of compatible and supported Sony Cameras:

• Sony Alpha-A6000

• Sony Alpha-A6300

• Sony Alpha-A6400

• Sony Alpha-A6500

• Sony Alpha-A7

• Sony Alpha-A7 II

• Sony Alpha-A7 III

Setting up with Sony Cameras

There are two groups of Sony cameras, the 1st and 2nd generation ones and the new 3rd generation cameras (A7rIII, A9, A7III). The 3rd generation cameras allow the RAW images to be kept on the camera allowing much faster performance via USB.

You can always reference the documentation but we wanted to include the additional information to show how the setup to get the VIEW to work with Sony.

1st and 2nd generation Sony Alphas:

This includes the A6000, A6300, A6500, A7, A7r, A7s, A7rII, A7sII, A7II.

1st and 2nd generation Sony cameras can work well, but there are several things that the VIEW currently does not enforce but must be set in the camera for it to work.

Here is how to setup up on your camera:

1. USB Mode set to ‘PC Remote’

2. RAW files (not JPEG or RAW+JPEG)

3. Manual mode, in a native ISO (not the ISO numbers with a line over them, nor auto ISO)

4. Focus set to manual (the back button still works for autofocus, but this prevents it from trying to focus on every shot)

5. Make sure long exposure noise reduction is disabled

On the VIEW in the time-lapse setup menu, the Destination must be set to SD card. Insert an SD card into the VIEW for this option to appear. This is required because a limitation in the Sony firmware prevents it from being able to save to the camera’s card while it’s connected via USB.

The Sony A7RII needs longer intervals due to the large file size if using USB. 14 seconds should be good – shorter might be possible. Other Sony cameras seem to do ok at 6-8 seconds for a minimum interval. With the Wifi interface, this is not an issue.

Here is an example captured by the a camera in one of these generations:

Demo

1st & 2nd Gen Customer showcase

3rd generation Sony Alphas:

This includes the Sony A7rIII, A9 and A7III. On these cameras, USB is the recommended connection method over wifi.

It is possible to save the RAW images to the camera to improve interval times. These cameras now also support focus ramping with the VIEW as well. 

Setup the following on the camera:

1. RAW + smallest JPEG possible

2. USB Mode set to 'PC Remote’

3. In PC Remote Settings, set Still Img Save Dest to 'PC+Camera’, and set RAW+J PC Save Img to 'JPEG’

4. Manual mode, in a native ISO (not the ISO numbers with a line over them, nor auto ISO)

5. Focus set to manual (the back button still works for autofocus, but this prevents it from trying to focus on every shot)

6. Make sure long exposure noise reduction is disabled

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Connecting 3rd generation Sony Alpha over Wifi

The best interface for Sony is wifi since it doesn’t have the limitations imposed on the USB interface.

To connect the camera via wifi:

1. On the camera, open the “Smart Remote Control” app (must be updated to the latest version to work!).

2. The camera will display the wifi information. Press the “delete” button on the camera to display the password.

3. Connect the VIEW’s wifi (Settings->Wireless Setup->Connect to Network) to the camera’s, using the password shown on the camera screen.

4. The VIEW should show that the camera is connected within a few seconds, and the camera will enable liveview again.

5. IMPORTANT: press the menu button on the camera and make sure it’s set to RAW+JPEG (small). The setting here does not follow what the camera was previously set to, and RAW only is not an option, but RAW+JPEG (small) works.

NOTE: When using the wifi interface, the time-lapse Destination setting must be set to “Camera”. Afterward, you can get the XMPs via the Time-lapse Clips menu.

At present, a limitation with Sony wifi is that since the wifi interface on the VIEW is used for the camera, it’s not possible to use the remote app. It might be possible in the future firmware release to have two wifi interfaces to work around this. 

Some Sony cameras allow charging while in use via the USB port. If this is enabled, the VIEW’s battery will drain rather quickly, so external power to the VIEW is recommended. The VIEW cannot supply enough power to the camera to charge the battery during operation, but it will greatly extend the battery life. So if you have a full battery in the camera and have a USB power source connected to the VIEW (like a cell phone charging pack), the whole setup should last at least 12 hours before the camera’s battery slowly drains.

Examples with the 3rd gen Sony

Other Supported Cameras

Select manufactures to learn more