sony alpha a5100

Sony Alpha A5100
Sony Alpha A5100
Sony Alpha A5100 setup instructions for stop motion animation or time-lapse photography with Dragonframe

Supported Versions

Requires Dragonframe 4.3.4 or newer. (5.x, 2024.x are newer).

Live View

The Sony Alpha A5100 provides a live view over HDMI. This camera requires a separate connection to the computer, via an HDMI capture device, to access the live view. We do not recommend this setup, because it is complicated and fairly expensive. Please consider a used Canon EOS that we support instead.

Camera Settings

Dragonframe controls the Sony Alpha A5100 ISO, shutter speed, aperture (with digital lens), image quality, and size.

Considerations

Dragonframe cannot control focus or provide focus check (live view magnification) with this camera.

Sony does not provide a way to download a recorded movie over USB. You must remove the card to download the movie.

Product Info

You can find the Sony Alpha A5100 manual and specifications at the Sony website.

Manual Lens to Avoid Flicker

To avoid any potential flicker that can be caused by electronically controlled aperture lenses, please consider using a fully manual aperture lens.
Learn More about Aperture Flicker

Setup Instructions

  1. Create a new scene or open an existing scene. (Dragonframe will not connect to your camera unless you have a scene open.)
  2. Power your camera by AC power if possible, or use a fully charged battery.
  3. Close any other applications that might connect to your camera.
    • - For macOS, Open Image Capture, select your camera, then in pop up area in lower-left select Connection camera opens: No application. (See Picture)
  4. Make sure Dropbox is not a client of the camera.
  5. You may need to quit Google Backup and Sync, since it can interfere with the camera even if you turn off syncing.
  6. If you have anti-virus software, white-list Dragonframe so that it may access your camera.
  7. Set the Shoot Mode to Manual Exposure (M).
  8. Set USB Connection to PC Remote.
    The camera will not connect unless you do this.
  9. Set HDMI Settings : HDMI Info. Display to OFF.
  10. Set Live View Display : Setting Effect to ON.
  11. Set DRO/Auto HDR to OFF.
  12. Set Auto Review to OFF.
  13. Connect your camera to the computer with an appropriate USB cable.
  14. Connect your camera's HDMI output to the computer through a compatible HDMI capture device. (Do not connect HDMI directly to the computer!)
  15. Select the HDMI device as the Video Assist Source in the Capture menu.
  16. Select your camera as the Capture Source in the Capture menu.
  17. If you have followed all of these instructions, and the camera does not appear in Dragonframe, but does appear in Sony Imaging Edge, follow the instructions in our FAQ to resolve the issue.
  18. Proceed to the Cinematography workspace to adjust the camera exposure settings, check focus, and take test shots.