I’ve had my Sony Nex-6 camera for a while now. I got mine in 2014, but the camera has been out since 2012 and it’s probably been superseded by other models. I noticed on one of the news sites I scan that the Smart Remote App for Sony cameras has been updated, so I thought I should try to get it running. To review, this app allows almost full control over the camera from a tablet or smart phone using an application over WiFi. The android app is here.
I should have kept my camera firmware up to date so I had some glitches getting the camera updated to V 1.03 so that I could run the Smart Remote Control. If you have an older Sony Alpha camera, you might want to follow along to avoid running into issues.
Updating the Camera Firmware
First of all, you’ll need to use the MS IE browser on the Sony site to update your camera. There is a browser plugin that only works in MS IE. On Windows 10, you’ll need to search for Internet Explorer to find the browser, which is hidden. Edge, the default browser in Win 10, and Firefox or Chrome will not work for this process.
So, find and install the plugin. If you start on the Smart Remote App page, and you don’t have the plugin, it will lead you to install it. Plug your camera into USB and launch this page, click the install button and then follow along.
If your Sony camera has older firmware, you may be required to update the firmware. This is done by a special program downloaded from a page that you will be lead to. However, for the Nex-6, the firmware updater is not on the Windows 10 list. But if you look on the Windows 7(x64) list, there is the firmware updater. This updater works fine on Windows 10.
Here is a set of pictures showing the process of updating the camera firmware:
Installing the Smart Remote Control App in the Camera
Once you have the camera firmware updated, you can load the app directly from the web page with the camera connected to the USB. Just click the install button this page.
Install the PlayMemories App on Mobile Device
Next, install the PlayMemories app on the mobile device. It’s also available for IOS.
Connect to the Camera
Once you do that, the phone or tablet can connect to the camera. You can use the WiFi function directly on the camera, or run the Smart Remote Control app on the camera. When you do that the Camera creates a private WiFi hotspot that allows the camera and mobile device to communicate. Unfortunately, this means that while you control the camera you can’t communicate with the web. But switching back and forth is pretty fast.
Once connected you can preview the shot on the tablet, in my case, change any of the settings you need to, and take the pictures. The only thing you can’t do is move the camera, of course.
Here are some shots taken with the camera in remote mode.
Enjoy, – ww
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