Shoot Photos directly to the pc?

[JerryPH]

No you don't. You only need CCP if you care to control the camera from the computer. If all you want is to be able to press the shutter and have the file go to the computer, you don't need CCP.

Set the camera to be a 'mass storage device' and have the watched folder be the CF card in the camera, have the 'copied-to' folder be on the HDD.

Done.

The only added delay vs CCP is the writing of the image to the CF card - which is, what, half-a-second at most?

Would you believe I tried it out that way a year ago and totally forgot about that? You are right, it does work that way too.

I think the write times would only be a 1/2 second "at most" if you are writing basic JPGs, not a 25mb RAW file... and then there is the time it takes to transfer it to the laptop folder before you see it on the screen out of the watched folder, so we are looking at least 2 times that number.

Not the best way, but it does save you the cost of the software, I suppose.

Since I have CPP and do like to control the camera from the laptop (it can focus and trigger the camera or focus or just trigger the camera without focusing as well as control aperture, ISO, profiles and other camera settings as well as save directly to the laptop HD in one shot, getting the file to the laptop faster), I just totally forgot about doing it the other way... and the "cool factor" is just a bit higher.

 

[federerphotography]

The only added delay vs CCP is the writing of the image to the CF card - which is, what, half-a-second at most?

Would you believe I tried it out that way a year ago and totally forgot about that? You are right, it does work that way too.

haha, funny.

I think the write times would only be a 1/2 second "at most" if you are writing basic JPGs, not a 25mb RAW file... and then there is the time it takes to transfer it to the laptop folder before you see it on the screen out of the watched folder,

Well, figure the pathway of the image file:

With CCP: Shutter press, transfer to computer over USB, moved on HDD by 'watched folder' program, displayed.

Without: Shutter press, written to CF card, transfered over USB via watched folder program, displayed.

The only file-path-flow difference is that you are trading a HDD move (near instant) for a CF-write (.8 seconds for a D3 lossless compressed RAW file using good cards)

Not the best way, but it does save you the cost of the software, I suppose.

If you are shooting with the camera in your hands and making all changes on the camera, it's not really any worse than using CCP unless that extra second makes a large difference.

That having been said - I still use CCP.