Problems with Nikon D750 and V3.6.4

[beiti]

I connected my Nikon D750 to QDSLRdashboard V3.6.4. I tried it on Android via WiFi connection and on Windows via USB. The problems are the same.

Depending on the quality setting of the camera, QDSLRdashboard sometimes loads the pictures, sometimes it doesn't.

When the camera is set to JPEG Fine, JPEG Normal or JPEG Basic, QDSLRdashboard loads the JPEG.
When the camera is set to 'RAW + JPEG Basic' or 'RAW + JPEG Normal', it also loads the JPEG and ignores the RAW. (So far so good.)
When the camera is set to 'RAW + JPEG Fine', it loads both files, JPEG and RAW.
When the camera is set to RAW only, it loads nothing.
And what bothers me the most: If I uncheck the "Image review after capture" setting, no files are loaded at all, independend of the camera quality setting. So I can't use QDSLRdashboard to just load my files in the background.

Unfortunately I don't have another compatible camera here, so I can't tell how QDSLRdashboard v3.6.4 behaves with other camera models.
If it makes any difference: My D750 firmware version is C 1.15 (it's the latest, it came out in 02/2019).

[hubaiz]

Please use the 'Quick image review after capture' option.

[beiti]

Please use the 'Quick image review after capture' option.

Unfortunately that doesn't change much. The only difference is that the preview goes away after a few seconds. But I still can't just shoot RAW images (without losing time for downloading the 'JPEG Fine' file first).
The only workaround is to set the camera on 'Small' Image size so that the 'Fine JPEG' doesn't get bigger than necessary.

[hubaiz]

The 'Quick image review after capture' on Nikon cameras will try to download the JPG image if there is one (any RAW+JPG setting) if there is none then it will download try to download the RAW preview JPG image (if the camera supports this command).

[beiti]

In my case, QDSLRdashboard behaves the same way, no matter if I use 'Image review' or 'Quick image review'. The only difference is that in in Quick version the review window closes by itself after a few seconds.

I just tried again with Quick Image Review, to be sure:
- JPEG Basic: JPEG file is downloaded
- JPEG Normal: JPEG file is downloaded
- JPEG Fine: JPEG file is downloaded
– RAW + JPEG Basic: JPEG file is downloaded
– RAW + JPEG Normal: JPEG file is downloaded
– RAW + JPEG Fine: JPEG and RAW files are downloaded (!)
- RAW: No file is downloaded (!)

If I deactivate both preview options, no files are downloaded at all.
Checking/unchecking the 'Nikon High Speed Transfer' option doesn't make a difference.
Changing the size of JPEG in the camera (S, M, L) doesn't make difference.

[hubaiz]

Will check the RAW option.
It is normal that no file is downloaded when 'Image review after capture' or 'Quick image review after capture' is disabled.

[beiti]

It is normal that no file is downloaded when 'Image review after capture' or 'Quick image review after capture' is disabled.

Okay. I didn't know that.

Have you ever thought about a "Just download, no review" option? And also a free choice of what files to download (JPEG, JPEG+RAW, RAW only)?

There are RAW converters out there (like DXO PhotoLab or Exposure X) who don't have a tether feature of their own but support external tethering software by monitoring a specific folder. So it would make perfect sense to download pictures without showing them directly in QDSLRdashboard.
(As a workaround we could make the QDSLRdashboard window very small, keep it runnig in the background and just ignore it's built-in review. But I assume that the review uses some CPU power that unnecessarily slows down the other software.)

[hubaiz]

I could add an option, the problem is that downloading is slow (especially on wireless) for RAW files.

[beiti]

downloading is slow (especially on wireless) for RAW files.

Yes, but it's managable in many situations. If you're doing things like product photography and only make a couple of pictures per minute, you can well live with 20 seconds (or so) download time per RAW file. And as soon as you use an USB cable it's much faster anyway.

For me personally there are two scenarios where I want to use qDslrDashboard:
1) When I only need a quick review that's a bit bigger than my camera's own display, I put a 10″ tablet running qDslrDashboard on a stand. Connection is by WiFi. I configure my camera to shoot RAW + JPEG Basic. Both files go to the memory card, the JPEG also goes to the tablet for an instant review. (BTW: I wish the review on my tablet would be scaled down in higher quality, e.g. using Lanczos method.)
2) When I do critical studio work, I want the RAW file on my computer as soon as possible so I can right away see it within the RAW converter software. Therefore I would connect the camera to the computer by USB (or sometimes even WiFi, when cables would be obstructive and when I can live with the delay). The camera would be set on RAW only or RAW + JPEG, but either way I want the RAW file to be transmitted to the computer. (I first saw this on tutorial videos by Peter Coulson. He uses Hasselblad cameras with 'Phocus' software, but qDslrDashboard together with any other RAW converter could provide a very similar workflow.)

[beiti]

Two more observations while tethering my D750:

1) When I realease my camera several times in a row, some of the pictures are "swallowed" on the way to my computer. While tethering, the buffer size goes down to only 4 raw+jpeg actuations anyway*, but of those 8 files only three are transmitted to the computer: the RAW + JPEG file of the first actuation and only the RAW file of the forth/last actuation. The rest are written on my camera's memory card, but not transmitted to the computer.
It's not like qDslrDashboard doesn't know about those missing files. I can still see them in the "History" and download them from there by clicking. They are just not automatically downloaded right away.

2) During my test yesterday it happened that when the camera was set to 'RAW + JPEG Fine', instead of the RAW (Nikon NEF) file I got a file ending on .NEF.jpg which was an additional JPEG file in a very low (640 x 424 px) resolution. I tried to verify this today, but now I'm getting real RAW files again, with USB and WiFi connection as well. I don't know what I did different yesterday. (EDIT: I found out: With 'Quick Image Review' I get these '.NEF.jpg' files, with 'Image Review' I get the real NEF files.)

*I did a little comparison. When using ControlMyNikon or Nikon Camera Control Pro, the buffer size of the camera stays the same as always (>10 pictures) – and no pictures are lost on the way to the computer (they are all downloaded one after another).