It would be handy to stick one of my Nikon cameras on a tripod and use it to
capture snapshots on the PC of things on the bench - but Nikon charge rather
a lot of money for their Capture software suite.

Is there a generic type capture util that will work with the Nikon?

The cheap & nasty Vivicam had this included with the drivers already in XP,
but its not so good with no optical zoom.

Any help appreciated - thanks.

Ian Field wrote:

It would be handy to stick one of my Nikon cameras on a tripod and use it
to capture snapshots on the PC of things on the bench - but Nikon charge
rather a lot of money for their Capture software suite.

Is there a generic type capture util that will work with the Nikon?

The cheap & nasty Vivicam had this included with the drivers already in
XP, but its not so good with no optical zoom.

Any help appreciated - thanks.
Linux seems to let you download pictures from nearly all cameras
without installing any software. You plug in the camera, and a
box pops up notifying you a camera has been detected, and asks if
you want to download images.

Jon

This is odd, because my Olympus and Canon DSLRs came with free software that
lets you download from the camera.

When you say "capture", do you mean something other than a simple download?
Are you looking for software that lets you control the camera from the
computer?

On 11/13/2013 11:44 AM, Ian Field wrote:
It would be handy to stick one of my Nikon cameras on a tripod and use
it to capture snapshots on the PC of things on the bench - but Nikon
charge rather a lot of money for their Capture software suite.

Is there a generic type capture util that will work with the Nikon?

The cheap & nasty Vivicam had this included with the drivers already in
XP, but its not so good with no optical zoom.

Any help appreciated - thanks.

The screenshot that comes with XP (ctrl + Prnt Scrn) makes an
uncompressed bit map which you can open and Zoom directly in MS Paint,
or do as I do and tweak it in GIMP.

On 11/13/2013 01:59 PM, Jon Elson wrote:
Ian Field wrote:

It would be handy to stick one of my Nikon cameras on a tripod and use it
to capture snapshots on the PC of things on the bench - but Nikon charge
rather a lot of money for their Capture software suite.

Is there a generic type capture util that will work with the Nikon?

The cheap & nasty Vivicam had this included with the drivers already in
XP, but its not so good with no optical zoom.

Any help appreciated - thanks.
Linux seems to let you download pictures from nearly all cameras
without installing any software. You plug in the camera, and a
box pops up notifying you a camera has been detected, and asks if
you want to download images.

Jon

This works on XP as well. I just get a folder called DCIM, which
contains contents of Camera.

"dave" wrote in message
m...

The screenshot that comes with XP (CTRL+PrtScn) makes an uncompressed bit
map [on the Clipboard] you can open and
Zoom directly in MS Paint, or do as I do and tweak it in GIMP.

This feature has been available in just about every version of Windows.

"dave" wrote in message
m...
On 11/13/2013 01:59 PM, Jon Elson wrote:
Ian Field wrote:

It would be handy to stick one of my Nikon cameras on a tripod and use
it
to capture snapshots on the PC of things on the bench - but Nikon charge
rather a lot of money for their Capture software suite.

Is there a generic type capture util that will work with the Nikon?

The cheap & nasty Vivicam had this included with the drivers already in
XP, but its not so good with no optical zoom.

Any help appreciated - thanks.
Linux seems to let you download pictures from nearly all cameras
without installing any software. You plug in the camera, and a
box pops up notifying you a camera has been detected, and asks if
you want to download images.

Jon

This works on XP as well. I just get a folder called DCIM, which contains
contents of Camera.

On one of the cameras I have, it can be plugged in and used exactly like a
webcam - alternatively, the shutter can be controlled by clicking the mouse
for single shot capture. It has some very basic controls like brightness &
contrast etc - something that basic would be good enough, even better if it
works with any camera that I've installed the basic drivers for.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message
...
This is odd, because my Olympus and Canon DSLRs came with free software
that lets you download from the camera.

One of the Vivitar cameras does that without even running the driver install
disk - when you plug the USB cable in, it displays a USB symbol and a webcam
symbol, the default is USB and it just turns up as a removable drive in
explorer.

What I'm after allows shutter control with a mouse click - any other
controls would be a bonus.

