Sony

Sony action cameras create wide-angle, high-quality images. They are durable, easy to mount, and have good battery life.

Recommended devices

Sony devices that are compatible with the Mapillary include:

• FDR-X3000
• HDR-AS300
• HDR-AS200

First time Sony setup

Equipment needed

• Recommended Sony camera
• Sony cam suction cup mount
• Sandisk 128GB microSDXC card
• Sony Live Remote  + air vent magnetic car mount
• External charging pack or compatible car charger 

Device setup

1. Fully charge both the camera and live remote prior to capturing.
2. Insert SD card and power on the device.
3. Set the time and date:
• https://helpguide.sony.net/cam/1640/v1/en/contents/TP0000912355.html
4. Change camera settings:
• Turn on time lapse capture mode: https://helpguide.sony.net/cam/1640/v1/en/contents/TP0000912384.html
• Set time-lapse capture image size to 4k for FDR-X3000 cameras and HDR-AS300 cameras: https://helpguide.sony.net/cam/1640/v1/en/contents/TP0000960290.html
• Set time-lapse shooting interval to  (1 second): https://helpguide.sony.net/cam/1640/v1/en/contents/TP0000912365.html
• Set time-lapse shot number to  (continues to shoot images until manually stopped): https://helpguide.sony.net/cam/1640/v1/en/contents/TP0000960294.html 
• For capturing images when the camera is mounted upside down to the windshield only, change the flip settings to allow upside down recording: https://helpguide.sony.net/cam/1640/v1/en/contents/TP0000912378.html
5. Connect Sony Live Remote for live preview:
• Sony Live Remote: https://helpguide.sony.net/cam/1640/v1/en/contents/TP0000912339.html

Mounting

• You can mount your Sony on your windshield and on the outside of your car.
• To mount your Sony on the windshield of your car:
1. You can use a suction mount to attach your camera.
2. Place your camera on the windshield, press the suction mount to the window and lift suction to tighten.
3. Connect your Sony camera and Live Remote to external battery power or car charger.
4. After mounting, use the Sony Live Remote to ensure that:
   • The field of view is level with the horizon
   • The camera does not show too much of the car hood or skyline.
   • The rearview mirror and other car components are not in the way.
    
• To mount your Sony on the outside of your car:
  1. You can use a suction mount or bracket mount (if you have a roof rack bar you can fasten your camera to that).
  2. Suction mounts:
     • Clean the surface of the vehicle off first.
     • Press mount to clean vehicle roof and lift suction to tighten.
     • Level camera angle using ball mount.
  3. Bracket mounts:
     • Place the bracket on your roof rack bar.
     • Fasten and secure the bracket tightly so it does not move while driving.
     • Level camera angle using ball mount.
  4. Connect your Sony camera and Live Remote to external battery power or car charger.
  5. After mounting, use the Sony Live Remote to ensure that:
     • The field of view is level with the horizon
     • The camera does not show too much of the car hood or skyline.
     • The rearview mirror and other car components are not in the way.

Capturing Mapillary imagery using Sony

1. Be sure to implement the above Mapillary capture settings
2. Conduct a final check: making sure all of the following settings are active:
• Interval mode
• Repeat infinity
• 4k resolution for FDR-X3000 and HDR-AS300
• Wide angle
• GPS and WiFi on
3. Press the red record button on either the action cam or the Live Remote to initiate capturing.
4. Capture imagery while driving for as long as you please, then press the red record button again on the action or the Live Remote.

Note:

• Best practices for capturing:
• Avoid capturing at night and when it is actively raining or snowing.
• Avoid capturing too much of your vehicle hood, the sky, and the ground.
• Be sure to fully charge your device before capturing and charge it throughout the duration of your capture session.

Upload Sony imagery to Mapillary

The best method for uploading Sony imagery to Mapillary is the Mapillary Desktop Uploader, available for macOS and Windows. 

1. Download the imagery you captured to your computer.
2. Download the Desktop Uploader and run the file.
3. Once you’ve installed the Desktop Uploader, open it and sign in with your Mapillary login credentials. You can’t use the application without signing in, so if you don’t have an account yet, be sure to first create an account. 
4. Drag and drop or browse for a folder that contains your images (to avoid errors, please make sure the folder name doesn't contain special characters).
• Note: You can’t add individual images, just folders. You can only add one folder at a time. However, the folders can contain subfolders—the uploader is capable of handling that.
5. When you’ve added a folder, the images it contains will be pre-processed and you will see their locations displayed on the map. At this stage, the images are not yet uploaded.
• Note: If you’re trying to add a folder that contains images which have already been processed previously, the uploader will remember that and prompt you to resume the upload.
6. Click on "Upload" to upload the imagery to Mapillary. It normally takes a few hours to process, after which you should be able to see your imagery on the Mapillary platform.
7. For more help with the Desktop Uploader, see the respective article.

Upload Sony imagery using other methods

• Command Line Tools