Downloading from a Nikon P5100?
Jonathan Sachs
When I attach the camera to the computer, the camera appears to know
that the computer is there; the LCD turns off and the power light
flashes. The computer does not appear to know that the camera is
there; there's no "new hardware" message and the camera doesn't appear
as a disk.
I found a troubleshooting guide on Nikon's web site, but it appears to
be for an older camera. It talks about how to make sure the CF card is
supported (the P5100 doesn't use CF) and it says to be sure the camera
is in MSC USB mode, something I can't find on the camera's menu or in
its manual.
ray
So get an inexpensive USB or firewire card reader. Using that will
guarantee 'compatibility'. It will also save your batteries.
J�rgen Exner
This question comes up fairly frequently.
Answer 1: get a memory card reader. They are cheap (from ~10$ US) and
make life so much easier.
Answer 2: if you insist on hooking up the camera directly to the
computer via those awkward USB-cables, then make sure that the camera is
set to "mass storage device" or "mass storage class" or "Universal Mass
Storage" or whatever it is called in your camera (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_mass_storage_device_class)
jue
nospam
<jurg...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Answer 1: get a memory card reader. They are cheap (from ~10$ US) and
> make life so much easier.
that's the best solution
> Answer 2: if you insist on hooking up the camera directly to the
> computer via those awkward USB-cables, then make sure that the camera is
> set to "mass storage device" or "mass storage class" or "Universal Mass
> Storage" or whatever it is called in your camera (see
nikon has stopped offering mass storage mode, at least in their slrs,
and probably other models too.
Neil Harrington
"Jonathan Sachs" <081...@jhsachs.com> wrote in message
news:dfnak51isui3ec44k...@4ax.com...
Right, that guide is apparently for some older model(s). No recent Nikon
Coolpix uses CF.
As others have mentioned, it's easiest just to use an inexpensive card
reader. If you don't have one, you can connect the P5100 directly to the
computer if you're using Windows XP SP2 or Vista, *and* you have installed
the Nikon Transfer software that came with your P5100. If you're using
Windows 2000 you'll have to use a card reader. This is explained on p. 77 of
the P5100 User's Manual.
If you've lost or mislaid the User's Manual you can download one from Nikon
here:
http://support.nikontech.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/14391
Darn nice little camera, I have one myself.
Jonathan Sachs
First, I have a card reader, and I have no trouble at all with it. Bit
my wife sometimes uses the camera, she hates card readers, and I need
to solve this problem to restore domestic tranquility.
Also, I actually have a reason to want to use a cable myself: I
sometimes have to transfer pictures at clients' sites, and a cable is
a lot easier to carry around for very occasional use than a card
reader is.
Second, I have XP SP2, and I have installed the Nikon software, and it
still doesn't work.
Third, I've got the manual. I mentioned that in the OP.
Fourth, as nospam mentioned, the instructions on Nikon's web site
apparently are obsolete, and refer to an option that doesn't exist on
my camera. (I'm rather disappointed in Nikon. They evidently put much
less care into creating their web site than into creating their
cameras.)
Is there anything else I can try?
Robert Coe
: On Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:18:16 -0800, Jonathan Sachs wrote:
:
: > Does anyone have suggestions on how to make this work?
: >
: > When I attach the camera to the computer, the camera appears to know
: > that the computer is there; the LCD turns off and the power light
: > flashes. The computer does not appear to know that the camera is there;
: > there's no "new hardware" message and the camera doesn't appear as a
: > disk.
: >
: > I found a troubleshooting guide on Nikon's web site, but it appears to
: > be for an older camera. It talks about how to make sure the CF card is
: > supported (the P5100 doesn't use CF) and it says to be sure the camera
: > is in MSC USB mode, something I can't find on the camera's menu or in
: > its manual.
You don't say what computer and operating system you're using. Only fairly
recent OSes support USB correctly, and some computers can be set in BIOS to
handle USB devices peculiarly. Do other USB devices work as expected on that
computer?
: So get an inexpensive USB or firewire card reader. Using that will
: guarantee 'compatibility'. It will also save your batteries.
Good advice, but I never heard of an inexpensive firewire card reader. OTOH,
unless you're a news photographer on deadline, USB is plenty fast. Just make
sure you have enough cards that you don't have to do a download in the middle
of a shoot.
Bob
Robert Coe
: I appreciate everyone's efforts to help, but so far, it's not helping.
I guess I'd at least try upgrading your XP system to SP3. It's been out long
enough that it isn't entirely implausible for Nikon to assume that computers
running their software have it.
Bob
ray
> On 7 Jan 2010 04:22:27 GMT, ray <r...@zianet.com> wrote: : On Wed, 06 Jan
> 2010 20:18:16 -0800, Jonathan Sachs wrote: :
> : > Does anyone have suggestions on how to make this work? : >
> : > When I attach the camera to the computer, the camera appears to know
> : > that the computer is there; the LCD turns off and the power light :
> > flashes. The computer does not appear to know that the camera is
> there; : > there's no "new hardware" message and the camera doesn't
> appear as a : > disk.
> : >
> : > I found a troubleshooting guide on Nikon's web site, but it appears
> to : > be for an older camera. It talks about how to make sure the CF
> card is : > supported (the P5100 doesn't use CF) and it says to be sure
> the camera : > is in MSC USB mode, something I can't find on the
> camera's menu or in : > its manual.
>
> You don't say what computer and operating system you're using. Only
> fairly recent OSes support USB correctly, and some computers can be set
> in BIOS to handle USB devices peculiarly. Do other USB devices work as
> expected on that computer?
Well, thanks Robert, but I'm not the one with the problem. For the
record, I run several Linux distributions and I don't have any problems
copying files in from various cameras. And, yes, all the other USB
devices work properly too.
