How to access my camera in a batch file?

Hi all,

Using W10 pro 64b.
I have two camera's, from which I like to download the files with a
batch file. Both, one after the other, are connected with a USB cable.
With my Olympus camera it's a piece of cake: its CF card gets the letter
H: (the first available) and is easy accessable on file level from the
command processor.
From my Nikon camera this won't work. In "This PC" it shows up as a
D5100 device. It's path shows as: This PC\D5100\Removable
storage\DCIM\100D5100. But it doesn't get a drive letter, and hence is
not accessible on file level from the command processor. How can I
achieve to obtain the files from this camera in a batch file?
BTW, I use the JPSoft TCC/LE as command processor, writing btm files.

Thanks beforehand.

Fokke

Fokke Nauta wrote:
Hi all,

Using W10 pro 64b.
I have two camera's, from which I like to download the files with a
batch file. Both, one after the other, are connected with a USB cable.
With my Olympus camera it's a piece of cake: its CF card gets the letter
H: (the first available) and is easy accessable on file level from the
command processor.
From my Nikon camera this won't work. In "This PC" it shows up as a
D5100 device. It's path shows as: This PC\D5100\Removable
storage\DCIM\100D5100. But it doesn't get a drive letter, and hence is
not accessible on file level from the command processor. How can I
achieve to obtain the files from this camera in a batch file?
BTW, I use the JPSoft TCC/LE as command processor, writing btm files.

Thanks beforehand.

Fokke

My suspicion is your Nikon is using MTP, rather than USB Mass Storage.

You'll need to Google for an MTP-based method, whatever it might
happen to be.

You'll need to do an I/O survey of the camera, to find out
if there's a better way (Wifi file share???).

When you plug in the Nikon, with this program running, you
may be able to tell by the information in the right-pane, as
to what protocol the Nikon is using at the moment. It's my guess
that you'll see MTP (as it's the less convenient option, versus
the USB Mass Storage your other camera is using).

https://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtreeview_e.html

MTP exists to provide a DRM platform, and prevent Hollywood
content from being transferred to mobile devices (when the
"Do Not Copy" bit is set). For a camera, where the content is
all locally produced, there's hardly a point to be running
this protocol. This would be a reason for me to reject
the purchase of such an item. When I plug my current camera in, it
stops being a camera, and switches to being an "external USB
mass storage drive". And I have easy access as such.

Paul

Paul wrote:

Fokke Nauta wrote:

From my Nikon camera this won't work. In "This PC" it shows up as a
D5100 device. It's path shows as: This PC\D5100\Removable
storage\DCIM\100D5100. But it doesn't get a drive letter

My suspicion is your Nikon is using MTP, rather than USB Mass Storage.

Quite likely.

I've never used this, but it claims to give MTP devices a drive letter

http://www.mtpdrive.com/index.html

On 20/04/2018 09:27, Fokke Nauta wrote:
Hi all,

Using W10 pro 64b.
I have two camera's, from which I like to download the files with a
batch file. Both, one after the other, are connected with a USB cable.
With my Olympus camera it's a piece of cake: its CF card gets the letter
H: (the first available) and is easy accessable on file level from the
command processor.
From my Nikon camera this won't work. In "This PC" it shows up as a
D5100 device. It's path shows as: This PC\D5100\Removable
storage\DCIM\100D5100. But it doesn't get a drive letter, and hence is
not accessible on file level from the command processor. How can I
achieve to obtain the files from this camera in a batch file?
BTW, I use the JPSoft TCC/LE as command processor, writing btm files.

Thanks beforehand.

Fokke

Hi all,

Thanks both for your help.
I went searching on the internet. Found out that this camera has no Mass
Strorage support but uses PTP protocol. I downloaded PTP Driver (trial)
and this works - the camera now got a dive letter. I purchased it to
enable to have the drive letter assigned automatically. Costs $ 29,95.
Yet waiting for the license key.

