NAME¶
photopc - utility to control digital cameras based on Sierra Imaging firmware
SYNOPSIS¶
photopc [-h] [-V] [-v[v]] [-q] [-z] [-t] [-f timeformat] [-s <speed>] [-S
<pseudo-speed>] [-l <device>] [command [params] ] ...
DESCRIPTION¶
This is a command line tool to manipulate digital still cameras that use certain
control protocol, namely Agfa ePhoto line, Epson PhotoPC line, Olympus D-xxxL
line, Sanyo and Nikon (at least CoolPix 9xx) cameras. It can set camera
parameters, download and erase pictures, e.t.c. It was originally developed
for Epson PhotoPC 500, now the author uses it with Olympus D-600L, results
with other models may vary.
OPTIONS¶
- -h
- This option produces a help screen of all options and
commands.
- -V
- This option prints software revision information.
- -v
- This option enables verbose output. Using two -v options
increases the level of verbosity. This is primarily meant for debugging.
- -q
- This option sets quiet mode. If it is not specified, the
program will show running download progress indicator.
- -z
- This option sets no time-zone processing mode. Use this
option if the camera's clock is (should be) set up shifted by the local
timezone offset.
- -s speed
- This option allows setting the data rate to use when
communicating with the camera. Valid rates are 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600
and 115200 (the default).
- -S speed
- On some UNIX systems with some serial hardware/driver
combinations you need to "lie" to the driver about the
communication speed that you want to use at startup and during the
session. Physical startup speed is always 19200. E.g., if on your system
speeds up to 19200 are translated one to one, but in order to use 57600
baud you have to specify 50 baud, and you want to run at 57600, you'll
need to specify photopc -s57600 -S19200,50 <commands
...>
Another example: if your driver will use physical speed four times as high
as you told it to set, and you want to run at default 115200 physical
speed, specify photopc -S4800,28800 <commands ...>
- -t
- Set timestamp of generated files to the time of snapshot.
- -f timeformat
- This option allows to specify the format for automatically
generated image file names; the value is used as the format string for
strftime(3) function. By default, names of the format
"MMDD_NNN.jpg" are generated, where MM is a month, DD is a day,
and NNN is a count starting from 001. A good starting point for the
timeformat value could be "%Y_%m_%d-%H_%M_%S.jpg". If the format
string contains context "%%XXXd" where XXX are digits, it is
taken for the count, i.e. if the file with such name is present, next
count is tried. If the format string does not contain "%%XXXd"
part, the count field, if necessary, is appended at the end of the name.
A few single-character formats are used as shortcuts. "x" makes
the name of seconds since the epoch in hexadecimal format (8 characters +
".jpg"), "d" - the same in decimal format (10
characters), "1" stands for default format
"%m%d_%%03d.jpg", "2" stands for
"%y%m%d%%02d.jpg", "3" stands for
"%Y_%m_%d-%H_%M_%S.jpg" and 4 stands for
"%Y/%m/%d/%H_%M_%S.jpg". The program attempts to create
intermediate directories if necessary (and possible).
- -l device
- This allows specifying the serial device to use for
communicating with the camera. The default is /dev/photopc (which
is typically created as a (symbolic) link to the real device, e.g.
/dev/ttyS0) in UNIX, and COM1: in DOS and Windows. Note that the
program does not use UUCP style locks so you need to be certain that no
other program, such as uugetty, uucico or mouse manager, is trying to
access the same device.
COMMANDS¶
After the options, one or more commands can be given in the command line.
Some commands accept
frame-list as a parameter. Frame list is a
comma-separated list of tokens (no whitespace allowed), each of the tokens
being a word
all, or a single number, or two numbers separated by a
dash (-), or a number followed by a dash and a word
last (without
whitespace).
- query
- Display all current camera settings.
- count
- Output the number of pictures stored in the camera. This is
intended for use in shell scripts.
- list
- List information about frames stored in the camera. Fields
displayed are: frame number, size of image file, protection state,
resolution mode, timestamp and filename if available. Faster than
llist but may not work with some (older) models.
WARNING: this command changes current directory on models that support
directory tree on the flash media.
- llist
- List more information about frames stored in the camera.
Fields displayed are: frame number, protection state, size of image file,
resolution mode, flash, shutter and timestamp. Slower than list and
does not work with models that use Exif file format.
