Nikon Liveview when tethered (or not)

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 6:39 am

Here's what I would like:

a) small camera with high quality sensor, preferably compact rather than full frame
b) able to use a wire remote shutter
c) have Liveview (preferably with an HDMI connection to a remote screen)
d) use a USB tether to constantly dump images onto my hard drive.

My main macro camera used to be my D200, it met b & d
I tried some Panasonic G series bodies - met a,b and most of c but as soon as a USB conneciton is made the shutter is locked out.
Considered my D700 but it isn't exactly small and has a FF sensor so never really tried it.
Pondered long and hard and finally plumped for a Nikon D5000. Lovely:

- tested b

- tested c

- tested d

Tried c & d and

As soon as the USB connection is in place the LV is cancelled. Grrrrrrr. OK, it is a consumer grade body, perhaps my D700 will behave differently. Nope, as soon a USB is in, LV is out.

So, does this match anyone else's experience ? Am I missing some tiny detail in a setup menu somewhere ? It may be related to the fact that both these Nikon bodies (D700 and D5000) only have PTP mode via USB and can not switch to Mass Storage. So does anyone have a Nikon body which gives LV and Mass Storage mode on USB they could give feedback on ?

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:26 am

Andrew, get a Canon. The T1i is cheap and dependable and does all you want to do. It also comes with free tethering software and all kinds of other software.

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:10 am

.... and I said to myself "no point writing '... and don't just answer "buy a Canon" ' " because people usually give helpful advice !

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:14 am

So interestingly enough, Nikon CCP lets you run LV and shoot remotely and transfer images through a tether so I guess I'll be playing with the Nikon SDK and some scripts, that will also mean rewriting my stage control electronics and software so that will mean some late nights !

ChrisLilley · Post by **ChrisLilley** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:04 am

AndrewC wrote:So interestingly enough, Nikon CCP lets you run LV and shoot remotely and transfer images through a tether so I guess I'll be playing with the Nikon SDK and some scripts, that will also mean rewriting my stage control electronics and software so that will mean some late nights !

That is certainly an option, but the Nikon SDK has been out a while so there are already existing programs that use it.

For example Control My Nikon see in particular the feature comparison vs. NikonCamera Control Pro 2. Liveview can be displayed and zoomed on your computer screen via USB, as well as transferring images via USB (and controlling the lens over USB, if its a CPU, autofocus thingy).

It has integration with CombineZP, and can export in batch to other stacking software.

At ten bucks the price is right, too.

Oskar O · Post by **Oskar O** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:39 am

AndrewC wrote: So, does this match anyone else's experience ? Am I missing some tiny detail in a setup menu somewhere ? It may be related to the fact that both these Nikon bodies (D700 and D5000) only have PTP mode via USB and can not switch to Mass Storage. So does anyone have a Nikon body which gives LV and Mass Storage mode on USB they could give feedback on ?

Nikons have offered the option of having the USB as either PTP or mass storage since ancient times -- the D700 has it for sure and I would be surprised if the D5000 doesn't have it, so I'm probably missing something here. I'd play around a bit, but since I need to buy a new HDMI cable after I gave away my only one, I can't right now. The challenge in any camera would be to have both USB and HDMI output on at the same time, not a very common use case (outside this forum...), but it might well work with a little bit of digging.

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:56 am

Oskar O wrote:
AndrewC wrote: So, does this match anyone else's experience ? Am I missing some tiny detail in a setup menu somewhere ? It may be related to the fact that both these Nikon bodies (D700 and D5000) only have PTP mode via USB and can not switch to Mass Storage. So does anyone have a Nikon body which gives LV and Mass Storage mode on USB they could give feedback on ?
Nikons have offered the option of having the USB as either PTP or mass storage since ancient times -- the D700 has it for sure ....

Sure you're sure ?

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:59 am

ChrisLilley wrote:....
That is certainly an option, but the Nikon SDK has been out a while so there are already existing programs that use it.

.....

I was meaning more along the lines of integrate script functions from the SDK into a Visual Basic interface to control stage position, camera and image transfer. Right now I do it all out of a microcontroller with image transfer dumping out along the USB connection.

