Sony announces new update to Camera Remote SDK with enhanced functions for drone applications

• Compatibility with new ILX-LR1 camera
• New ‘Focus Position Setting’
• Focal length information acquisition function
• ‘Interval shooting’ functions and ‘AF tracking sensitivity’ settings and expanded menu for pre-and post-shooting settings
• ‘Event notification’ and ’Status acquisition’

Weybridge, 5 September 2023 – Sony today launched an updated version of its Camera Remote Software Development kit (SDK), adding compatibility with the newly announced ILX-LR1 camera and key functionality to support third parties in the development of bespoke applications using the industry-leading performance of Sony cameras.

Version 1.10 of the Camera Remote SDK, which is available to download for free from 13th September, and Version 1.11 in November, offer new features that are particularly important for drone, e-Commerce, video shooting applications. With the latest update, it expands compatible models to α7C II and α7CR with Version 1.10, and ILX-LR1 with Version 1.11.

Version 1.10 (and later) supports the following new features:

1. Added support for “Focus Position Setting”ⁱ which enables remote acquisition of the current focus position and focus sending to an arbitrary position.
2. In response to requests from existing customers (inspections and surveys companies) to remotely acquire focal length information, the latest version supports “get focal length”ⁱⁱ.
3. Expanded menu settings for stills and videos, including interval shooting functions and AF tracking sensitivity settings, and menu settings for pre- and post- settings. A wider variety of settings can be changed.
4. Event notification such as video recording start/stop and ‘Focus Position Setting’ completion to enable high-speed, remote command processing. In addition, status notification, such as during media writing, is improved so that the third-party system can optimize workflows depending on the camera status.

For more details*, please visit our Digital Imaging Solutions page

* Regarding this SDK version, the above site will be updated after September 13th, 2023.

Compatible cameras

Sony is a market leader in mirrorless full-frame (35mm) cameras, with the company’s cameras renowned for their speed, image quality, resolution compactness and wide lens line-up.

The Camera Remote SDK can be used to control several cameras in the Sony camera range, with the full list of compatible cameras available here：

* For this SDK version, the above site will be updated after 13th September 2023.

i The system needs to learn the focus position and setting values for each camera and lens in advance.
ii Lens focal length in 1mm increments.