WARNING: this command changes current directory on models that support
directory tree on the flash media.
- cd <path>
- On the models that support multiple directories on the
flash media, change current directory as specified.
The program chdir's to the first non-empty folder at the beginning. So, your
first cd command must specify full path starting with a
slash. If it where unix you could also cd ../something but
here we do not have a way to move up one level.
- protect <frame-list> On | Off
- Change "protected" status of frames. Frame
numbering starts at 1. The command will fail if the frame number is
omitted, not numeric, or does not correspond to a stored frame.
"Protected" frames cannot be erased with "erase" and
"eraseall" commands or with the "erase" button on the
camera.
- erase <frame-list>
- Erase frames. Frame numbering starts at 1. The command will
fail if the frame number is omitted, not numeric, or does not correspond
to a stored frame.
To avoid unexpected results, list of frames specified for this command is
sorted and processed in reverse order.
- eraseall
- Erase all stored frames.
- eraselast
- Erase most recently taken frame.
- snapshot
- Take a picture.
- off
- Switch off the camera. This command only has this effect on
some models (notably Olympus D-600L). On other models, it just terminates
the session immediately (otherwise the camera would be active several
seconds after the last command). On models with big timeout, such as
Photopc 600, it may be wise to always issue "off" at the end of
command row, to decrease power consumption.
All commands going after "off" are ignored.
- image <frame-list>
<file-or-dir-name>
- Download an image or series of images from the camera to
disk file(s) on the host computer. Frame numbering starts at 1. The
command will fail if the frame number is omitted, not numeric, or does not
correspond to a stored frame. Files are stored in JPEG (JFIF or Exif)
format. Image file also contains a thumbnail portion, and set of
parameters like the shutter speed, date and time, I.D. string and more.
Directory must be specified if frame list is requested. If directory name
is specified, downloaded file(s) will get unique names starting with month
and date of snapshot, unless -f option is used, in which case unique names
according to -f option setting.
- thumbnail <frame-list>
<file-or-dir-name>
- Download a thumbnail image or series of thumbnails from the
camera to disk file(s) on the host computer. Frame numbering starts at 1.
The command will fail if the frame number is omitted, not numeric, or does
not correspond to a stored frame. Files are stored in JPEG (JFIF or Exif)
format. If the camera does not keep files in EXIF format, then the
thumbnail file also contains a set of parameters like the shutter speed,
date and time, I.D. string and more. Directory must be specified if frame
list is requested. If directory name is specified, downloaded file(s) will
get unique names according to -f option setting.
- audio <frame-list>
<file-or-dir-name>
- Download an audio notice file or series of files from the
camera to disk file(s) on the host computer. Frame numbering starts at 1.
The command will fail if the frame number is omitted, not numeric, or does
not correspond to a stored frame. Files are stored with ".wav"
extention but the format is not RIFF WAV format. It is compressed
in some way, probably with some variation of ADPCM. The program stores the
raw data as provided by the camera, it is not playable as a normal
.wav file. Directory must be specified if frame list is requested.
If directory name is specified, downloaded file(s) will get unique names
according to -f option setting.
- preview <file-name>
- take a `preview' snapshot and save image as a
<file-name>. File is in JPEG (JFIF or Exif) format, and does not
contain any additional data, just plain (very low resolution) image.
- upload <file-name>
- Upload image file into the camera. This command is not
enabled in LOWMEMORY version (i.e. under MS/DOS).
WARNING! You cannot upload arbitrary JPEG file. Depending on the
camera model, such attempt may result in the image not uploaded, not
viewable, or even the camera "hung" needing to remove the
batteries to make it work again. File previously downloaded from the same
camera model is always uploadable. Otherwise, your milage may vary.
photopc program does not perform any checks, so it's up to the user
to provide the file in proper format.
- mode Record | Play | Thumbnail
- Set specified operation mode on certain models.
- resolution Hi | Lo | Ext | <number>
- Set the camera to high, low or extended resolution mode.
Exact meaning of the modes is model-dependant and may specify different
image dimensions and/or JPEG compression rate.
- clock
- Set the camera's internal real-time clock using the current
date and time from the host computer. Time of taking a snapshot is
included inside the JPEG files produced. Note that the models which
display the time on the LCD will then display GMT rather than local time.