Fokke

Fokke Nauta wrote:

Fokke Nauta wrote:

Using W10 pro 64b.
I have two camera's, from which I like to download the files with a
batch file. Both, one after the other, are connected with a USB cable.
With my Olympus camera it's a piece of cake: its CF card gets the letter
H: (the first available) and is easy accessable on file level from the
command processor.
From my Nikon camera this won't work. In "This PC" it shows up as a
D5100 device. It's path shows as: This PC\D5100\Removable
storage\DCIM\100D5100. But it doesn't get a drive letter, and hence is
not accessible on file level from the command processor. How can I
achieve to obtain the files from this camera in a batch file?
BTW, I use the JPSoft TCC/LE as command processor, writing btm files.

I went searching on the internet. Found out that this camera has no Mass
Strorage support but uses PTP protocol. I downloaded PTP Driver (trial)
and this works - the camera now got a dive letter. I purchased it to
enable to have the drive letter assigned automatically. Costs $ 29,95.
Yet waiting for the license key.

For my old cameras that only supported PTP (not MTP), the camera maker
included software that allowed access to the pics on the camera via USB.

You did not directly state the model of your Nikon camera. From your
description of the UNC path, my guess is for a model D5100. Found it
at:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-pr...ras/d5100.html

I could not find any software for that model at their web site, just
download for the manual. In the manual, I only found DCF listed for the
file system supported by the camera.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design...ra_File_system

DCF alone meant you had to install protocol conversion driver to read
the camera's storage on another computer. In the manual, there was no
hits on searching for PTP:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_Transfer_Protocol

or of MTP:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Transfer_Protocol

DCF was defined back around 1998. The last version was defined back in
2010. That was maybe a year before when the Nikon D5100 got released
for sale. In 2013, Nikon had a huge price reduction on the D5100 to
clear out their inventory in preparation for releasing the D5200.

Windows has had support for MSC (Mass Storage device Class) since
Windows 2000 to handle USB-attached devices to make them look like
drives. However, being classed as a mass storage device does not
automatically guarantee a drive letter will get assigned to the device
and probably why you are seeing a UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) path
to the device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_(...ing_Convention

As I guessed, and after reading the manual for the Nikon D5100, you MUST
install the software that was supplied with the camera to have that
driver know how to interface with the camera to access files on the
camera. The manual says:

Connecting to a Computer
page 137
Supplied Software
'ViewNX 2 includes a "Nikon Transfer 2" function for copying pictures
from the camera to the computer, where ViewNX 2 can be used to view
and print selected images or edit photographs and movies.'

Page 67 describes using the ViewNX 2 software.

Since the software isn't available for download from their site
(probably because their digital cameras have supported PTP or MTP for a
long time and the D5100 is probably considered a discontinued product),
you'll have to call them to see if their ViewNX 2 software is still
available or use software that can access files via UNC pathing. For
the ViewNX 2 software, I suspect it doesn't provide a drive letter or
allow access outside of that software. That is, you directly interface
with their software to access the files on the camera.

I didn't bother reading through the manual to see if there was a means
of choosing different file protocols or conversions for USB data
transfer. You would have to see if the ViewNX 2 software got the camera
assigned a drive letter or not. From what I've seen online from other
users, advice about the software is "don't waste your time"; however,
most users probably find UNC pathing a sufficient method to access the
files on the camera. Also, maybe that software has the PTP driver
needed to interface with that camera. $30 for a PTP driver seems damn
expensive.

If you have a card reader, you could remove the SD memory card from the
camera and put it into the card reader. The slots in the memory reader
already get their own drive letter assignments whether there are cards
in those slots or not (which irritates some users with a list of empty
drives in Windows/File Explorer).

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...age/ptp-driver
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/ff546438(v=vs.96)

This makes it look like Windows comes with a PTP-to-WIA driver.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...g-a-ptp-camera

So I have to wonder if there is a connection "mode" select in the camera
to pick PTP, MTP, or other file transfer mode.

Was your Windows 10 installation an upgrade from a prior version of
Windows or did you perform a fresh install? Upgrading brings along a
lot of pollution from the old OS. It can also bring along INF
minidriver definitions that are inappropriate or invalid for the new OS.

