Sony ERROR: Could not capture image.

[WIsbrecht]

Hi,

so many Sony camera users have complained about sporadic freezes or resets while capturing images. My investigation suggest that it has to do with auto focus. These might be related issues: #117 #109 #111 #80 #83 gphoto/libgphoto2#161 Every time one issues a capture-image (capture-image-and-download) and the camera fails to auto focus correctly gphoto2 will timeout eventually. My Sony a58 will reset automatically after that.

For example - capturing with auto focus on:

➜  ~ gphoto2 --capture-image-and-download --interval=1 --force-overwrite
Time-lapse mode enabled (interval: 1s).                                        
Capturing frame #1...
New file is in location /capt0000.jpg on the camera                            
Saving file as capt0000.jpg
Deleting file /capt0000.jpg on the camera
not sleeping (3 seconds behind schedule)
Capturing frame #2...
New file is in location /capt0001.jpg on the camera                            
Saving file as capt0001.jpg
Deleting file /capt0001.jpg on the camera
not sleeping (2 seconds behind schedule)
Capturing frame #3...
New file is in location /capt0002.jpg on the camera                            
Saving file as capt0002.jpg
Deleting file /capt0002.jpg on the camera
not sleeping (2 seconds behind schedule)
Capturing frame #4...
New file is in location /capt0003.jpg on the camera                            
Saving file as capt0003.jpg
Deleting file /capt0003.jpg on the camera
not sleeping (2 seconds behind schedule)
Capturing frame #5...

in this run the camera failed to auto focus after the fourth image. While gphoto is waiting for a new event one could manually trigger a new photo by pressing the trigger button of the camera. If one fails to do so in a timely fashion gphoto will time out and throw this error message and the camera will reset.

ERROR: Could not capture image.
ERROR: Could not capture.

otherwise the timelapse will continue until the next failed attempt to auto focus or ctrl-c.

New file is in location /capt0004.jpg on the camera                            
Saving file as capt0004.jpg
Deleting file /capt0004.jpg on the camera
not sleeping (9 seconds behind schedule)
Capturing frame #6...
New file is in location /capt0005.jpg on the camera                            
Saving file as capt0005.jpg
Deleting file /capt0005.jpg on the camera
not sleeping (2 seconds behind schedule)
Capturing frame #7...
New file is in location /capt0006.jpg on the camera                            
Saving file as capt0006.jpg
Deleting file /capt0006.jpg on the camera
not sleeping (2 seconds behind schedule)
Capturing frame #8...

Here is a debug dump:

➜  ~ gphoto2 --capture-image --debug --debug-logfile gphoto_debug_af_failed.txt

... 35 sec hang, camera resets at this point ...

ERROR: Could not capture image.                                                
ERROR: Could not capture.

gphoto_debug_af_failed.zip

Followup: just searched the debug log and found this on line 700:

1.627239 camera_sony_capture         (2): during event.code=c203 Param1=0000d21d

event.code=c203 is PTP_EC_Sony_PropertyChanged and Param1=0000d21d is not defined anywhere.

https://github.com/gphoto/libgphoto2/blob/91a8425a4fa27def793fa9db2bcb4a71c26c927b/camlibs/ptp2/library.c#L3858-L3868

Here PTP_EC_Sony_PropertyChanged must be PTP_DPC_SONY_FocusFound but is instead 0xd21d This might indicate that the camara could not auto focus. But i might be wrong.

It all adds up to this: something goes horribly wrong after this line: https://github.com/gphoto/libgphoto2/blob/91a8425a4fa27def793fa9db2bcb4a71c26c927b/camlibs/ptp2/library.c#L3922 (relevant debug log lines: 491869 and following)

[minw428]

Is there any improvement on this?

[enricopenzo]

Same here, it's being 6 months trying to figure out a solution to this

[msmeissn]

i think I fixed the problem with capture problems with out-of-focus on the weekend..

perhaps you can retest current libgphoto2 git?

[streakerau]

Hi, thanks for looking into this and sorry for the late reply. I installed the latest development version using gphoto2 updater (hopefully that will pull the libgphoto2 git repository). I still encounter the same problem with: gphoto2 --capture-image-and-download --interval=1 --force-overwrite

The process often stops randomly returning: ERROR: Could not capture image. ERROR: Could not capture.

This happened using a Sony RX100M5

Then I tried with a Sony RX0 and it always hangs after the first picture (no repeat shots). see output below: Time-lapse mode enabled (interval: 1s). Capturing frame #1... Downloading... |----------- \ 25.0% Downloading... |---------------------------- | 62.5% Downloading... |--------------------------------------- / 87.5% Downloading... |---------------------------------------------| 100.0% New file is in location /capt0000.jpg on the camera Saving file as capt0000.jpg Deleting file /capt0000.jpg on the camera