"Ian Field" wrote in message ...

What I'm after allows shutter control with a mouse click --
any other controls would be a bonus.

I checked, and the EOS Utility that came with my Canon DSLR, for free, lets
you shoot photos from your computer.

I can't believe Nikon doesn't have a comparable free application.

On Thu, 14 Nov 2013, Ian Field wrote:



"dave" wrote in message
m...
On 11/13/2013 01:59 PM, Jon Elson wrote:
Ian Field wrote:

It would be handy to stick one of my Nikon cameras on a tripod and use it
to capture snapshots on the PC of things on the bench - but Nikon charge
rather a lot of money for their Capture software suite.

Is there a generic type capture util that will work with the Nikon?

The cheap & nasty Vivicam had this included with the drivers already in
XP, but its not so good with no optical zoom.

Any help appreciated - thanks.
Linux seems to let you download pictures from nearly all cameras
without installing any software. You plug in the camera, and a
box pops up notifying you a camera has been detected, and asks if
you want to download images.

Jon

This works on XP as well. I just get a folder called DCIM, which contains
contents of Camera.

On one of the cameras I have, it can be plugged in and used exactly like a
webcam - alternatively, the shutter can be controlled by clicking the mouse
for single shot capture. It has some very basic controls like brightness &
contrast etc - something that basic would be good enough, even better if it
works with any camera that I've installed the basic drivers for.

That Intel camera I pulled out of the garbage was mostly a webcam, with
the ability to be used off batteries as a standalone digital camera.

The problem with webcams is of course lower pixel count compared to the
average current digital camera. I'm not sure how that works out in this
sort of application.

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and reversing the lens, so
it works better for close up work. That might be something worth trying,
webcams are something easy to find in the garbage.

Michael

"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311141503030.22053@darkstar. example.org...

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and
reversing the lens, so it works better for close up work.

How do you intend to reverse a lens that presumably cannot be removed from the
camera?

The camera is already designed for "close ups", so I don't see how that would
help.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message
...
"Ian Field" wrote in message ...

What I'm after allows shutter control with a mouse click --
any other controls would be a bonus.

I checked, and the EOS Utility that came with my Canon DSLR, for free,
lets you shoot photos from your computer.

I can't believe Nikon doesn't have a comparable free application.

Apparently its on special offer - £119.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311141503030.22053@darkstar. example.org...

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and
reversing the lens, so it works better for close up work.

How do you intend to reverse a lens that presumably cannot be removed from
the
camera?

The camera is already designed for "close ups", so I don't see how that
would
help.




William, you have a habit of spouting off ignorant garbage at anything you
are not familiar with.

Please stop that, and do a little research first before posting, eh.



Gareth.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311141503030.22053@darkstar. example.org...

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and
reversing the lens, so it works better for close up work.

How do you intend to reverse a lens that presumably cannot be removed from
the
camera?

The camera is already designed for "close ups", so I don't see how that
would
help.





By the way, if you have an old 35mm camera to hand, try taking a 50mm lens
and reversing it.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens reversed in front of
any digital camera lens.



Gareth.


Gareth.

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311141503030.22053@darkstar. example.org...

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and
reversing the lens, so it works better for close up work.

How do you intend to reverse a lens that presumably
cannot be removed from the camera?
The camera is already designed for "close ups", so I don't
see how that would help.

William, you have a habit of spouting off ignorant garbage
at anything you are not familiar with.
Please stop that, and do a little research first before posting, eh.

Ignorant garbage, eh? You have really stepped into it.

More than 40 years ago, I owned a 52mm reversing ring for my Nikon. It was a
handy way to take a quick close-up.

It was generally felt that reversing the lens produced better image quality
than using plus lenses. The tradeoff was that the reversing ring wasn't usable
over as wide a range.

I would like to know how one would remove the lens from a Webcam and reverse,
without tsuris.

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

By the way, if you have an old 35mm camera to hand,
try taking a 50mm lens and reversing it.
You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens
reversed in front of any digital camera lens.

Well... no. That's not at all the same thing.