On 20/04/2018 14:15, VanguardLH wrote:
Fokke Nauta wrote:

cut

For my old cameras that only supported PTP (not MTP), the camera maker
included software that allowed access to the pics on the camera via USB.

You did not directly state the model of your Nikon camera. From your
description of the UNC path, my guess is for a model D5100. Found it
at:

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-pr...ras/d5100.html

It is the D5100 indeed. I use it for indoor photography, next to my
Olympus E-520 kit for outdoor photography.

I could not find any software for that model at their web site, just
download for the manual.

There are no drivers or whatsoever. The camera is dicontinued.

In the manual, I only found DCF listed for the
file system supported by the camera.

And PTP!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design...ra_File_system

DCF alone meant you had to install protocol conversion driver to read
the camera's storage on another computer. In the manual, there was no
hits on searching for PTP:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_Transfer_Protocol

or of MTP:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Transfer_Protocol

Both links are very interesting. Never was aware of this!

DCF was defined back around 1998. The last version was defined back in
2010. That was maybe a year before when the Nikon D5100 got released
for sale. In 2013, Nikon had a huge price reduction on the D5100 to
clear out their inventory in preparation for releasing the D5200.

Windows has had support for MSC (Mass Storage device Class) since
Windows 2000 to handle USB-attached devices to make them look like
drives. However, being classed as a mass storage device does not
automatically guarantee a drive letter will get assigned to the device
and probably why you are seeing a UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) path
to the device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_(...ing_Convention

Interesting as well! Though I'm familiar with Windows and quite familiar
with Unix.

As I guessed, and after reading the manual for the Nikon D5100, you MUST
install the software that was supplied with the camera to have that
driver know how to interface with the camera to access files on the
camera. The manual says:

Connecting to a Computer
page 137
Supplied Software
'ViewNX 2 includes a "Nikon Transfer 2" function for copying pictures
from the camera to the computer, where ViewNX 2 can be used to view
and print selected images or edit photographs and movies.'

Page 67 describes using the ViewNX 2 software.

I didn't want to install ViewNX 2 as I thought it should be overkill.

Since the software isn't available for download from their site
(probably because their digital cameras have supported PTP or MTP for a
long time and the D5100 is probably considered a discontinued product),
you'll have to call them to see if their ViewNX 2 software is still
available or use software that can access files via UNC pathing. For
the ViewNX 2 software, I suspect it doesn't provide a drive letter or
allow access outside of that software. That is, you directly interface
with their software to access the files on the camera.

I didn't bother reading through the manual to see if there was a means
of choosing different file protocols or conversions for USB data
transfer. You would have to see if the ViewNX 2 software got the camera
assigned a drive letter or not.

I didn't bother to try as I thought it wouldn't assign a drive letter.

From what I've seen online from other
users, advice about the software is "don't waste your time"; however,
most users probably find UNC pathing a sufficient method to access the
files on the camera. Also, maybe that software has the PTP driver
needed to interface with that camera. $30 for a PTP driver seems damn
expensive.

If you have a card reader, you could remove the SD memory card from the
camera and put it into the card reader. The slots in the memory reader
already get their own drive letter assignments whether there are cards
in those slots or not (which irritates some users with a list of empty
drives in Windows/File Explorer).

I do have a card reader, but connecting the camera by USB is a bit easier.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...age/ptp-driver
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/ff546438(v=vs.96)

This makes it look like Windows comes with a PTP-to-WIA driver.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...g-a-ptp-camera

So I have to wonder if there is a connection "mode" select in the camera
to pick PTP, MTP, or other file transfer mode.

There is no option for this available in the menu of the camera.
I found out the camera uses PTP. I found the PTPDriver software, which I
installed - free, with some limitations. It worked well, apart from the
limitations, and I just purchased the full version, $ 29,95. Now waiting
fo the key.

Was your Windows 10 installation an upgrade from a prior version of
Windows or did you perform a fresh install?

It was a fresh install. I don't like this sort of upgrades. One should
always install an O.S. fresh, to my opinion.

Upgrading brings along a
lot of pollution from the old OS. It can also bring along INF
minidriver definitions that are inappropriate or invalid for the new OS.

