Control Z1 HDR, NR and ISO with USB API?

[drewgardner1]

Hello there, I have installed a Z1 one which is running quite happily on a Pi4b.

I am now refining the image quality and I am wondering if it is possible to control ISO, NR or enable the HDR remotely via GPhoto2 or PTP ?

Many thanks

Drew

[craig]

API specification

theta-api-specs/theta-usb-api at main · ricohapi/theta-api-specs · GitHub

HDR, Noise Reduction, DR

Adjust filter settings.

theta-api-specs/theta-usb-api/property/filter.md at main · ricohapi/theta-api-specs · GitHub

ISO

ISO step 1 - exposure program

first set exposure program mode to manual or ISO priority.

theta-api-specs/theta-usb-api/property/exposure_program_mode.md at main · ricohapi/theta-api-specs · GitHub

ISO step 2 - exposure index

then set the exposure index

theta-api-specs/theta-usb-api/property/exposure_index.md at main · ricohapi/theta-api-specs · GitHub

examples

this article has several examples:

NVIDIA Jetson and USB API for RICOH THETA

[image] NVIDIA Jetson with Jetpack 4.6 using USB API with THETA Z1 fw 2.10.3 on Oppkey robot In the .guide community, there are two primary ways to use the USB API with NVIDIA Jetson models: project library app pros cons oppkey opinion libptp2 ptpcam works with all USB API commands that .guide tested. No known problems. In wide use in .guide community code has not been updated in over a decade. Project appears to have no active maintainer. Code base and library may be difficult to us…

It was written for a Jetson, but the examples are the same on RPi. Current recommendation is to use gphoto2 as it is newer with more recent updates compared to ptpcam.

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Other

I remember that you were having problems with keeping the THETA charged. I’ve recently learned that the THETA X requires Power Delivery at 18w, not the BC 1.2 specification for the Z1.

[drewgardner1]

Is there a way to enable HDR permanently on USB API on a Theta Z1? As in, to make it capture any subsequent image taken over USB in HDR mode even after sleeping.

[craig]

Can you set the _filter every time prior to taking a picture with the USB API?

I thought the HDR filter would be saved when it wakes up from sleep.
theta-api-specs/options.md at main · ricohapi/theta-api-specs · GitHub

To be safe, you can set the filter prior to every picture. The easiest thing to do set a short delay such as 200ms after setting the option and before taking a picture. A more standard way is to check the status of the camera.

theta-api-specs/_filter.md at main · ricohapi/theta-api-specs · GitHub

Does your application requirements not allow you to set the filter prior to every shot?

[drewgardner1]

@craig

I thought the HDR filter would be saved when it wakes up from sleep.

This doesn’t seem to be the case using the command “ptpcam --set-property=[propcode] --[value]”

@craig

To be safe, you can set the filter prior to every picture. The easiest thing to do set a short delay such as 200ms after setting the option and before taking a picture

That’s what we’re currently doing. It works most of time, but the script got stuck while taking the picture a couple of times which never happened before HDR was added. I tried increasing the delay and it hasn’t failed since so it may be fine as is, but I wanted to look into alternate options.
Thanks for all your help!

[craig]

@drewgardner1

I tried increasing the delay and it hasn’t failed since so it may be fine as is, but I wanted to look into alternate options.

what delay do you have it set to?

Another option is to check the camera status prior to taking the picture and if the camera status is not {"state": "done}, then check the status again.

ricohapi/theta-api-specs/blob/main/theta-web-api-v2.1/protocols/commands_status.md

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saving settings

Did you try saving the _filter : hdr settings to MySettings?

Stitching mode was not preserved between sleep modes

hi, I’m testing with USB API (gphoto2) now. I set stitching mode to 2(dual fisheye) and took some photos, and I stopped shooting for a few minutes. the camera entered sleep mode. so I set d80e to 0 to wake up the camera and continued shooting again. all the photos after waking up were shooted in stitching mode auto(default=1). is this by design or a bug? refs: 0xD80E SleepMode 0xD834 Image Stitching

I have not tested it, but I think if you save the hdr in mysettings, it will be preserved

Saving HDR _filter Setting to mySetting

THETA Z1 and SC2 can save shooting conditions set with a smartphone or the API. Shooting conditions registered in My Settings can be enabled by the end user by pressing and holding the Function (Fn) button on the THETA. The advantage is that you can save your shooting conditions and use them even while not connected to a smartphone. Does My Setting survive reboot and sleep? I tested Z1 and SC2. Testing with Z1 running firmware 1.60.1. Take a picture with Z1. You can check whether the picture …

[drewgardner1]

Thank you this has been most helpful