I've been using the Nikon Wireless Transfer Utility, a.k.a. Nikon Transfer 2, to move images to my Windows laptop when I don't have so many to move. (A USB cable is faster and also charges the battery, but wireless transfer is more convenient.)
I'm trying to move all my computer activity to a Linux Mint (Cinnamon version) computer so I can eventually replace Windows with Linux on the laptop. I have Linux versions or substitutes for most of my apps, and for those with no good substitute yet the Windows programs run just fine under wine.
I managed to install the Nikon apps Studio and Wireless Transfer Utility by running the installers in wine, and the WTU setup program also runs in wine. I can connect the computer's WiFi to the camera's WiFi. But there the success stops. On Windows, once a connection is established the computer apparently brings up a background connection program (unless Windoze is off in its own dreamworld), the network icon on the camera's screen turns green, and I can transfer pics from the camera. On the Linux computer that last connection never seems to happen. The background program would seem to need wine as its default launcher, but I'm not sure yet what that program is.
Have any of you managed to do this on a Linux computer?
The Windows implementation uses a Nikon-installed service named "NkPtpEnumWT3" to facilitate the transfer of files via PTP from the camera. I don't believe there's any way to natively run Windows service under Linux (even with Wine) but you might be able to get it to work with a Windows VM using VirtualBox.
If you don't want to do that you can try my AirNef utility, which uses the same PTP protocol to transfer files from the camera. It was originally designed in the pre-Z days but it can be made to work with Z camera but with some acrobatics turning WiFi on/off that might be too cumbersome. Here's the link:
snapsy wrote:
Lastly, if you have a newer Nikon camera with FTP support I would recommend that instead. It's faster and more reliable than the PTP mechanism.
Thank you. I may try your PTP program if I get adventurous enough. I tried an FTP connection but no luck so far. Setting it up on the camera (Z5ii) isn't intuitive. But there are several things I need to try before throwing my hands up in surrender. I can always revert to a cable connection but sometimes wireless is so much more convenient.
jimmuller wrote:
Thank you. I may try your PTP program if I get adventurous enough. I tried an FTP connection but no luck so far. Setting it up on the camera (Z5ii) isn't intuitive. But there are several things I need to try before throwing my hands up in surrender. I can always revert to a cable connection but sometimes wireless is so much more convenient.
Did you set up an FTP server on the computer (Linux)? That's the more involved part but there should be some online guides that step you through it. It's definitely worth the effort.
snapsy wrote:
Did you set up an FTP server on the computer (Linux)? That's the more involved part but there should be some online guides that step you through it. It's definitely worth the effort.
Oh yes. I've used it to transfer files between my laptop to the Linux machine. But I may not have done the connection right from the camera.
FWIW, I refuse to put anything on the cloud. In the cloud? At the cloud? Whatever the correct prerposition should be.
jimmuller wrote:
Oh yes. I've used it to transfer files between my laptop to the Linux machine. But I may not have done the connection right from the camera.
FWIW, I refuse to put anything on the cloud. In the cloud? At the cloud? Whatever the correct prerposition should be.
I assume it got past the WiFi part and is giving you grief about the FTP login? What error are you getting? Did you setup a separate FTP user for the camera or use your regular Linux login? (Or anonymous?)
snapsy wrote:
I assume it got past the WiFi part and is giving you grief about the FTP login? What error are you getting? Did you setup a separate FTP user for the camera or use your regular Linux login? (Or anonymous?)
Ah, well, you see, I'm getting no message at all. Which is to say nothing happens. I'm using the same user name and password I use for connecting my Windows machine to Linux. But the thing is, I probably didn't set up the camera correctly. There is no reason to think the Linux is on the camera's WiFi.
F'rinstance, when I go to the Connect By FTP page I see Configure and Options. Not sure what each does. So I figured I need to create a profile. When it was finished it showed three (!) connection possibilities, whereas Connect To Computer shows only 1. What the'? (How do I get rid of one I don't want?) I tried starting two of them, but neither one showed up in the Linux connection options. When I do Connect To Computer the Windows machine shows Nikon-something-or-other as a WiFi to select.
Oh well, I can always transfer files by pulling the SD card, and I have to connect to USB every so often to charge the battery anyway.
It's certainly not wireless, but if you do go the SD card route, I'm a huge fan of Rapid Photo Downloader. It truly is rapid and remembers what you've already transferred.
You might be better off asking this question over at pixls.us which is all about open source photography.
jimmuller wrote:
Ah, well, you see, I'm getting no message at all. Which is to say nothing happens. I'm using the same user name and password I use for connecting my Windows machine to Linux. But the thing is, I probably didn't set up the camera correctly. There is no reason to think the Linux is on the camera's WiFi.