Fokke Nauta wrote:
Hi all,

Using W10 pro 64b.
I have two camera's, from which I like to download the files with a
batch file. Both, one after the other, are connected with a USB cable.
With my Olympus camera it's a piece of cake: its CF card gets the letter
H: (the first available) and is easy accessable on file level from the
command processor.
From my Nikon camera this won't work. In "This PC" it shows up as a
D5100 device. It's path shows as: This PC\D5100\Removable
storage\DCIM\100D5100. But it doesn't get a drive letter, and hence is
not accessible on file level from the command processor. How can I
achieve to obtain the files from this camera in a batch file?
BTW, I use the JPSoft TCC/LE as command processor, writing btm files.

Thanks beforehand.


Nikon D5100 doesn't support USB mass storage mode, many cameras don't
like my Canon Rebel XT. What I do is use a card reader

https://www.google.com/search?q=USB+3.0+card+reader


Using a reader is munch faster than using the camera, and it will be
mass storage mode!

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

In article , VanguardLH
wrote:

Using W10 pro 64b.
I have two camera's, from which I like to download the files with a
batch file. Both, one after the other, are connected with a USB cable.
With my Olympus camera it's a piece of cake: its CF card gets the letter
H: (the first available) and is easy accessable on file level from the
command processor.
From my Nikon camera this won't work. In "This PC" it shows up as a
D5100 device. It's path shows as: This PC\D5100\Removable
storage\DCIM\100D5100. But it doesn't get a drive letter, and hence is
not accessible on file level from the command processor. How can I
achieve to obtain the files from this camera in a batch file?
BTW, I use the JPSoft TCC/LE as command processor, writing btm files.

I went searching on the internet. Found out that this camera has no Mass
Strorage support but uses PTP protocol. I downloaded PTP Driver (trial)
and this works - the camera now got a dive letter. I purchased it to
enable to have the drive letter assigned automatically. Costs $ 29,95.
Yet waiting for the license key.

For my old cameras that only supported PTP (not MTP), the camera maker
included software that allowed access to the pics on the camera via USB.

the software bundled with cameras is rarely, if ever needed and usually
garbage.

camera makers are good at making cameras but not so good at writing
apps. software developers are good at writing apps but not so good at
designing and building hardware.

You did not directly state the model of your Nikon camera. From your
description of the UNC path, my guess is for a model D5100.

it's very clear it's a nikon d5100.

I could not find any software for that model at their web site, just
download for the manual.

there is no software specific for that camera, nor is any needed.

In the manual, I only found DCF listed for the
file system supported by the camera.

that's standard for just about every digital camera since the late '90s.

DCF alone meant you had to install protocol conversion driver to read
the camera's storage on another computer. In the manual, there was no
hits on searching for PTP:

complete nonsense.

i've owned numerous digital cameras over the years and never once have
had to install *anything* to access photos.

DCF was defined back around 1998. The last version was defined back in
2010. That was maybe a year before when the Nikon D5100 got released
for sale.

irrelevant.

In 2013, Nikon had a huge price reduction on the D5100 to
clear out their inventory in preparation for releasing the D5200.

there's nothing unusual about that. whenever a new model is released,
the previous model goes on sale. some people take advantage of that and
buy the previous model at a discount if they don't need the latest and
greatest. this applies to more than just cameras.



As I guessed, and after reading the manual for the Nikon D5100, you MUST
install the software that was supplied with the camera to have that
driver know how to interface with the camera to access files on the
camera.

absolutely false.

In article , Fokke Nauta
wrote:

I could not find any software for that model at their web site, just
download for the manual.

There are no drivers or whatsoever. The camera is dicontinued.

that's because no drivers are needed.

if they were, they'd be available even after the product has been
discontinued.

Page 67 describes using the ViewNX 2 software.

I didn't want to install ViewNX 2 as I thought it should be overkill.

there's no need to install viewnx just to copy photos from the camera.

you might want to use it for other reasons, although it's slow and not
particularly good. there are *much* better options.

