I decided to blog about how to Remote Control my Camera: Sony a6000 with my phone and desktop, and to Transfer Photos and Videos wirelessly since this has been an On and Off thing. I find myself researching the same thing all over again when an update occurs on:
Hardware, either my phone or desktop, or
Software update: firmware for my camera (Sony a6000), phone and desktop OS, and
App: Sony PlayMemories, to now: Imaging Edge Mobile, and Imaging Edge Desktop
People are still asking and deciding to buy the Sony a6000 to this day (see this Reddit post), even 10 years after its release in the market! —And yes, people still recommend it! So, other than for my own purposes, I believe this can be helpful for others as well. If you're one of those, let me know in the comments!
Making it Work in 2014
What's new?
Hardware: iPhone 11
Software: iOS Version 17.5.1 (iPhone), macOS Monterey 12.7.2 (Desktop, MBP late 2015 model)
App: Imaging Edge Mobile for iPhone, and Imaging Edge Desktop (IEDT) for Desktop (MBP)
I've done previous research when my phone was upgraded from iPhone 6 to iPhone 11. I was able to make it work, remote-controlling the camera with my phone, and transferring photos and videos to my phone wirelessly. Issues Found:
RAW image transfer still doesn't work
I had my hopes up when I saw the settings changed from JPG to now also having "Original". But upon closer inspection, the last images I transferred to my phone weren't RAW images. This was a letdown.
Remote-Controlling the Camera (a6000) from iPhone
I believe I made this work also last time, but I had to test again and see that it works: using iPhone as remote-control for my camera.
Apps used: Image Editing Mobile
The Settings are: (To be updated/ added later)
In short, I was able to make it work, controlling my a6000 camera remotely via iPhone.
What's changed this time?
Imaging Edge Desktop (IEDT)
Previously, I had to download a set of apps or software called "View", "Edit", and "Remote" separately. Now for desktop, Sony has IEDT or Imaging Edge Desktop, which combines the 3 features, wherein you can View, Edit and Remote-ly control the a6000 camera on desktop. Honestly, this is how I think the software should be packaged from the beginning, and thought it was kind of a stepback when I saw I had to download 3 apps before. But, I'm not complaining, as long as I can do all 3 things and more with my current camera, desktop, and phone setup. It's actually a good sign to still see changes and updates to a software even as your gadgets change for the same camera you've had since 2014. It's good to see it still supported as years go by.
The Desktop App: IEDT
IEDT or Imaging Edge Desktop is the latest and the only available app I find in the Appstore that I can download to my 8-year-old MBP. In the beginning, Sony had PlayMemories that you can download on the camera, phone, and desktop, to control the camera remotely and transfer photos and videos wirelessly. When I search PlayMemories, I see that the website is still up but I didn't bother downloading it this time, knowing it's been updated years before: https://support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/www/disoft/int/download/playmemories-home/mac/en/index.html
Issues and Fixes
Trying to connect my camera to my desktop
I tried connecting via WIFI through Access Point. Not sure if this worked, though I was able to connect it successfully. With this, I'm able to transfer photos and videos from my camera to my desktop computer wirelessly.
But for Remote control features...
I had to connect the camera also via USB cable.
Issue: When I click "Remote" on IEDT, it shows an error. Fixes: Change USB Connection to PC Remote
Here, you'll see me trying to figure out how to make "Live" View work as I remote-controlled the camera through my desktop after changing the USB Connection settings to PC Remote. It's a progress since I can now shoot and record video using the controller, but I still don't see a "Live" feed from the camera to my desktop computer.
I will be trying it again later after I've charged my camera. As you can see on the "Remote control" window, it shows the warning. I reckon this might be causing issues. So, let's eliminate that, and try to figure out later how to show the "Live View" feed on my desktop once I've charged my camera.
This post will be updated.
In case you're reading this in the future and wondering where's the update, feel free to contact me.
Since my camera is 10 years old by now, I thought I'd share a little bit of history.
Sony a6000 Mirrorless Camera was a game-changer
I acquired my Sony a6000 somewhere around 2014-2015 when this particular model by Sony (a6000) made waves for its fast shutter speed, interchangeable lenses, with high quality and high-resolution results comparable to that of digital SLR photos and videos which made mirrorless camera somewhat more practical to use due to its lightweight and less cumbersome qualities compared to digital SLR cameras.
Released in February 2014, I was still working in a game company when my peers, colleagues, and fellow professional artists were talking about it, who, like me, acquired the same camera. Sony a6000 was a game-changer. In fact, the price stayed the same even years later as higher models were released.
It was only in 2019 when Sony released a6400 that it found a worthy successor based on reviews I've read when I researched it again years ago. Since this is stock knowledge by now, I had to verify, and I found this article by Digital Camera World that you might find useful, comparing different models from the Sony a6000 line:
Sony A6000 vs A6100 vs A6300 vs A6400 vs A6500 vs A6600 vs A6700: how do you choose?
Sony a6000 (ILCE-6000) Camera Settings, Tutorials and Reviews
People are still recommending Sony a6000 to this day! So I created a playlist on YouTube focused on Sony a6000. I turned Collaborate mode on for now, so if you have recommended videos for a6000, feel free to add!
I saw this video on YouTube by Curtis Padley who still recommends it:
SONY A6000 in 2024 | Still WORTH it after 10 years?
Collaborate with me on the YouTube Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfwkHGFXoSVqktFpFIyV1FkM0TlY0Mqjq&jct=q6XHqOX3kWi2rIgZOYU62Q
(To be continued...)
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