I will be using at least one and hopefully two Sony cameras for the upcoming Aug 21 solar eclipse. Due to the compressed time for the time lapse and need for radical change in exposures, plus removing an external solar filter and re-attaching, all in a period of 2 min 5 sec of so for Totality, automating the exposures is the only way to go. There are eclipse apps but none work with Sony cameras via PCs or tablets. So qDslrDashboard looks very promising and I've read here that it works with some Sony cameras. I also am impressed with the DIY intervalometer and a friend with electronic skills has agreed to build it for me. But I still don't understand the relationship between the app and the hardware. I assumed that the intervalometer is the what will actually control the camera but how does qDslrDashboard instructions get sent to the camera? My impression was that you didn't need a smart tablet/phone. Is that correct? Or does a tablet with qDslrDashboard connect to the intervalometer and issue commands to it?

An explanation would be greatly appreciated.

Don

Did you see my tutorial video about working with qDslrDashboard an Motion control? It's a bit older but shows how it works.
https://lrtimelapse.com/gear/dslrdashboard/

Anyway, in short: The intervalometer will trigger your camera via the trigger port. qDslrDashboard will be connected to the camera via WiFi and just listens when a new picture was taken. Then it will analyze the image and possibly change the camera settings for the holy grail.

Thanks. I didn't see it and will look at it. I am trying to go from 0 to 60mph in an instant, as we say in North American slang. Therefore I don't know what I need to know until I know something else first.

I've watched the video and I'm not confident that qDD can handle the abrupt, radical change in exposure as Totality begins. It can go from a fraction of a second to 8 seconds in a very few seconds. All the eclipse apps I've checked out use precise time of day, predetermined exposure settings, via a script. The table below give you some idea of the challenges.
F-stop 2.8 4 5.6 8 11
Bailey's Beads
Diamond Ring NA 1/8000 1/4000 1/2000 1/1000
Prominences 1/8000 1/4000 1/2000 1/1000 1/500
Inner Corona 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15 1/30
Middle Corona 1/30 1/15 1/8 1/4 1/2
Outer Corona 1/2 second 1 second 2 seconds 4 seconds 8 seconds

The intervalometer is probably a good accessory to have given its sophistication.

This post was last modified: 2017-03-17, 21:26 by Gunther.

You can do the adjustments manually too. qDDB auto holy grail was not designed with eclipses in mind. It might work, but you cannot test since you have only one shot.
I guess I would probably use it, but I have a lot of experience with it.
If you cannot practice before with regular transitions and feel insecure about it, you should probably work manually.

Thanks Gunther. While rereading the LRTimelapse Intervalometer description, I noticed a reference was made to programming the Arduino chip. If it can be programmed to respond to button pushes, it crossed my mind that I should be able to write a fixed script and simply press start and have it execute what I need for the appropriate length of time (Totality is 2 min 5 sec in Salem Oregon). Am I interpreting that functionality properly? Back in the Stones Ages of computers (1960s) I was a programmer and can still do some basic things like converting a script created for a Android app that has all the correct timing and exposures embedded in it. The exposure and timing for pre and post Totality is very simple and and any remote timer can handle it. I would eventually revert the LRT intervalometer back to its intended purpose. I also intend to do more timelapses. I've done a number of them including dusk into night with Auto ISO.