K-x and connection to computer

IceDeamon · 05-29-2010, 10:41 AM

Hello,

I've bought a pentax K-x a few months ago, and I just had the idea to connect it to my computer recently.
The problem is that my computer doesn't recognize it !
I've nothing.

I have Windows 7 and Linux (Ubuntu), and both don't detect it... unlike a compact camera (from Vivitar).

Does my camera have problems ?

Adam · 05-29-2010, 10:47 AM

I'm not sure if you'll be able to connect it using ubuntu

I've had a few driver issues as well there.

On windows, make sure you install the driver and software from the cd, turn the camera on, connect it, and you should be all set!

IceDeamon · 05-29-2010, 10:51 AM

I've already installed PENTAX Digital Camera Utility 4, from the CD. I think the driver is included in it... No ?

Concerning Linux, I looked at the USBs using lsusb, and I had nothing.

rawr · 05-29-2010, 03:46 PM

Check that the camera is set to act as a USB drive using the MSC (Mass Storage Class) connection mode:

Setup 2 > USB Connection > MSC

(see page 265 of the K-x manual). Then connect your camera again to the computer, and power it up. If you have the right permissions to connect USB drives, the K-x should then just appear as another USB drive. No additional software is required. MSC is the most common form of connection.

Also are you using the USB cable that came with the camera? Sometimes different cables can be picky/wonky.

IceDeamon · 05-30-2010, 01:02 AM

Even in MSC, it doesn't work... I'm an Administrator on my computer.
And yes, I'm using the USB cable they provided me.

rawr · 05-30-2010, 02:40 AM

Well I can't fathom why it doesn't work. Time to lodge a support call to Pentax. There may be some issues specific to Win 7 and Linux.

On my three PC's - 1 x Win2k and 2 x XP - it's just as simple as plug the camera in, and up pops the camera as a USB drive in Explorer.

I still prefer copying the files via removing the SD card from the camera and using a SD card reader. It just seems faster. I never use the direct Camera <--> Computer via USB method unless I am travelling and using my laptop, which has no SD card reader.

rawr · 05-30-2010, 02:41 AM

Oh, and I am presuming you are interested in just seeing the camera as a USB drive, and aren't talking about the lack of tethering support via USB in the K-x.

IceDeamon · 05-30-2010, 02:55 AM

I've an other computer (Windows XP) and it doesn't work.

To copy the files, I also prefer the SD card reader. But I've seen on Internet that there are some softwares able to control the camera (particularly to make stop-motion).

I'll try to contact Pentax tomorrow.

rawr · 05-30-2010, 09:36 AM

Originally posted by IceDeamon

But I've seen on Internet that there are some softwares able to control the camera (particularly to make stop-motion).

Aha. Then you are talking about a different level of functionality entirely - ie tethering (remote control of the camera via USB cable connection to computer, to do things like control the shutter and display the image remotely) . Many recent Pentax DSLR's - K-x and K-7 too - do not seem to support tethering, although they do support connection protocols like PTP that do in theory provide for remote control.

What software were you thinking of trying out? I'd be interested in seeing if it works with my K-x.

IceDeamon · 05-30-2010, 09:59 AM

I wanted to try Dragon Stop Motion (not free, but there is a demo).
I don't know at all if it works with Pentax.

-> Stop Motion Software | Animation | Mac + PC | Dragon Stop Motion

Thank you for helping me =)

rawr · 05-30-2010, 07:46 PM

I notice from their website that Stop Motion doesn't integrate directly with Pentax. But they do say:

Quote:

If your camera does not have remote capture software, you may be able to use the Eye-Fi card to transfer images to your computer, and then use folder watching mode in Dragon Stop Motion.

That seems a pretty easy solution to using the software to do what you want. Other people on this forum have used the Eye-Fi card with the K-x with success, so it should work for you.

Unless I am totally wrong about what stop-motion means, you could also go a simpler route and just use software to just blend a series of static images you've placed in a folder into an animation, like people do when they do time-lapse photography. It's the same thing as stop-motion, practically. Lots of graphics and video programs allow you to do that.

rawr · 05-30-2010, 08:01 PM

In looking a bit closer at what Dragon Stop Motion needs, they say all they need is the relatively low-resolution LiveView video feed out of the camera to work with.

So since the K-x can also output a live video feed of it's LiveView in PAL or NTSC format via a cable like the Pentax AV cable (I-AVC7), if you had a video card in your PC or Mac that had a RCA plug for video input, you could use that too, and then manually trigger the shutter to take the shots.

They say much the same thing on their site in terms of using Sony, Panasonic, RED etc cameras with their software:

Dragon Stop Motion | Other Cameras

Zebooka · 05-30-2010, 10:00 PM

I'm not sure what you are trying to do:
1) Mount camera as a drive and copy files from SD card, or...
2) Control camera from PC for tethered shooting.

If 1) - no drivers needed. It's a standart USB mass-storage device.

If 2) - K-x is not supported for Pentax Remote Assistance (only *ist D, K10D, K20D, and maybe K-7 (I don't know whether Pentax released version for K-7)).

You can also try pkremote for linux, but it is tested only for K10D/K20D as far as I know.

imno007 · 05-31-2010, 07:59 AM

All I can tell you, judging from my experience, is that the only thing you can do with the k-x connected via usb to your computer is move images on and off your SD card. Otherwise there is zero functionality with the camera with usb.

IceDeamon · 05-31-2010, 09:45 AM

Ok, thank you all.
I may try Eye-fi, even if it's quite expensive...

Zebooka > Indeed, I wanted to control the camera from PC...
You say that just a few of cameras are able to do that... Will the K-x be able too ?

