"No cameras found" while using Sony A6000

[Akashic101]

I wanted to try this software using my Sony A6000 to see if it works as well, unfortunately my camera seems to stay invisible to the program. Build all worked fine but when running it only spits out ERROR | [ERROR] No cameras found (EnumCameraObjects) . What specific steps do I have to do on the camera itself? Maybe I am missing a step there as nothing is listed regarding that in the README.

[goudvuur]

Alas, I don't see any explicit support for the A6000 in the SDK code (CrDefines.h):

        enum CrCameraDeviceModelList : CrInt32u
	{
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7RM4,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_9M2,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7C,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7SM3,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_1,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7RM4A,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_DSC_RX0M2,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7M4,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILME_FX3,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILME_FX30,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILME_FX6,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7RM5,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ZV_E1,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_6700,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7CM2,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_7CR,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILX_LR1,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_MPC_2610,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_9M3,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ZV_E10M2,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_PXW_Z200,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_HXR_NX800,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILCE_1M2,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILME_FX3A,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_BRC_AM7,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILME_FR7,
		CrCameraDeviceModel_ILME_FX2,
	};

That said, I tried to implement support for it anyway. Just updated the code. Can you check? First, try without any --model flag. If that fails, try with --model a6000

[Akashic101]

I'm afraid that did not change anything, running ./build/sonshell --dir "$PWD/photos" --keepalive 3000 --model a6000 -v only prints out

INFO  | [INFO] Searching for cameras...
ERROR | [ERROR] No cameras found (EnumCameraObjects)
INFO  | [INFO] Retrying in 3000 ms...
INFO  | [INFO] Searching for cameras...
ERROR | [ERROR] No cameras found (EnumCameraObjects)

I tried to put my A6000 into "send to smartphone"-mode and connect my laptop with its Wifi, but that did not change anything. Do you know of any way I could get the logs of the camera or sonshell and see if anything there sticks out? Maybe that helps

[goudvuur]

I don't own a a6000, so it's a bit hard to debug, but if you're willing to patiently work with me a bit, let's try to maybe figure out a possible hack. First of all: SonShell only works (tested, at least) when the camera is connected to an external access point (over WiFi). I didn't test anything in WiFi direct mode (when the camera creates its own AP).

Can you confirm you can ping the camera's IP from your linux box?

[Akashic101]

First of all thank you very much for even trying this kind of debugging, I know that there are definitely easier tasks out there

Unfortunately even getting the camera to play nice with connecting to an external AP has been not going well, connecting it to my router, both 2.4GHz and 5GHz only shows it registering and instantly ending the connection again. This happens on my phone's hotspot aswell where I can briefly see my camera in the list of connected devices (named SonyImagingDevice) before disconnecting again. All it shows on my camera-screen is "Registered" followed by the SSID. I will try to see if I can get it to keep the connection alive, unfortunately there is not a lot of information out there that could be of any help. I did find an app that is supposed to be able to remote control my A6000 called camrote, however that one is only available on Apple and I am on Android. But hey at least that shows it should be possible somehow

[goudvuur]

I'm afraid an access point connection is the bare minimum we need to (maybe) make this happen. For what it's worth, here's ChatGPT's answer regarding your issue, maybe it helps:

Thanks for the detailed report — that helps a lot. A few key facts about the a6000’s Wi-Fi explain most of what you’re seeing, plus some concrete steps to get it stable:

The big gotchas (why it keeps “registering” then dropping)

1. 2.4 GHz only. The a6000’s Wi-Fi is 802.11b/g/n in the 2.4 GHz band only. If the router/hotspot is 5 GHz-only or aggressively band-steers clients to 5 GHz, the camera will “register” and then fail. Make sure the SSID you’re connecting to is broadcasting on 2.4 GHz. ([Backscatter.com]1)

2. Authentication mode matters. The a6000 predates WPA3. Many phones/routers default to WPA3-SAE or “WPA2/WPA3 mixed.” The a6000 often won’t complete auth on those modes. Use WPA2-PSK (AES) only. (Temporarily try an open test SSID to confirm it’s an auth issue.)

