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Time lapse App review for Sony A7R

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ninjapimp said:
jhinkey said:
Does one really need to use the Sony cable or can I just use a USB cable and figure out which wire does what? I assume that the Sony just needs the wire focus or shutter button to be shorted out to the ground to work - is that correct?

--
http://www.seanet.com/~hinkey/Signature6.jpg
Click to expand...
this was my next step - to cut open a cheapo micro usb cord and see if it can be done. $28 for a microusb pigtail is crazy.

my initial thought is the cheapo ones dont have shielding which is whats needed, w/o you can't ground it.

I'll report back what i find out, curious to see if i can make my nikon, phottix remote also work since its smaller and better buttons, not really liking the satechi dial my fat thumb seems to fail.

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnchandler/
Click to expand...


this is a real cheapo micro usb cord - i cut it open, it had shielding which i twisted and 4 wires.
this is a real cheapo micro usb cord - i cut it open, it had shielding which i twisted and 4 wires.

now i simply need to figure out which color goes to focus, and shutter the ground will be the shielding.

next i need to cut open the nikon remote and see which wires go to what, via trial and error i can quickly figure it out.

so reality there is no need to spend $28 to buy that fancy Sony cord, as any ol cheapo micro usb cord will suffice. just gotta match up the colors properly.

--
www.flickr.com

Alex Draco

Explore Alex Draco’s 3,716 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
ninjapimp said:
ninjapimp said:
jhinkey said:
Does one really need to use the Sony cable or can I just use a USB cable and figure out which wire does what? I assume that the Sony just needs the wire focus or shutter button to be shorted out to the ground to work - is that correct?

--
http://www.seanet.com/~hinkey/Signature6.jpg
Click to expand...
this was my next step - to cut open a cheapo micro usb cord and see if it can be done. $28 for a microusb pigtail is crazy.

my initial thought is the cheapo ones dont have shielding which is whats needed, w/o you can't ground it.

I'll report back what i find out, curious to see if i can make my nikon, phottix remote also work since its smaller and better buttons, not really liking the satechi dial my fat thumb seems to fail.

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnchandler/
Click to expand...
this is a real cheapo micro usb cord - i cut it open, it had shielding which i twisted and 4 wires.
this is a real cheapo micro usb cord - i cut it open, it had shielding which i twisted and 4 wires.

now i simply need to figure out which color goes to focus, and shutter the ground will be the shielding.

next i need to cut open the nikon remote and see which wires go to what, via trial and error i can quickly figure it out.

so reality there is no need to spend $28 to buy that fancy Sony cord, as any ol cheapo micro usb cord will suffice. just gotta match up the colors properly.
Click to expand...
While the Multi-terminal socket looks like a micro USB socket, it is not. There are actually some 10 pins in the socket. See the link in my post:

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

Good news for you is that you can buy a $9 aftermarket cable for what you want to do.


And save yourself $80 from this overpriced offer:

Loading…

www.gethypoxic.com
 
joe6pack said:
ninjapimp said:
ninjapimp said:
jhinkey said:
Does one really need to use the Sony cable or can I just use a USB cable and figure out which wire does what? I assume that the Sony just needs the wire focus or shutter button to be shorted out to the ground to work - is that correct?

--
http://www.seanet.com/~hinkey/Signature6.jpg
Click to expand...
this was my next step - to cut open a cheapo micro usb cord and see if it can be done. $28 for a microusb pigtail is crazy.

my initial thought is the cheapo ones dont have shielding which is whats needed, w/o you can't ground it.

I'll report back what i find out, curious to see if i can make my nikon, phottix remote also work since its smaller and better buttons, not really liking the satechi dial my fat thumb seems to fail.

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnchandler/
Click to expand...
this is a real cheapo micro usb cord - i cut it open, it had shielding which i twisted and 4 wires.
this is a real cheapo micro usb cord - i cut it open, it had shielding which i twisted and 4 wires.

now i simply need to figure out which color goes to focus, and shutter the ground will be the shielding.

next i need to cut open the nikon remote and see which wires go to what, via trial and error i can quickly figure it out.

so reality there is no need to spend $28 to buy that fancy Sony cord, as any ol cheapo micro usb cord will suffice. just gotta match up the colors properly.
Click to expand...
While the Multi-terminal socket looks like a micro USB socket, it is not. There are actually some 10 pins in the socket. See the link in my post:

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53327681

Good news for you is that you can buy a $9 aftermarket cable for what you want to do.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/53846008

And save yourself $80 from this overpriced offer:

http://www.gethypoxic.com/browse/st...age=flypage.tpl&product_id=150&category_id=13
Click to expand...
thats outrageous, $80 for a cord and that does not include the remote, i say thats insanity



notice the Sony cord on the bottom, slightly looks different than a regular cheapo USB cord.
notice the Sony cord on the bottom, slightly looks different than a regular cheapo USB cord.