ControlmyNikon certainly seems to be many more bangs per buck than CCP2 so thanks for that link. EDIT: more like "reminder", apparently I installed it and tried it several weeks ago !

microcollector · Post by **microcollector** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:38 pm

I just checked on my D300 and it has both mass storage and PTP options. This is found in tools symbol in the menu screen.

Doug

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:58 pm

microcollector wrote:I just checked on my D300 and it has both mass storage and PTP options. This is found in tools symbol in the menu screen.

Doug

Hi Doug, I know where to "normally" find it

The selection just seems to have been depreciated on some newer models. I'm not even sure if it has anything to do with why LV turns itself off when you plug in a USB connection on the two cameras I have with LV (D700 and D5000). Could you maybe test on your D300 - see if LV works with and without the USB connection in either MS or PTP mode ?

Oskar O · Post by **Oskar O** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:01 pm

AndrewC wrote: Sure you're sure ?

My D70 and my D300 has it...

But to me it sounds that ControlMyNikon or the SDK is what you are ultimately after. Visual Basic...uuugh...my colleague has been working on some telescope control in Python on Windows and says that it all integrates very nicely. Not that this would change your methods, just that VB is, well, VB...

Chris S. · Post by **Chris S.** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 3:20 pm

Oskar O wrote:Nikons have offered the option of having the USB as either PTP or mass storage since ancient times -- the D700 has it for sure ....

AndrewC wrote:Sure you're sure ?

I was used to having this option on the D200, but have never been able to find it on the D700 (not found on camera, not found in manual, not found in Thom Hogan guide). I don't think the D700 has it, but would be quite happy if proven wrong.

g4lab · Post by **g4lab** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 3:25 pm

Andrew
In you a,b,c,d at the beginning of this post you did not include
mention of mirror lock up or electronic second curtain or what ever that is properly called.

I am watching all of this because sooner or later I will pop for some kind of camera with interchangeable lenses and I am still not clear on the Nikon
's ability to be triggered with the mirror locked up. Can you add anything along those lines. I have historically been a Nikon user but that is ancient history now. (ie. film.)

Chances are pretty good that I am not in enough of a hurry and the question might solve itself with some kind of EVIL camera.

Gene

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 4:10 pm

g4lab wrote:Andrew
In you a,b,c,d at the beginning of this post you did not include
mention of mirror lock up or electronic second curtain or what ever that is properly called.

I am watching all of this because sooner or later I will pop for some kind of camera with interchangeable lenses and I am still not clear on the Nikon
's ability to be triggered with the mirror locked up. Can you add anything along those lines. I have historically been a Nikon user but that is ancient history now. (ie. film.)

Chances are pretty good that I am not in enough of a hurry and the question might solve itself with some kind of EVIL camera.

Gene

Hi Gene, I waited for Nikon to go EVIL for a long time, but they just stayed slightly wicked ! I used to have M-up high on my list, same for electronic second which what, but then I shoot with flash rather than continuous light so it doesn't seem to trouble me much. The D5000 does have a 1 sec mirror delay you can use which probably has some effect. On the Nikon bodies which do have M-Up it seems impossible to use it when controlling through USB (you can if you use an electronic remote and just "shoot" twice").

AndrewC · Post by **AndrewC** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 4:17 pm

Chris S. wrote:
Oskar O wrote:Nikons have offered the option of having the USB as either PTP or mass storage since ancient times -- the D700 has it for sure ....

AndrewC wrote:Sure you're sure ?
I was used to having this option on the D200, but have never been able to find it on the D700 (not found on camera, not found in manual, not found in Thom Hogan guide). I don't think the D700 has it, but would be quite happy if proven wrong.

I'm approximately 99.99999999% sure that it doesn't exist on the D700 or D5000 or D7000 or ....

In the grand scheme of things, it probably makes no difference - PTP mode is what you would use anyway if you want to remote control into the camera through USB.

Control My Nikon seems incredible value for money, and you can easily speak to it through a Phidget to trigger the camera.