If you have a card reader, you could remove the SD memory card from the
camera and put it into the card reader. The slots in the memory reader
already get their own drive letter assignments whether there are cards
in those slots or not (which irritates some users with a list of empty
drives in Windows/File Explorer).

I do have a card reader, but connecting the camera by USB is a bit easier.

and also *much* slower.

So I have to wonder if there is a connection "mode" select in the camera
to pick PTP, MTP, or other file transfer mode.

There is no option for this available in the menu of the camera.
I found out the camera uses PTP. I found the PTPDriver software, which I
installed - free, with some limitations. It worked well, apart from the
limitations, and I just purchased the full version, $ 29,95. Now waiting
fo the key.

you wasted your money. there is no need to install anything.

Was your Windows 10 installation an upgrade from a prior version of
Windows or did you perform a fresh install?

It was a fresh install. I don't like this sort of upgrades. One should
always install an O.S. fresh, to my opinion.

only if one enjoys making things more difficult than they need to be.

In article , Wolf K
wrote:

Thanks both for your help.
I went searching on the internet. Found out that this camera has no Mass
Strorage support but uses PTP protocol. I downloaded PTP Driver (trial)
and this works - the camera now got a dive letter. I purchased it to
enable to have the drive letter assigned automatically. Costs $ 29,95.
Yet waiting for the license key.

And thanks for the unintended heads up. I'm mulling over a new DSLR, and
was thinking of Nikon because I then could use my old Nikon lens with
it.

if you have existing nikon lenses, then stay with nikon.

Our current cameras are all Canon plus a Samsung GS5 phone. No
hassles, just plug 'em in and copy the pictures.

the same with any camera these days. it can even be automated, and for
the phone, copying can even be done via the cloud so you don't need to
plug it into the computer when you get home. the photos are already
there. some non-phone cameras have wifi and can sync without a cable.

On Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:15:38 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:


If you have a card reader, you could remove the SD memory card from the
camera and put it into the card reader.



And if your computer doesn't have a built-in card reader, you can buy
a USB card reader. They are very inexpensive. It's what I use all the
time.

On Fri, 20 Apr 2018 15:27:17 +0200, Fokke Nauta
wrote:



I didn't want to install ViewNX 2 as I thought it should be overkill.

The latest version is called ViewNXi. You would have saved yourself
some cash if you had installed it because it includes something called
Nikon Transfer 2 which I guess would have achieved your objective. You
could have installed the whole package and uninstalled ViewNXi,
keeping the transfer program.

In article , Wolf K
wrote:


And thanks for the unintended heads up. I'm mulling over a new DSLR, and
was thinking of Nikon because I then could use my old Nikon lens with
it.

if you have existing nikon lenses, then stay with nikon.

Our current cameras are all Canon plus a Samsung GS5 phone. No
hassles, just plug 'em in and copy the pictures.

the same with any camera these days. it can even be automated, and for
the phone, copying can even be done via the cloud so you don't need to
plug it into the computer when you get home. the photos are already
there. some non-phone cameras have wifi and can sync without a cable.

Timely advice.

I won't use cloud storage, sorry.

your loss.

keep in mind that many people incorrectly assume 'the cloud' means
servers owned by google, microsoft, apple, amazon, facebook, flickr,
dropbox, etc., and dismiss it outright because they don't want photos
on their servers, a position which i share.

however, 'the cloud' can *also* mean a personal cloud, which is hosted
on one's own computer and which is kept inside their house or office
(or optionally colocated). it takes a bit of effort to set up, but once
that's done, it works rather well.

or, 'the cloud' could simply be wifi sync when the camera is within
range of one's own home wifi network.

Just looked at a sale flyer. Pretty well all cameras on offer have
wi-fi, some also NFC. All can take 1080p, more and more can take 4K
video. Some can be switched between RAW and JPG.

some cameras do have wifi, but it's not as useful as one might think.
it's mostly for wireless tethering or to copy photos to a phone (set up
via nfc/btle).

as for raw, an slr that *doesn't* shoot raw would be a complete joke.