3. Remote control ≠ infrastructure Wi-Fi. For app control, the a6000 typically runs Smart Remote Embedded on the camera, which turns the camera into an access point; your phone/computer joins the camera’s SSID (not the other way around). Trying to park the camera on your home router usually isn’t how remote control is designed to work on this model. ([helpguide.sony.net]2)

4. “Registered” ≠ “connected.” On Sony menus, “Registered ” usually means credentials were saved. The camera will only actually connect when you invoke a network-using app (e.g., “Send to Computer,” “View on TV,” or “Smart Remote…”) and even then only if the security/channel setup is compatible. Sony’s generic Wi-Fi troubleshooting pages hint at this flow. ([sony.co.uk]3)

---

Quick, targeted tests (fastest path to root cause)

A. Prove it’s the 2.4 GHz/auth combo

• Create a temporary test SSID on your phone hotspot with these exact settings:

  • Band: 2.4 GHz
  • Security: WPA2-PSK (AES) (or “WPA2” on Android)
  • Disable WPA3 and “WPA2/WPA3 mixed.”
  • Simple name/password (letters/numbers only), SSID visible.

• On the camera: delete old AP entries (Network → Access Point Set. → select SSID → Delete), then re-register to the test SSID.

• Watch your hotspot’s client list: if you no longer see SonyImagingDevice immediately drop, you’ve confirmed the auth/band issue.

B. If it still drops on the clean hotspot

• Set hotspot channel to 1, 6, or 11 (20 MHz width). Some cameras balk at auto/40 MHz.
• Turn off extras on the AP/hotspot just for the test: 802.11r/k/v, client isolation, MAC filtering, and “private address/Random MAC” on the phone you’re using to host.
• Try an open (no-password) SSID briefly. If that works, it’s 100% an auth/cipher mismatch.

C. Verify the intended control path

• For live-view/remote control, on the camera run: Menu → Applications → Application List → Smart Remote Embedded (or Ctrl w/ Smartphone on some firmware). That makes the camera broadcast its own SSID + password on screen. Join that from your controlling device and run your app against the camera’s API endpoint. (Many third-party controllers — e.g., Camrote — rely on this AP-mode flow.) ([helpguide.sony.net]2)

---

Router / hotspot checklist that typically fixes “register → instant disconnect”

• 2.4 GHz enabled; if SSID is dual-band, ensure the 2.4 GHz radio is actually on and not being band-steered. ([Backscatter.com]1)
• Security: WPA2-PSK (AES) only. Avoid WPA3 and WEP/TKIP.
• PMF/802.11w: set to Optional, not Required.
• Channel: 1/6/11, 20 MHz width.
• SSID visible, ASCII SSID/pass (no emojis/odd punctuation).
• DHCP enabled; no client isolation.
• Disable 802.11r (Fast Transition) and “Smart Connect/Band Steering” for the test.
• If using an Android hotspot, change “Security” to WPA2 (some defaults are WPA3 on newer Android).

---

About using your own control app with the a6000

• The a6000 exposes Sony’s Camera Remote API when Smart Remote is active (camera-AP mode). If your app expects the camera to be a station on your LAN, the a6000 generally won’t do that for remote control — you’d connect to the camera’s AP instead and hit its advertised service endpoint (mDNS/SSDP/UPnP). ([Stack Overflow]4)
• If you need LAN-mode control (camera joins an existing Wi-Fi), that’s better supported on newer bodies/SDK workflows; the a6000 era was PlayMemories/Smart Remote first. (Sony’s docs & help pages reflect this.) ([support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp]5)

---

If you still want the camera on your home Wi-Fi (for “Send to Computer,” DLNA, etc.)

1. Do the router settings above.
2. On the camera: Network → Access Point Set. → [Register] and add the 2.4 GHz WPA2 SSID again.
3. Start a feature that uses infrastructure Wi-Fi (e.g., Send to Computer or View on TV), otherwise it may just show “Registered” and never actively connect. ([sony.co.uk]6)

---

What I’d ask your tester to try (copy/paste friendly)

1. On phone hotspot: make new SSID test24 on 2.4 GHz, WPA2-PSK, simple password cam12345.
2. On camera: delete old AP entries; add test24 again.
3. If it still disconnects, set hotspot channel to 6, width 20 MHz, PMF Optional, no WPA3.
4. For remote control: launch Smart Remote Embedded on the camera and connect your phone to the camera’s SSID shown on the screen; then run the control app.

If any step fails, tell me exactly which one and what the screen shows — we can zero in from there.