Post by howie1 on Feb 13, 2020 12:10:07 GMT
Sharpcap version 3.2 does work with (some) Canon DSLR's using ASCOM. This allows Sharpcap to control the exposure and gain using Canon's RAW .CR2 format images. All the normal features of Sharpcap can also be used such as Polar Alignment, Darks, Flats and stacking ... but only a few models have had success! And even then other users with the same model's have not been able to get them working. Some have recompiled the ASCOM Canon and Nikon drivers and again, some have made it work and others have no luck.
However, another feature of version 3.2 is that it has a Folder Monitor Camera function. This allows Sharpcap to function as per Astrotoaster! IE It will monitor a folder you nominate, and process all frames as they come in from any camera which can save images to a folder. While it will accept PNG, TIFF and FITs "RAW" formats as well as JPEGs, when it come to the DSLR raw formats from Canon (CR2) there is no support! IE Nikon and Canon etc have to use JPEG (lossy) format. But, read on as there is a very easy method to get it to work with CR2 etc RAW files.
With all the bad weather and such, I got bored and after a hunt on the web found the free open source Irfanview image processing software. And most importantly (apart from being free!) it can also run from a command line. IE you can create a DOS batch file containing command line switches which runs in the background and totally automates the conversion of CR2 and many others to TIF etc lossless formats. This will allow the Sharpcap PA routine, FWHM tools, darks/flats and stacking to work on RAW DSLR and mirrorless images. Pretty sweet.
Watch the video below which I made for Rick (also member on this forum) who also loves his DSLR's. It shows it in use working with Sharpcap, and shows the batch file. Tomorrow I will post up a copy of the batch file which you will see in the video.
Cheers and here's the link to the video showing CR2 images loading into Sharpcap ...
However, another feature of version 3.2 is that it has a Folder Monitor Camera function. This allows Sharpcap to function as per Astrotoaster! IE It will monitor a folder you nominate, and process all frames as they come in from any camera which can save images to a folder. While it will accept PNG, TIFF and FITs "RAW" formats as well as JPEGs, when it come to the DSLR raw formats from Canon (CR2) there is no support! IE Nikon and Canon etc have to use JPEG (lossy) format. But, read on as there is a very easy method to get it to work with CR2 etc RAW files.
With all the bad weather and such, I got bored and after a hunt on the web found the free open source Irfanview image processing software. And most importantly (apart from being free!) it can also run from a command line. IE you can create a DOS batch file containing command line switches which runs in the background and totally automates the conversion of CR2 and many others to TIF etc lossless formats. This will allow the Sharpcap PA routine, FWHM tools, darks/flats and stacking to work on RAW DSLR and mirrorless images. Pretty sweet.
Watch the video below which I made for Rick (also member on this forum) who also loves his DSLR's. It shows it in use working with Sharpcap, and shows the batch file. Tomorrow I will post up a copy of the batch file which you will see in the video.
Cheers and here's the link to the video showing CR2 images loading into Sharpcap ...