Synchronise time between two Sony A7iii

[MalthouseMark]

I found a post from 2019 that asked this question but it had no real answer. Several seemed to mis-understand the question (https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/alpha-nex-interchangeable-lens-cameras/time-sync-from-mobile/m-p/259...)

I'm using two Sony A7iii cameras as a wedding photographer. The 2019 post referenced Play Memories. Now we've got Imaging Edge instead.

My understanding had been that connecting the camera to Imaging Edge helped set the time on it. Apparently that's not the case. I'm looking at a photo of a bride at 14:01:22 and she is walking down the aisle on one camera. On the other camera at 14:01:20 she is sitting in a seat at the top of the aisle having already arrived. In reality on the camera where she is walking down the aisle she doesn't "arrive" until 14:02:09 so I've got about 49 seconds to adjust for.

I see I can set the camera using the menu on the back to the minute but not to the second. I was a Canon 5Diii user and am used to setting to the second so Im a bit confused how to synchronise two A7iii bodies to the second.

Has anyone got a reliable routine that I can use before the start of a shoot to synchronise the two bodies to my mobile phone time so that they match to the second?

As it stands I'll be adjusting the one set of images in Lightroom so that they are synchronised but that's something I'd rather avoid in the first place.

Thanks.

[Marino.Manolo]

A couple of tips, setting the time "to the second" is perhaps even the simplest:
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4608410

[MalthouseMark]

@Marino.Manolo the "wait for the clock to hit a minute and press OK" technique is what I used to do on the 5Dii but on the 5Diii it was easier. The "Use Image Edit to synchronise one camera and then use it to synchronise another" is exactly what I tried to do for this shoot - and clearly it didn't work.

Hmmm. If that's the best available I can see me resorting to trying to use Image Edit in the first place and then adjusting in Lightroom. Shame. 😞

Thanks for confirming I'm at least trying it right.

[Marino.Manolo]

And this? Always suggested at the link, nothing?:

"Connect one camera to the IE app the clock will sync. Disconnect the camera and connect the second one. That one is now synced. The internal clock on the camera will be more than accurate enough to keep the clocks in sync for a days shooting."

[MalthouseMark]

@Marino.Manolo Indeed that's exactly what I was saying I tried before this session so I was surprised it didn't work: hence coming to ask here to see if I had missed something.

[Marino.Manolo · Accepted solution]

"Indeed that's exactly what I was saying I tried before"

Yes, sorry...

Before hearing from the upper floors in Sony I thought I'd check out the A7IV:

https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2110/v1/en/contents/TP0002911141.html

Set the date and time (hour/minute/second)

I would say it has already been taken into consideration.

[MalthouseMark]

@Marino.Manolo thanks for checking. Looks like I'll have to wait until I can afford an upgrade of camera! In the meantime I'll continue to access both cameras via IE and then adjust in Lightroom if they are out.

[SkyNet404]

Thanks for the info guys and sad to know you can't do it using the MK3, a man can only wish if this gets added with an update. But it's unlikely really, anyway cheers buddy. 

[MalthouseMark · Accepted solution]

I was just about to do a wedding and noticed the two camera times were way out from one another. I started to search (again) for a solution and found my own thread, here. I also watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZglOMJGFCs which suggests Date and Time can be set via Imaging Edge (it can't on the A7iii) - see timestamp 05:42 into that video.

The menu choices showing in that video simply are not available to me on the A7iii but he was not using the A7iii so maybe the model he was using (A7siii) allows it.

All of which set me off looking at other stuff.

This may help someone following in my wake here!

When I go to the Imaging Edge Mobile there is a list of cameras and just below it there is a Location Information Linkage item.

It said "searching for the camera..." and I clicked on it. Up pops a message "Location Information Linkage. This function can be used on cameras compatible with the Bluetooth location inofrmation linkage function. The location information acquired on the smartphone can be linked with a camera paired via Bluetooth."

I hit OK and up popped a screen saying it was searching for my camera with a button below to change the camera.

Clearly in the past I've paired the cameras to the set up. I chose the first of my cameras and hit the "back" arrow when it said it was looking for that camera.

Underneath "Cameras that use this function for the first time must be paired. Select "Bluetooth">"Pairing" from the camera menu and perform pairing on this screen.

On the a7iii Network2 page, second item is Bluetooth settings and THIRD item is Loc. Info. Link Set.

Second item: Bluetooth. I turned Bluetooth ON. In Pairing I did the pairing. Now Imaging Edge shows "connected with the camera".

Under Loc. Info. Link Set > Location Info. Link I set ON. / Auto Time Correct I set ON / Auto Area Adjust. I set ON.

Then under Setup5 menu where Date/Time Setup is displayed and Area Setting is displayed I went into my area setting and could see the time was correct but an hour out - I used the up/down on the command dial to put Daylight Saving on and bingo the time came true. (I could have just gone in to Date/Time setup and turned on Daylight Saving there instead.)

I repeated this exercise with the other camera and both cameras show the same time now. 

I have not checked if they are correct to the same second (I shall check that when I download images from the wedding) but they are certainly automatically adjusted to the minute and they were way off. They now match my watch and iphone which are both set automatically.

It's certainly a big step forwards from where I was with this an hour ago.

I hope that helps someone strugging with this in future.