With gphot2 using entangle to control the camera. Then you are limited to 30 seconds exposure and this works reliably and consistently upto 30 sec exposures. However setting bulb mode on the camera and then connecting results in it not functioning. Gphot2 sets PC Mode on the camera LCD and is the same way that Nikon Capture software does. However, when connected via INDI the LCD camera screen is still operational. I don't know if this is how it is supposed ot work but all documentation says when connected via USB then it should show PC mode in the LCD.

Also, the Quality setting is not quite right. When you set the quality to RAW in the camera and connect it then it is displayed as unknown value 003 rather than RAW. Images captured seem to still be in RAW .NEF format. I think it is actually setting RAW with Lossless Compression. Rather than just RAW with no compression. Changing the setting in the software to RAW results in it setting RAW plus jpeg. This is a serious PITA as it fills up the SD card with useless jpg files. There is a size difference in the 2 .NEF files with the RAW software setting resulting in the larger file so probably RAW no compression but also a jpg. RAW setting on the camera then connect you get the 003 error but lossless compressed .nef and no jpg.

Any help appreciated.
Cheers

Read More...