March 14, 2023

Remote shutter control for a Sony mirrorless camera

If you don't intend to use the USB cable to transfer image files, you can buy cables that connect to the USB connector and allow shutter control. My guess is that these devices contain some kind of microcontroller and send approprite commands via USB, though I have not yet confirmed that.

What I need to do is to trip the shutter from my motorized stacking rail at the appropriate time, and then transfer an image via USB to my computer. This requires separate cables (which is no problem on a Canon Camera, which has a dedicated connector for the shutter). What Sony does provide is an IR remote facility, and this provides a workaround.

People using a Stackshot rail from Cognisys buy a IR remote gadget from Cognisys to go with their rail and this gets the job done. What I intend to do is to buy an inexpensive IR remote, open it up, and attach (solder) wires to save some money. The Cognisys remote is $59 and also requires a $10 cable, whereas I can get the job done for $10.

Feedback? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's Computer Info / tom@mmto.org