With -z option, time shifted by the timezone offset is set, and the
LCD will display local time. Using unshifted (GMT) time in the camera
seems a proper way to go.
- shutter <speed>
- Set the camera shutter speed. Units can be specified in
microseconds or in traditional form like "1/250". Valid interval
depends on the model. If a value outside the interval is specified, the
camera will set the speed to the nearest margin of the valid interval.
Special speed value auto will set automatic shutter. Note that this
only works while the camera is connected to the host, and automatically
turns the flash off. While disconnected, shutter speed is always set
automatically.
- aperture Auto | Lo | Med | Hi
- Set the lense aperture on models that support it.
- flash Auto | Force | Off | AntiRedeye |
SlowSync
- Set the camera flash mode.
- id <string>
- Set the camera identifier string that is included inside
the JPEG files produced. Only few models support this.
- autoshut-host <seconds>
- Automatically shut off the camera after that many seconds
of inactivity while connected to the computer (on the host).
- autoshut-field <seconds>
- Automatically shut off the camera after that many seconds
of inactivity while disconnected from the computer (in the field).
- lcd-autoshut <seconds>
- Automatically shut off the LCD monitor after that many
seconds of inactivity.
- lcd-brightness <value>
- Set LCD brightness to the value (valid values are 1 to 7).
- focus Macro | Normal | Infinity
- Set the lens focusing mode. As far as I can tell, on fixed
focus models macro only means force minimum aperture, not change the focal
length. Only has effect in the same invocation with "snapshot"
command.
- adjust Normal | Contrast+ | Contrast- | Brightness+ |
Brightness-
- Set adjustment of picture brightness/contrast.
- metering Center-weighted | Spot | Matrix
- Set auto exposure metering mode.
- whitebalance Normal | Sunny | Incandescent | Fluorescent
| Flash | Preset | Cloudy
- Set white balance.
- color On | Off
- Set color or B/W mode.
- dzoom On | Off | <number>
- Set digital zoom on or off. Note that low resolution must
be set prior to turning on digital zoom. Numeric values have
model-dependant meaning. Only has effect in the same invocation with
"snapshot" command.
- zoom <mm>
- Set optical zoom value on models that support it.
EXAMPLES¶
% photopc query
% photopc -f "image%H:%M:%S" eraseall snapshot image 1 .
OTHER NOTES¶
The latest version of this tool can be found at
ftp://ftp.average.org/pub/photopc/; see also WWW page at
http://www.average.org/digicam/.
Trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
KNOWN BUGS¶
On some models, powersaving timeouts are measured not in seconds but in 1/10 sec
units. The program reports them as in seconds.
Llist command relies on the format of thumbnail image that does not contain
necessary information on some models (e.g. Nikon CP 900), this command does
not work for these models. List command, on the contrary, do not display
useful data on models that do not return it in the register 47 (e.g. Agfa
780).
The program is known to have some timing problems talking to Nikon CP900 when
the camera is "napping" in powersaving mode. Until the problem is
solved, a workaround is to run the program this way:
$ photopc && photopc <command list>
Nikon seem to have some other problems too, especially when doing
"actions" (e.g. snapshots, erase).
Another Nikon problem: if 32Mb (or bigger?) memry card is inserted, the program
cannot get the number of frames taken, and if "all" or
"NN-last" range is specified for downloading, the program fails.
Specify explicit range of frames. Also, with any card, number of frames taken
is not updated immediately after the "snapshot" command (the same
has been reported for other models). If you find how to find the correct
number of frames, please let me know.
COPYRIGHT¶
The program is copyrighted by Eugene G. Crosser <crosser@average.org> and
freely distributable. See README file for detailes. DOS and Windows support
copyright Bruce D. Lightner <lightner@lightner.net>
CREDITS¶
The man page was originally written by Jeff Tranter
<jeff_tranter@pobox.com>, who also contributed a few bugfixes. Some
information about the serial protocol obtained from Jun-ichiro
"itojun" Itoh <itojun@itojun.org>, Thierry Bousch
<bousch%linotte.uucp@topo.math.u-psud.fr> and other contributors.
SEE ALSO¶
epinfo(1),
strftime(3), protocol description (protocol.htm in the source
distribution).