here they are compared, the Sony is on top and you can see the internal pinning will be different.
here they are compared, the Sony is on top and you can see the internal pinning will be different.

at first you can't see it much but if you look very carefully it becomes apparent the Sony cord is not a plain ol vanilla usb cord like i was hoping it would be...either way i tried using it....



so i cut open a regular micro usb cord, than took my nikon phottix remote which uses a nikon d90 cord, cut it open and paired the wires one by one....nut no luck
so i cut open a regular micro usb cord, than took my nikon phottix remote which uses a nikon d90 cord, cut it open and paired the wires one by one....nut no luck

so after testing...using a plain ol' micro usb cord - it will NOT work. i tried every possible combination of wires and it simply would not work. I must conclude the pinning on the usb connector is special.

If I can find that type of Sony cord at a cheaper price than ya i can make it work but I refuse to pay another $28 just to have an extra trigger remote. the irony is those cords cost like $2 yet they mark them up so much.

--
www.flickr.com

Alex Draco

Explore Alex Draco’s 3,716 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
Hmmm . . but yet I can use a standard USB cord to charge the battery. They must have extra pins on the sides.

Looks like the Sony cord is in my future.

I will definitely be modifying my favorite wireless intervalometer to attach to the Sony cord:

Loading…

www.ebay.com

which just so happens to come in a version similar to the one you've been using (I like the receiver part on my fave version a bit better).

John
 
OK - I did a little sleuthing on the web and found out why the Sony connector is likely special and the standard USB works for charging, but not for anything else:

Loading…

www.flickr.com

and

Loading…

www.gethypoxic.com

These may not be the exact same connector, but I think it explains things.

Looks like a Sony cord purchase is necessary unless there is some generic one out there somewhere.

John
 
ninjapimp said:
If I can find that type of Sony cord at a cheaper price than ya i can make it work but I refuse to pay another $28 just to have an extra trigger remote. the irony is those cords cost like $2 yet they mark them up so much.
Click to expand...
It is only $8.69 from eBay. It would be nice to have a Multi-Terminal to 2.5mm for $5 or less but $8.69 is pretty reasonable when you can mod it to use with your own timer.
 
jhinkey said:
Hmmm . . but yet I can use a standard USB cord to charge the battery. They must have extra pins on the sides.

Looks like the Sony cord is in my future.

I will definitely be modifying my favorite wireless intervalometer to attach to the Sony cord:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yongnuo-MC-...=Camera_Camcorder_Remotes&hash=item3f2c9041bb

which just so happens to come in a version similar to the one you've been using (I like the receiver part on my fave version a bit better).

John
Click to expand...
 
joe6pack said:
ninjapimp said:
If I can find that type of Sony cord at a cheaper price than ya i can make it work but I refuse to pay another $28 just to have an extra trigger remote. the irony is those cords cost like $2 yet they mark them up so much.
Click to expand...
It is only $8.69 from eBay. It would be nice to have a Multi-Terminal to 2.5mm for $5 or less but $8.69 is pretty reasonable when you can mod it to use with your own timer.
Click to expand...
do ya have a link ya can share with us?

what keyword did you use to search for?

at least this way we can save ppl money. $28 for a usb pigtail is crazy, $9 seems reasonable considering its not a plain ol usb cord.
 
Micro USB Type B cable
Micro USB Type B cable

so from help of those who replied here....this is a picture of a Micro USB Type B cable, which explains why a regular micro usb will NOT work. This picture clearly shows the pinning thats required which is not possible when you use a plain ol' micro usb cord.

i went on ebay and searched for micro usb type b - but i got way too many hits of the wrong type of cord - meaning 5 pins

so i try search for - Sony multi terminal and nothing under $15 came up, so no luck either.

i'm trying to find a generic sony multi terminal cord, if anyone can find, post here so we can save money as its a mandatory requirement to hack a trigger remote with.

--
www.flickr.com

Alex Draco

Explore Alex Draco’s 3,716 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
ninjapimp said:
joe6pack said:
ninjapimp said:
If I can find that type of Sony cord at a cheaper price than ya i can make it work but I refuse to pay another $28 just to have an extra trigger remote. the irony is those cords cost like $2 yet they mark them up so much.
Click to expand...
It is only $8.69 from eBay. It would be nice to have a Multi-Terminal to 2.5mm for $5 or less but $8.69 is pretty reasonable when you can mod it to use with your own timer.
Click to expand...
do ya have a link ya can share with us?

what keyword did you use to search for?

at least this way we can save ppl money. $28 for a usb pigtail is crazy, $9 seems reasonable considering its not a plain ol usb cord.
Click to expand...
 
joe6pack said:
ninjapimp said:
joe6pack said:
ninjapimp said:
If I can find that type of Sony cord at a cheaper price than ya i can make it work but I refuse to pay another $28 just to have an extra trigger remote. the irony is those cords cost like $2 yet they mark them up so much.
Click to expand...
It is only $8.69 from eBay. It would be nice to have a Multi-Terminal to 2.5mm for $5 or less but $8.69 is pretty reasonable when you can mod it to use with your own timer.
Click to expand...
do ya have a link ya can share with us?

what keyword did you use to search for?

at least this way we can save ppl money. $28 for a usb pigtail is crazy, $9 seems reasonable considering its not a plain ol usb cord.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
ninjapimp said:
i have terrible luck ordering items from china, they take forever to arrive in my experience.

there was one from USA store shipping but costs $20, sigh.
Click to expand...
Well, have you heard of this small online store named after a South America river?