What you're doing is using the camera lens (reversed or not) as a plus lens to
allow the Webcam to focus closer.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311141503030.22053@darkstar. example.org...

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and
reversing the lens, so it works better for close up work.

How do you intend to reverse a lens that presumably
cannot be removed from the camera?
The camera is already designed for "close ups", so I don't
see how that would help.

William, you have a habit of spouting off ignorant garbage
at anything you are not familiar with.
Please stop that, and do a little research first before posting, eh.

Ignorant garbage, eh? You have really stepped into it.

More than 40 years ago, I owned a 52mm reversing ring for my Nikon. It was a
handy way to take a quick close-up.

It was generally felt that reversing the lens produced better image quality
than using plus lenses. The tradeoff was that the reversing ring wasn't
usable
over as wide a range.

I would like to know how one would remove the lens from a Webcam and
reverse,
without tsuris.




William, you really haven't researched this at all.

Why not Google for a few minutes.
You might actually find out things that you never knew was possible, rather
than just relying on the "truth" that resides soley in your own rather
outdated head.


Gareth.

William, you really haven't researched this at all.

Oh, but I did. I asked the direct question as to how one was supposed to
reverse a presumably non-removable lens. All you need have said was that some
cameras have the lenses mounted with screws that can be removed. The
discussion would have ended amicably at that point.

I assume this is what you are talking about.

http://diybio.org/2009/12/13/webcam-...ks-at-bosslab/

I do not see what connection this has with the subject of the original post.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

William, you really haven't researched this at all.

Oh, but I did. I asked the direct question as to how one was supposed to
reverse a presumably non-removable lens. All you need have said was that
some
cameras have the lenses mounted with screws that can be removed. The
discussion would have ended amicably at that point.

I assume this is what you are talking about.

http://diybio.org/2009/12/13/webcam-...ks-at-bosslab/

I do not see what connection this has with the subject of the original post.




No William, you researched that link after I had made my post, and now you
are trying to suggest that that was part of your pre-posting research.

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.



Gareth.

On Thu, 14 Nov 2013, William Sommerwerck wrote:

"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311141503030.22053@darkstar. example.org...

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and
reversing the lens, so it works better for close up work.

How do you intend to reverse a lens that presumably cannot be removed from
the camera?

I wsa just glancing at a webpage, and it said many of the lenses screw in
place, which certainly was the case of one I took apart.

The camera is already designed for "close ups", so I don't see how that would
help.

I wondered about that too. But "close up" is relative.

Michael

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

William, you really haven't researched this at all.

Oh, but I did. I asked the direct question as to how one was supposed to
reverse a presumably non-removable lens. All you need have said was that
some cameras have the lenses mounted with screws that can be removed.
The discussion would have ended amicably at that point.

I assume this is what you are talking about.
http://diybio.org/2009/12/13/webcam-...ks-at-bosslab/
I do not see what connection this has with the subject of the original post.


No. William, you researched that link after I had made my post, and now
you are trying to suggest that that was part of your pre-posting research.

No, Gareth, I stated that my research consisted of asking you a specific
question. (See above.) My search for a Web reference did, indeed, come after
the posting.


William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another lens --
reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same as reversing the
Webcam's lens.

"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311142154490.22719@darkstar. example.org...
On Thu, 14 Nov 2013, William Sommerwerck wrote:
"Michael Black" wrote in message
news:alpine.LNX.2.02.1311141503030.22053@darkstar. example.org...

I just saw something suggesting taking a webcam and
reversing the lens, so it works better for close-up work.

How do you intend to reverse a lens that presumably cannot
be removed from the camera?

I was just glancing at a web page, and it said many of the lenses
screw in place, which certainly was the case of one I took apart.


The camera is already designed for "close ups", so I don't see
how that would help.

I wondered about that, too. But "close up" is relative.

You see, Gareth? He understand what I was I was asking, and gave a clear
answer. Thanks, Michael.

In article ,
Ian Field wrote:

What I'm after allows shutter control with a mouse click - any other
controls would be a bonus.

