Sony a100 - accurately setting the time

On 10 Jul, 16:58, Dave Cohen <u... DeleteThis @example.net> wrote:
> sheldon.br... DeleteThis @gmail.com wrote:
> > While I wait for a datalogger to arrive (globalsat dg100), I was
> > wondering if there was an accurate way of setting the time on the
> > camera. My PC maintains time from a time server so it would be handy
> > if the camera could be set to the same time automatically. I know
> > there's 2 solutions, watch the clock tick to a new minute on the PC
> > and accept the time on the camera or take a photo of an accurate clock
> > then compare the time the camera thinks the photo was taken to the
> > time in the photo to work out an offset.
>
> I don't know what Sony offer, but canon supply software including
> zoombrowser. As you will see in other posts, a lot of us canon users
> take a pass on zoombrowser, however, it appears to be the only way to
> set owner name and also has an option to set date/time from the computer
> plus some other unique (and in my opinion) useless things like themes
> (whatever they are). So check the software package.
> Dave Cohen

Thanks but Sony's software is just a browser with add-on import tool.
Brian.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony a100 - accurately setting the time 

sheldon.brian DeleteThis @gmail.com wrote:
> While I wait for a datalogger to arrive (globalsat dg100), I was
> wondering if there was an accurate way of setting the time on the
> camera. My PC maintains time from a time server so it would be handy
> if the camera could be set to the same time automatically. I know
> there's 2 solutions, watch the clock tick to a new minute on the PC
> and accept the time on the camera or take a photo of an accurate clock
> then compare the time the camera thinks the photo was taken to the
> time in the photo to work out an offset.
>
I don't know what Sony offer, but canon supply software including
zoombrowser. As you will see in other posts, a lot of us canon users
take a pass on zoombrowser, however, it appears to be the only way to
set owner name and also has an option to set date/time from the computer
plus some other unique (and in my opinion) useless things like themes
(whatever they are). So check the software package.
Dave Cohen
 >> Stay informed about: Sony a100 - accurately setting the time 

In article <1184061608.764903.96420.RemoveThis@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com>,
sheldon.brian.RemoveThis@gmail.com wrote:

> I know
> there's 2 solutions, watch the clock tick to a new minute on the PC
> and accept the time on the camera or take a photo of an accurate clock
> then compare the time the camera thinks the photo was taken to the
> time in the photo to work out an offset.

Sheldon-

Just how precise do you need to be? Let's suppose you set it perfectly.
It is now within a fraction of a second. The trouble is that is won't
stay that way forever. Check it again tomorrow, and it is likely to be
off by a second or two.

If you have some special need such as for evidence, you can work out the
approximate rate of change. Then periodically reset it, and take that
photo of the accurate clock immediately after the critical photos are
taken. Knowing how much it gains or loses, you should be able to
calculate a better estimate of the time a photo was taken.

By the way, I just synchronized my computer to network time, and it is
almost a second slow compared to three "atomic" clocks that set
themselves by radio.

Fred
 >> Stay informed about: Sony a100 - accurately setting the time 

Fred McKenzie wrote:
[]
> By the way, I just synchronized my computer to network time, and it is
> almost a second slow compared to three "atomic" clocks that set
> themselves by radio.
>
> Fred

Fred,

If you are using the free "official" NTP software, you PC could well be
within 100msec of the correct time. Mine typically are:

http://www.david-taylor.myby.co.uk/mrtg/daily_ntp.html

The NTP software to achieve this can be downloaded here. It not only
steps the time to the correct value, but alters the clock rate so that the
correct time is kept continuously. Other programs may only set the time
once and then allow the clock to drift.

http://www.meinberg.de/english/sw/ntp.htm

The "atomic time" which radio clocks use can be as accurate as a few
milliseconds, but typically the cheaper clocks only sync to within half a
second or so (by my own observations).

Cheers,
David
 >> Stay informed about: Sony a100 - accurately setting the time 

"Fred McKenzie" <fmmck DeleteThis @aol.com> wrote in message
news:fmmck-BF9007.18063610072007@nntp.aioe.org...
> In article <1184061608.764903.96420 DeleteThis @57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com>,
> sheldon.brian DeleteThis @gmail.com wrote:
>
>> I know
>> there's 2 solutions, watch the clock tick to a new minute on the PC
>> and accept the time on the camera or take a photo of an accurate clock
>> then compare the time the camera thinks the photo was taken to the
>> time in the photo to work out an offset.
>
> Sheldon-
>
> Just how precise do you need to be? Let's suppose you set it perfectly.
> It is now within a fraction of a second. The trouble is that is won't
> stay that way forever. Check it again tomorrow, and it is likely to be
> off by a second or two.

No reason to be so precise, I just wanted to know if it could be done
automatically as with other cameras.

(Brian) Sheldon.
 >> Stay informed about: Sony a100 - accurately setting the time