FWIW, the Samsung GS5 phone is very good in low-light situations. Fact
is, I don't _need_ a DSLR. For all the usual stuff, the phone and two of
the other cameras are more than good enough. In any case, it's not the
gear, it's how you see what may be worth a photo. I just _want_ a
DSLR.... :-)

there's nothing wrong with that.

slrs certainly have their place, and for some situations, they are the
only option, such as being able to use a lens that is not available
with a phone. they are also *much* better in low light than a phone
camera could ever hope to be.

however, a cellphone camera is 'good enough' for most photos and most
people aren't going to pixel peep anyway.

as the saying goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. a
cellphone camera fits in a pocket. an slr doesn't (unless you have a
photo vest with large pockets).

OTOH, my wife does need a new camera, the old one can't handle
borderline situations well enough, eg, fill-flash for back-lighted
people is too often a problem.

that's a difficult situation for many cameras and many photographers.

In article , Wolf K
wrote:

or, 'the cloud' could simply be wifi sync when the camera is within
range of one's own home wifi network.

Interesting use of 'cloud'.

what else would you call it when there are no cables involved?

Just looked at a sale flyer. Pretty well all cameras on offer have
wi-fi, some also NFC. All can take 1080p, more and more can take 4K
video. Some can be switched between RAW and JPG.

some cameras do have wifi, but it's not as useful as one might think.
it's mostly for wireless tethering or to copy photos to a phone (set up
via nfc/btle).

as for raw, an slr that *doesn't* shoot raw would be a complete joke.

I'm aware of that. It's the switching to other formats that I find
interesting.

switching to what other formats?

FWIW, the Samsung GS5 phone is very good in low-light situations. Fact
is, I don't _need_ a DSLR. For all the usual stuff, the phone and two of
the other cameras are more than good enough. In any case, it's not the
gear, it's how you see what may be worth a photo. I just _want_ a
DSLR.... :-)

there's nothing wrong with that.

There is when there's more fun stuff you want than you can afford... ;-)

photography is not a cheap hobby

nevertheless, there are very capable slrs and lenses that are not that
expensive.

slrs certainly have their place, and for some situations, they are the
only option, such as being able to use a lens that is not available
with a phone. they are also *much* better in low light than a phone
camera could ever hope to be.

however, a cellphone camera is 'good enough' for most photos and most
people aren't going to pixel peep anyway.

http://www.samsung.com/in/smartphones/galaxy-s9/

it's still a smartphone camera with a small sensor and tiny lens.

in other words, there's no getting around the laws of physics.

shoot the same photos side by side with an slr and compare results,
particularly ones in *very* low light, so low that you can barely even
see. the difference will be very noticeable.

whether it's worth carrying an slr for the additional quality depends
on the situation. sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.

Fokke Nauta wrote:

I do have a card reader, but connecting the camera by USB is a bit easier.

That's what I thought, too, when I got the first few digital cameras.
It is easier for file transfer except that for some, maybe many, cameras
their battery gets drained while the USB cable is attached. They don't
get power via the USB cable from the computer. They activate their USB
mode (camera powers up) but use the camera's battery.

I'd end up forgetting to disconnect the USB cable after doing the file
transfer and the camera's battery would die. If rechargeable then out
they'd come and into the charger; else, toss the dead ones and put in
new ones. Having to replace/recharge the batteries obviates the
ease-of-use with the USB cable versus moving the SD card to a card
reader in the computer.

I wasn't aware the camera battery was getting drained until after the
first couple times of using the USB cable. Hmm, the battery is dead but
then maybe it was already weak. Next time, battery went dead but I just
put in fresh batteries. Learned to do the file transfer and then unplug
the USB cable so the camera would shut off. However, file transfer
seems very slow. Transferring a week's worth of vacation pics where I
got ridiculous on pic count would take a long time during which the
camera's battery was draining.

Don't know what digital cameras do nowadays about whether or not they
use the +5V power via USB cable. My last digital camera broke after
getting doused in an unbelievably hard down pour (hard to even breathe)
that hit so fast that I didn't know it was coming. Haven't bothered
buying any more since then. Photography hasn't much of a passion and
never a profession to me.