Linux will see the camera as a USB device and let you grab the
existing files on there, to force the camera to take pictures in "tethered"
mode check out "gphoto2", if it supports your camera, then it could
help :-

List files with gphoto2 --camera="Oregon Scientific DShot III" -L

Get all files with gphoto2 --camera="Oregon Scientific DShot III" -P

Get numbered files with gphoto2 --camera="Oregon Scientific DShot III" -p 5-7

Delete all files with gphoto2 --camera="Oregon Scientific DShot III" -D

Delete numbered files with gphoto2 --camera="Oregon Scientific DShot III" -d 1-9

*** Force capture of picture from PC, stored on camera with
gphoto2 --camera="Oregon Scientific DShot III" --capture-image ****

Capture filenames can be set with
--filename=`date +"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S".jpg`

This works with some cameras, not others, depends on support from the
manufacturer to provide such a useful facility, and then on the driver
writer!

So a combination of force capture, get file, delete file in sequence would
fetch the pics straight over to the PC.
--
--------------------------------------+------------------------------------
Mike Brown: mjb[-at-]signal11.org.uk | http://www.signal11.org.uk

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

"Mike" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Ian Field wrote:

What I'm after allows shutter control with a mouse click - any other
controls would be a bonus.

Linux will see the camera as a USB device and let you grab the
existing files on there, to force the camera to take pictures in
"tethered"
mode check out "gphoto2", if it supports your camera, then it could
help :-

Linux is for when I get a bit more ****ed off with M$ - I found some digital
camera capture apps with an ftp search, but I also found a load of other
interesting stuff, so it could take a couple of weeks to do the download
queue.

"Mike" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Ian Field wrote:

What I'm after allows shutter control with a mouse click - any other
controls would be a bonus.

Linux will see the camera as a USB device and let you grab the
existing files on there, to force the camera to take pictures in
"tethered"
mode check out "gphoto2", if it supports your camera, then it could
help :-

Linux is for when I get a bit more ****ed off with M$ - I found some digital
camera capture apps with an ftp search, but I also found a load of other
interesting stuff, so it could take a couple of weeks to do the download
queue.

"Mike" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Ian Field wrote:

What I'm after allows shutter control with a mouse click - any other
controls would be a bonus.

Linux will see the camera as a USB device and let you grab the
existing files on there, to force the camera to take pictures in
"tethered"
mode check out "gphoto2", if it supports your camera, then it could
help :-

Linux is for when I get a bit more ****ed off with M$ - I found some digital
camera capture apps with an ftp search, but I also found a load of other
interesting stuff, so it could take a couple of weeks to do the download
queue.

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another lens --
reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same as reversing the
Webcam's lens.




William, what the **** are you playing at?

I NEVER said or implied any of the above, you just made that up.



Gareth.

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another lens --
reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same as reversing the
Webcam's lens.




William, what the **** are you playing at?

I NEVER said or implied any of the above, you just made that up.



Gareth.

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another lens --
reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same as reversing the
Webcam's lens.




William, what the **** are you playing at?

I NEVER said or implied any of the above, you just made that up.



Gareth.

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another lens --
reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same as reversing the
Webcam's lens.




William, what the **** are you playing at?

I NEVER said or implied any of the above, you just made that up.



Gareth.

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another
lens -- reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same
as reversing the Webcam's lens.

William, what the **** are you playing at?
I NEVER said or implied any of the above, you just made that up.

Look in your Sent folder, and see what you actually wrote. I read it several
times, to make I was reading it correctly.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another
lens -- reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same
as reversing the Webcam's lens.

William, what the **** are you playing at?
I NEVER said or implied any of the above, you just made that up.

Look in your Sent folder, and see what you actually wrote. I read it several
times, to make I was reading it correctly.




First of all apologies for the multiple posts, it was not intentional.
Windows Live Mail is seriously broken and a serious pain to use.


Anyway, this is what I wrote:

By the way, if you have an old 35mm camera to hand, try taking a 50mm lens
and reversing it.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens reversed in front of
any digital camera lens.


You seem to have interpreted this as:
putting another lens -- reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same as reversing the Webcam's lens.




I rest my case.



Gareth.

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message
...


"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

William, I believe you are a liar and a fraud.