F'rinstance, when I go to the Connect By FTP page I see Configure and Options. Not sure what each does. So I figured I need to create a profile. When it was finished it showed three (!) connection possibilities, whereas Connect To Computer shows only 1. What the'? (How do I get rid of one I don't want?) I tried starting two of them, but neither one showed up in the Linux connection options. When I do Connect To Computer the Windows machine shows Nikon-something-or-other as a WiFi to select.
Oh well, I can always transfer files by pulling the SD card, and I have to connect to USB every so often to charge the battery anyway....Show more →
You want the camera to use your home router (infrastructure mode) rather than creating its own ad hoc network, ie both the camera and computer will talk to each other through your home WiFi network rather than through an ad hoc direct connection.
Delete all your existing network profiles in the camera and follow these steps in the camera:
Connect to FTP Server -> Network settings -> Create profile -> Connection wizard.
Name the profile, then press OK
Select "Search for Wi-Fi network" and press OK
Select the SSID of your home WiFi Network
Enter your WiFi password, press OK
@jimmuller I too love the convenience of wireless transfer, but recently migrated to a more convenient setup. Do you have a smart NAS in your house? You can install an FTP server on it. When I shoot this way, I don't need my laptop or my desktop to be turned on. The NAS is up and running 24/7. When I'm done shooting, open the laptop and I see the files on the network share.
snapsy wrote:
You want the camera to use your home router (infrastructure mode) rather than creating its own ad hoc network, ie both the camera and computer will talk to each other through your home WiFi network rather than through an ad hoc direct connection.
That seems to have worked. Thank you. What the user manual doesn't say is what connects to what. Direct To Computer and FTP do it in opposite directions. Also not stated (though maybe it is and I just fell asleep trying to find it) is how manual setup differs from the setup wizard.
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old-gregg wrote:
@jimmuller@ I too love the convenience of wireless transfer, but recently migrated to a more convenient setup. Do you have a smart NAS in your house?
No NAS but my Linux computer has an FTP server running and I have a folder that syncs between it and the laptop.
jimmuller wrote:
That seems to have worked. Thank you. What the user manual doesn't say is what connects to what. Direct To Computer and FTP do it in opposite directions. Also not stated (though maybe it is and I just fell asleep trying to find it) is how manual setup differs from the setup wizard.
Cheers!
Great, congrats! You'll probably want to set Auto Upload ON - that will tag every photo for upload as they're taken. If you're connected to the FTP server at the time of shooting then it'll be immediately started/queued for upload, otherwise it'll automatically be uploaded the next time you connect to the FTP server.
If you'd prefer to tag individual photos then you can press "i" during playback to queue individual images for upload. You can also assign a Fn button to do the same.
Instead of tagging photos for upload you can alternatively use the "Upload folder" option to upload the contents of an entire folder.
One annoyance about Nikon's FTP functionality - while you're connected to a server, it disables the Power-off delay functionality - I guess Nikon felt that if you're connected to a server you'd never want the camera to enter idle sleep. I prefer to sleep my cameras rather than physically turn them off, which means I have to manually end the FTP connection every time I'm done transferring.
snapsy wrote:
... You'll probably want to set Auto Upload ON - that will tag every photo for upload as they're taken. If you're connected to the FTP server at the time of shooting then it'll be immediately started/queued for upload, otherwise it'll automatically be uploaded the next time you connect to the FTP server.
If you'd prefer to tag individual photos then you can press "i" during playback to queue individual images for upload. You can also assign a Fn button to do the same.
Thanks. I have been using Upload Folder with Delete After Upload on. I suppose Auto Upload would be simpler but the same, since it can't upload until I make the connection anyway.
I ran into this exact problem a few years ago when I switched my main editing machine to Linux. The Nikon Transfer Utility installed fine under wine, but the background service that handles the actual connection never started. What worked for me was using gphoto2 instead. It is a command-line tool that talks directly to Nikon cameras over USB or WiFi. I wrote a simple script that checks for the camera, downloads new files, and organizes them by date. It is not as pretty as the Nikon software, but it is reliable and does not depend on wine. I also found that connecting the camera via USB is still the fastest method. Wireless is convenient, but the connection can drop and the transfer speed is slower. If you want to keep using wireless, make sure your camera's WiFi is set to the right mode and that your Linux firewall is not blocking the connection. I also used a guide at https://mfax.to/blog/how-to-set-up-a-fax-number for a different project, but the steps for configuring network connections reminded me to check my IP settings. My advice is to test gphoto2 first and see if it detects your camera. It saved me a lot of time. Once you have a working script, you can automate the whole process. It is not as polished, but it gets the job done. Good luck.