Loading…

www.amazon.com

They have the cable for $13.50 and 2-day shipping is free if you or someone you know sign up for their frequent shopper program. :)
 
I just want to clarify this.

So if you get the Satechi wireless intervalometer and that Sony multi terminal cable adapter they connect to the A7 (I have A7r) and it works?

Greg.
 
joe6pack said:
ninjapimp said:
i have terrible luck ordering items from china, they take forever to arrive in my experience.

there was one from USA store shipping but costs $20, sigh.
Click to expand...
Well, have you heard of this small online store named after a South America river?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K341CIW

They have the cable for $13.50 and 2-day shipping is free if you or someone you know sign up for their frequent shopper program. :)
Click to expand...
you da man! thanks, this will be exactly what we'll need and we wont have to wait weeks to get it.

awesome.
 
Astrophotographer 10 said:
I just want to clarify this.

So if you get the Satechi wireless intervalometer and that Sony multi terminal cable adapter they connect to the A7 (I have A7r) and it works?

Greg.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure it will. The A7/A7r/A3000/A5000(?)/A6000 uses the same multi-terminal cable.

Last I checked, there is no such thing as Sony multi-terminal cable adapter. You will have to build your own:

VMC-15MR2 + RCA-female-to-3.5mm-male + 3.5mm-male-to-2.5mm-male
 
joe6pack said:
Astrophotographer 10 said:
I just want to clarify this.

So if you get the Satechi wireless intervalometer and that Sony multi terminal cable adapter they connect to the A7 (I have A7r) and it works?

Greg.
Click to expand...
Pretty sure it will. The A7/A7r/A3000/A5000(?)/A6000 uses the same multi-terminal cable.

Last I checked, there is no such thing as Sony multi-terminal cable adapter. You will have to build your own:

VMC-15MR2 + RCA-female-to-3.5mm-male + 3.5mm-male-to-2.5mm-male
Click to expand...
wont it look real ugly? plus extra parts??

my method is remote + cord + camera

requires the Special Sony cord.

Loading…

www.amazon.com

VMC-15MR2 AV replacement cable - this solution will work, costs about $12 and can be arrive at your door in 2 days. if you can wait and want a cheaper one
VMC-15MR2 AV replacement cable - this solution will work, costs about $12 and can be arrive at your door in 2 days. if you can wait and want a cheaper one

This is the cheapest and quickest solution to the cord required. This cable has the proper 15pin usb connector - simply cut the cord, strip the wires and connect your wired/wireless cord to this one. No need for adapters or anything like that. Use shrink tube and you wont notice the difference, it'll look like you bought it!!



here is my final end result. looks professional, its simple, i can connect direct to camera or use the wireless.
here is my final end result. looks professional, its simple, i can connect direct to camera or use the wireless.

if you have another brand of remote trigger it should also work but i've not tried yet maybe others can chime in and let us know. I have a phottix remote, i've ordered the cord and will report when i've done that one too as it was used for my Nikon cameras. The cord used in that picture cost me $28 vs the one on amazon which is way cheaper and does exactly same thing as the expensive one, either way ya gotta chop it so it dont matter whats ont he other side, its the 15pin usb connector we care about.



--
www.flickr.com

Alex Draco

Explore Alex Draco’s 3,716 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
ninjapimp said:
ninjapimp said:
Pretty sure it will. The A7/A7r/A3000/A5000(?)/A6000 uses the same multi-terminal cable.

Last I checked, there is no such thing as Sony multi-terminal cable adapter. You will have to build your own:

VMC-15MR2 + RCA-female-to-3.5mm-male + 3.5mm-male-to-2.5mm-male
Click to expand...
wont it look real ugly? plus extra parts??
Click to expand...
Yes, it will. But the assumption is the audience is not handy with soldering.

I myself don't use a 2.5mm part so my version is simpler. It is still a little long but I may need the actual VMC-15MR2 functionality someday. I most likely will just use the timer for some simple project, extra length or ugliness does not bother me.
 
no soldering was required for my setup, simply used wire cutters, bound the wires together a heat shrink tube and finally some heat to seal the deal.
 
Thanks a ton for this - just ordered by intervalometer and the Sony cable and will have both next week or so.

- John
 
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