You have not yet retracted your statement that putting another
lens -- reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the same
as reversing the Webcam's lens.

William, what the **** are you playing at?
I NEVER said or implied any of the above, you just made that up.

Look in your Sent folder, and see what you actually wrote. I read it several
times, to make I was reading it correctly.


Anyway, this is what I wrote:

By the way, if you have an old 35mm camera to hand, try taking a 50mm lens
and reversing it.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens reversed
in front of any digital camera lens.

You seem to have interpreted this as:
putting another lens -- reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the
same as reversing the Webcam's lens.


That is //exactly// my interpretation -- because that's //exactly// what you
wrote!

Take off your mental blinders AND READ IT.

Anyway, this is what I wrote:

By the way, if you have an old 35mm camera to hand, try taking a 50mm lens
and reversing it.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens reversed
in front of any digital camera lens.

You seem to have interpreted this as:
putting another lens -- reversed -- in front of the Webcam's lens -- is the
same as reversing the Webcam's lens.


That is //exactly// my interpretation -- because that's //exactly// what you
wrote!

Take off your mental blinders AND READ IT.




I suggest you read it all again then.

I have never suggested that placing a lens in front of a webcam lens is the
same as reversing the webcam's lens.
That is another thing you have made up.

I have also never mentioned reversing the Webcam's lens, that is all your
doing.
That is yet another thing you seem to have made up.



I'd give up now if I were you.


Gareth.

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

I have never suggested that placing a lens in front of a webcam
lens is the same as reversing the webcam's lens.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens reversed
in front of any digital camera lens.

Hello? Knock, knock, knock.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

I have never suggested that placing a lens in front of a webcam
lens is the same as reversing the webcam's lens.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens reversed
in front of any digital camera lens.

Hello? Knock, knock, knock.





Err, what part of that has anything to do with reversing a webcam's lens?


You are not making a lot of sense, other than displaying your obvious
conclusion jumping.


Gareth.

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...
"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

I have never suggested that placing a lens in front of a webcam
lens is the same as reversing the webcam's lens.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens
reversed in front of any digital camera lens.

Hello? Knock, knock, knock.


Err, what part of that has anything to do with reversing a webcam's lens?
You are not making a lot of sense, other than displaying your obvious
conclusion jumping.

This discussion started with my (incorrect) claim that it would not be easy to
reverse the lens on a (presumably inexpensive) Webcam. I was wrong.

Lens reversal was commonly used to get closeups without having to buy a macro
lens -- or even a set of plus lenses. The problem, though, is that you don't
have a wide range of focus with a reversed lens.

The discussion got out of hand.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...
"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

I have never suggested that placing a lens in front of a webcam
lens is the same as reversing the webcam's lens.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens
reversed in front of any digital camera lens.

Hello? Knock, knock, knock.


Err, what part of that has anything to do with reversing a webcam's lens?
You are not making a lot of sense, other than displaying your obvious
conclusion jumping.

This discussion started with my (incorrect) claim that it would not be easy
to
reverse the lens on a (presumably inexpensive) Webcam. I was wrong.

Lens reversal was commonly used to get closeups without having to buy a
macro
lens -- or even a set of plus lenses. The problem, though, is that you don't
have a wide range of focus with a reversed lens.

The discussion got out of hand.




OK, shake hands then.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...
"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...

I have never suggested that placing a lens in front of a webcam
lens is the same as reversing the webcam's lens.

You can get the same effect by simply holding the lens
reversed in front of any digital camera lens.

Hello? Knock, knock, knock.


Err, what part of that has anything to do with reversing a webcam's lens?
You are not making a lot of sense, other than displaying your obvious
conclusion jumping.

This discussion started with my (incorrect) claim that it would not be easy
to
reverse the lens on a (presumably inexpensive) Webcam. I was wrong.

Lens reversal was commonly used to get closeups without having to buy a
macro
lens -- or even a set of plus lenses. The problem, though, is that you don't
have a wide range of focus with a reversed lens.

The discussion got out of hand.




OK, shake hands then.

"Gareth Magennis" wrote in message ...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message ...

The discussion got out of hand.

OK, shake hands then.

Done.