Tag: CamRanger

Wednesday (18-January-2022) — New Jersey

Backyard Nighttime Sky Over New Jersey.

The pre-dawn sky was clear with the green Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) high enough above the horizon to the northeast to be viewed from my patio using a Vespera telescope-camera.


Vespera Deep Sky Observations. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). JPG images processed with Topaz AI, followed by Capture One Pro. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

During the day, I used the Vespera telescope fitted with a solar filter to view the many sunspots currently visible. For solar observations, the Vespera takes individual JPEG images which I put together as a short time-lapse video. There were periods of time that clouds got in the way.

I set up two cameras to record star trails. One pointing north (Nikon Z9) using a CamRanger II controller for long (300 sec) exposures. The other camera (Hallelblad X2D) pointing south. You can see the clouds coming and going.


Star and Jet trails looking south. Images taken with a Hasselblad X2D camera and 30 mm f/3.5 lens (ISO 64, 30 mm, f/8, 323 s). Images processed with Phocus and the composites created using PhotoShop (scripts, statistics, maximum). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Star and Jet trails looking north. Images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera, FTZ adapter, and 19 mm f/4 PC-E lens (ISO 64, 19 mm, f/8, 300 s). CamRanger II intervalometer used to control the camera (bulb, 5 min exposure). Images processed with Capture One Pro and the composites created using PhotoShop (scripts, statistics, maximum). Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The sky was partially clear before midnight. The Stellina and Vespera telescope/cameras were set up to capture images of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000), Polaris (North Star), Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237), Satellite Cluster (NGC 2244), Cone Nebula/Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264). The clouds interfered with several of the images. It appears that the observation stations automatically stop collecting and processing images at some point when the clouds become problematic.

For the following images, I processed the final JPG image with Topaz AI, followed by Capture One Pro. For the raw TIFF images, I needed to use Capture One Pro first, followed by Topaz AI. Follow the link to my PhotoShelter Gallery for larger views of the images.


Stellina and Vespera Deep Sky Observations. JPG images processed with Topaz AI, followed by Capture One Pro. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Stellina and Vespera Deep Sky Observations. TIF images processed with Capture One Pro followed by Topaz AI. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (80.0 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (23.9 kWh) from Sense. Sun and clouds. Deficit of 56.1 kWh.

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Friday (22-August-2013) — New Jersey

Technology Update: Remote Camera Control.

OK, I said I would try to get back to a daily update to the Blog. I like the idea of being able to control my camera remotely. Over the years I invested in the Nikon WT-3 (for the Nikon D200 camera), the WT-4 (for the Nikon D3, D3s, D3x, D700, D800, and D4 cameras), and the WT-5 (for the Nikon D4 camera). With the early models, Wi-Fi configuration was difficult at best. The current version of the Nikon Wireless Configuration Utility has really improved — setting up a WT-4 or WT-5 to communicate via Wi-Fi to a Windows 7 or Windows 8 computer is now very simple (and works!!!). You need the Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 software (extra cost) to then remotely control the camera.

I’ve read several favorable comments recently about the CamRanger, and its ability to remotely control several Nikon (and Cannon) DSLR cameras. CamRanger is a modified TP-Link USB Wi-Fi transmitter. It connects to the USB 2 (or 3) port on the camera and communicates to an i-Phone, i-Pad, or Android device via Wi-Fi. CamRanger provides software to control the camera. In addition to normal control (settings, focus, etc.) the software would do HDR, time-lapsed, and focus stacking. Well, I don’t own an i-Phone, i-Pad, or Android device – but did get interested when CamRanger released a beta version of software to control the camera from a Windows 7 or 8 computer. I ordered one and it arrived 2 days later. Downloaded the beta software, and just started playing with it. The software is beta. I was able connect to a D3s and D800 camera, set various settings, use real-time live view, select the focus point, focus, and take images which were then sent to my Windows 8 Surface computer (images also still stored in the cameras CF or SD memory card). The HDR, time-lapsed, and focus stacking modes don’t work yet. I’m eager to see the full (release) version of the software with all of the capabilities enabled.

For a lark, I connected the CamRanger to my Nikon 1 V2 camera (which is not listed as being supported by CamRanger). The camera was recognized (but I got a warning message the camera was not supported, and CamRanger would not be liable for damage). The beta software on my computer was able to read the camera settings, make some setting changes, but live view didn’t work. When I tried to take a picture, I heard the shutter – but the program (and camera froze) when sending the image from the camera to the computer. I needed to remove the battery from the camera to get it to work again. I really do hope that CamRanger adds this camera in the future – especially for the HDR and time-lapsed capabilities (missing from the Nikon 1 V2 camera).