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I'm doing research that requires a camera that is automated, but it also has to coordinate with the rotation of a filter wheel and take a series of images relatively quickly (4 images in less than 2 seconds). I'd like to do this by writing a Matlab script to control everything and handle incoming data.

I know there are scientific cameras out there that can do this job and have very good SDKs, but they are also very expensive if they have the sensor size that I need (APS-C or larger). Using a simple Sony mirrorless camera would work perfectly for my needs as long as I can control it.

I'd like to use Matlab or LabView to automate the data acquisition, but I'm not sure what is possible with this API Beta SDK. My understanding is that it is designed to allow the user to create a stand-alone app, but not to integrate camera commands into a programming environment like Matlab. I know there are ways to call an external application from within Matlab, but I've also read one person's account of trying this indirect method and it sounds like it takes a long time to trigger the camera this way (five seconds or more for a single image). That would be too slow.

Does the SDK allow camera control directly from a program like Matlab?

Hazegray
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My understanding is that it is designed to allow the user to create a stand-alone app, but not to integrate camera commands into a programming environment like Matlab.

Don't trust marketing statements, that's just how they advertise their SDK. If you take a closer look into the documentation, you will realize your Camera runs a server which accepts JSON-RPC over HTTP commands. I would use an already exiting examples for Android (Java) and adapt it to run on your operating system, you can directly call java code from your matlab console.

Daniel
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I've had great success communicating between MatLab and a Sony QX1 (the 'webwrite' function is your friend!).

That said, you will definitely struggle to implement anything like precise triggering. The call-response times vary greatly (~5 seconds +-2 ish).

You might be able to get away with shooting video and then pulling the relevant frames out of the sequence?

Daniel
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  • This is really good to know, the timing issues are what I've been most concerned about. Probably easier to just get a scientific camera that was designed for something like this, or at least more reliable. Thanks for the feedback. – Hazegray Jan 18 '16 at 13:12
  • Just an update.. I'm now working on some hardware for remote control of the QX1 and came across this: http://e4e.ucsd.edu/news-and-updates/sony-qx1-triggering I've got a sony multiport adapter coming in the post, which I'll hook up to a micro controller. Can let you know what sort of shutter firing precision I get with it, I dare say it'll be better than WiFi. – Daniel Jan 31 '16 at 14:37
  • Does the QX1 support auto power on when the power is lost? So that when power is backup it's available for remote control without any attendance to the camera? I assume it supports AC power operation. – mms May 20 '16 at 18:56