05-29-2010, 10:41 AM	#1
IceDeamon New Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 10	K-x and connection to computer Hello, I've bought a pentax K-x a few months ago, and I just had the idea to connect it to my computer recently. The problem is that my computer doesn't recognize it ! I've nothing. I have Windows 7 and Linux (Ubuntu), and both don't detect it... unlike a compact camera (from Vivitar). Does my camera have problems ?

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05-29-2010, 10:47 AM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,608	I'm not sure if you'll be able to connect it using ubuntu I've had a few driver issues as well there. On windows, make sure you install the driver and software from the cd, turn the camera on, connect it, and you should be all set!

05-29-2010, 10:51 AM	#3
IceDeamon New Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 10 Original Poster	I've already installed PENTAX Digital Camera Utility 4, from the CD. I think the driver is included in it... No ? Concerning Linux, I looked at the USBs using lsusb, and I had nothing.

05-29-2010, 03:46 PM	#4
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Check that the camera is set to act as a USB drive using the MSC (Mass Storage Class) connection mode: Setup 2 > USB Connection > MSC (see page 265 of the K-x manual). Then connect your camera again to the computer, and power it up. If you have the right permissions to connect USB drives, the K-x should then just appear as another USB drive. No additional software is required. MSC is the most common form of connection. Also are you using the USB cable that came with the camera? Sometimes different cables can be picky/wonky.

05-30-2010, 01:02 AM	#5
IceDeamon New Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Even in MSC, it doesn't work... I'm an Administrator on my computer. And yes, I'm using the USB cable they provided me.

05-30-2010, 02:40 AM	#6
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Well I can't fathom why it doesn't work. Time to lodge a support call to Pentax. There may be some issues specific to Win 7 and Linux. On my three PC's - 1 x Win2k and 2 x XP - it's just as simple as plug the camera in, and up pops the camera as a USB drive in Explorer. I still prefer copying the files via removing the SD card from the camera and using a SD card reader. It just seems faster. I never use the direct Camera <--> Computer via USB method unless I am travelling and using my laptop, which has no SD card reader.

05-30-2010, 02:41 AM	#7
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Oh, and I am presuming you are interested in just seeing the camera as a USB drive, and aren't talking about the lack of tethering support via USB in the K-x.

05-30-2010, 02:55 AM	#8
IceDeamon New Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 10 Original Poster	I've an other computer (Windows XP) and it doesn't work. To copy the files, I also prefer the SD card reader. But I've seen on Internet that there are some softwares able to control the camera (particularly to make stop-motion). I'll try to contact Pentax tomorrow.

05-30-2010, 09:36 AM	#9
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by IceDeamon But I've seen on Internet that there are some softwares able to control the camera (particularly to make stop-motion). Aha. Then you are talking about a different level of functionality entirely - ie tethering (remote control of the camera via USB cable connection to computer, to do things like control the shutter and display the image remotely) . Many recent Pentax DSLR's - K-x and K-7 too - do not seem to support tethering, although they do support connection protocols like PTP that do in theory provide for remote control. What software were you thinking of trying out? I'd be interested in seeing if it works with my K-x.

05-30-2010, 09:59 AM	#10
IceDeamon New Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 10 Original Poster	I wanted to try Dragon Stop Motion (not free, but there is a demo). I don't know at all if it works with Pentax. -> Stop Motion Software \| Animation \| Mac + PC \| Dragon Stop Motion Thank you for helping me =)

05-30-2010, 07:46 PM	#11
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	I notice from their website that Stop Motion doesn't integrate directly with Pentax. But they do say: Quote: If your camera does not have remote capture software, you may be able to use the Eye-Fi card to transfer images to your computer, and then use folder watching mode in Dragon Stop Motion. That seems a pretty easy solution to using the software to do what you want. Other people on this forum have used the Eye-Fi card with the K-x with success, so it should work for you. Unless I am totally wrong about what stop-motion means, you could also go a simpler route and just use software to just blend a series of static images you've placed in a folder into an animation, like people do when they do time-lapse photography. It's the same thing as stop-motion, practically. Lots of graphics and video programs allow you to do that.

05-30-2010, 08:01 PM	#12
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	In looking a bit closer at what Dragon Stop Motion needs, they say all they need is the relatively low-resolution LiveView video feed out of the camera to work with. So since the K-x can also output a live video feed of it's LiveView in PAL or NTSC format via a cable like the Pentax AV cable (I-AVC7), if you had a video card in your PC or Mac that had a RCA plug for video input, you could use that too, and then manually trigger the shutter to take the shots. They say much the same thing on their site in terms of using Sony, Panasonic, RED etc cameras with their software: Dragon Stop Motion \| Other Cameras

05-30-2010, 10:00 PM	#13
Zebooka Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Russia, Siberia, Novosibirsk Posts: 323	I'm not sure what you are trying to do: 1) Mount camera as a drive and copy files from SD card, or... 2) Control camera from PC for tethered shooting. If 1) - no drivers needed. It's a standart USB mass-storage device. If 2) - K-x is not supported for Pentax Remote Assistance (only *ist D, K10D, K20D, and maybe K-7 (I don't know whether Pentax released version for K-7)). You can also try pkremote for linux, but it is tested only for K10D/K20D as far as I know.

05-31-2010, 07:59 AM	#14
imno007 Forum Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 53	All I can tell you, judging from my experience, is that the only thing you can do with the k-x connected via usb to your computer is move images on and off your SD card. Otherwise there is zero functionality with the camera with usb.

05-31-2010, 09:45 AM	#15
IceDeamon New Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 10 Original Poster	Ok, thank you all. I may try Eye-fi, even if it's quite expensive... Zebooka > Indeed, I wanted to control the camera from PC... You say that just a few of cameras are able to do that... Will the K-x be able too ?