>
> : So get an inexpensive USB or firewire card reader. Using that will :
> guarantee 'compatibility'. It will also save your batteries.
>
> Good advice, but I never heard of an inexpensive firewire card reader.
> OTOH, unless you're a news photographer on deadline, USB is plenty fast.
> Just make sure you have enough cards that you don't have to do a
> download in the middle of a shoot.
>
> Bob
That could be read as "get an inexpensive USB card reader or get a
firewire card reader" - some folks prefer the firewire alternative since
it's a lot faster. "plenty fast" depends on how much you're transferring
and how often - plus what else you have to do while you wait. Personally,
I use an inexpensive USB card reader and I have enough cards to carry me
for a month or two.
ray
There are some pretty small card readers - I have one that's not much
bigger than the SD cards it accepts. Another option - Linux. You could
pack a Damn Small Linux or Puppy Linux Live CD along.
nospam
<b...@1776.COM> wrote:
> You don't say what computer and operating system you're using. Only fairly
> recent OSes support USB correctly, and some computers can be set in BIOS to
> handle USB devices peculiarly. Do other USB devices work as expected on that
> computer?
if by recent you mean the last ten years.
Neil Harrington
I have no idea how you managed to get such a useless response as you
describe from the Nikon site. I use www.nikonusa.com all the time for
downloads, updates, software, manuals etc. and I find the site to be
excellent, thorough and up to date. You must have somehow gotten into an
inappropriate area. There's a lot of stuff there in many places, and you may
have to look around a bit for what you need.
>
> Is there anything else I can try?
Yes, you can go to the Nikon site again and download a later version of
Nikon Transfer software -- there are more recent versions than the one that
came with your P5100. That may also require that you update your Windows XP
to SP3, but that is a good idea anyway. The site will tell you what the SP
requirement is. All my WinXP machines are SP3; I don't know which versions
of the software require that.
I occasionally use Nikon Transfer to load photos directly from the camera
into Nikon View NX, which is also a free download if it didn't come with
your camera. I have had no difficulty with that, though I can't specifically
remember if I've used Transfer and View NX with the P5100. On the whole I
like View NX better than the older PictureProject for quickie stuff.
Neil Harrington
"nospam" <nos...@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:090120101944227467%nos...@nospam.invalid...
Right, since Windows 98 SE at least.
nospam
Harrington <ne...@home.com> wrote:
> >> You don't say what computer and operating system you're using. Only
> >> fairly
> >> recent OSes support USB correctly, and some computers can be set in BIOS
> >> to
> >> handle USB devices peculiarly. Do other USB devices work as expected on
> >> that
> >> computer?
> >
> > if by recent you mean the last ten years.
>
> Right, since Windows 98 SE at least.
except that win98 had some issues, as did macos 8.1 & 8.5.
by win xp, os x and even macos 9, it was stable, and certainly by the
time usb 2.0 came out, there were few, if any problems.
Neil Harrington
"nospam" <nos...@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
> In article <fMKdnRb2QNiC_NTW...@giganews.com>, Neil
> Harrington <ne...@home.com> wrote:
>
>> >> You don't say what computer and operating system you're using. Only
>> >> fairly
>> >> recent OSes support USB correctly, and some computers can be set in
>> >> BIOS
>> >> to
>> >> handle USB devices peculiarly. Do other USB devices work as expected
>> >> on
>> >> that
>> >> computer?
>> >
>> > if by recent you mean the last ten years.
>>
>> Right, since Windows 98 SE at least.
>
> except that win98 had some issues, as did macos 8.1 & 8.5.
I guess the original Windows 98 did (it's too long ago for me to remember),
but I believe Second Edition got everything fixed. I'm still using one
machine with Win98SE for some older games, and haven't had any USB problems
with it at all.
>
> by win xp, os x and even macos 9, it was stable, and certainly by the
> time usb 2.0 came out, there were few, if any problems.
Yes. Even Win2000 is fine with USB.
Jonathan Sachs
>You don't say what computer and operating system you're using. Only fairly
>recent OSes support USB correctly, and some computers can be set in BIOS to
>handle USB devices peculiarly. Do other USB devices work as expected on that
>computer?
My current computer was assembled a few months ago with a current
Supermicro board. I have the same problem with three older machines.
All of them run various updates of XP Pro. None of them have exhibited
any issues with USB in general.
Neil Harrington said,
>I have no idea how you managed to get such a useless response as you
>describe from the Nikon site.... You must have somehow gotten into an
>inappropriate area. There's a lot of stuff there in many places, and you may
>have to look around a bit for what you need.
Maybe I did -- but if so, it happened after I went through their Q&A
about what product and model I had. Shall I assume that they demand
that information and then display inapplicable results? That doesn't
say much about their web site's quality, either.
Nor does the fact that it wouldn't let me log into their forum with
the username and password I created when I downloaded the transfer
software in the summer of 2009. When that happened I created a new
account, which it let me do; then it wouldn't let me log on with that
one, either. That's when I gave up in disgust.
>> Is there anything else I can try?
>
>Yes, you can go to the Nikon site again and download a later version of
>Nikon Transfer software -- there are more recent versions than the one that
>came with your P5100.
The version I have was downloaded around the middle of 2009, as I
said. I'll visit again and see if I can get a later one -- if I can
log on.
>That may also require that you update your Windows XP
>to SP3, but that is a good idea anyway. The site will tell you what the SP
>requirement is. All my WinXP machines are SP3; I don't know which versions
>of the software require that.
Something else to try, but I at least one of the other computers I've
tried this on has already got SP3, and it didn't help. Maybe having
SP3 *and* the latest software will help.