Gphoto2 command line interface
The data below has been obtained from a Canon EOS 1000D camera.
Gphoto2 can be used interactively with commands or using command line arguments, the result is the same. Interactive commands are generally the same than commande line arguments without the double dash before them. On this page, commands line arguments are used.
The camera being addressed must be specified for all commands, either using the --auto-detect option or one of --camera or --port.
Changing properties
Properties are the same parameters used to take a picture, for example shutter speed and ISO value. A list of available parameters for a camera can be obtained using the --list-config option or command. Result is shown below.
$ gphoto2 --auto-detect --list-config ---------------------------------------------------------- Canon EOS 1000D usb:001,009 /main/actions/bulb /main/actions/uilock /main/actions/syncdatetime /main/actions/autofocusdrive /main/actions/manualfocusdrive /main/actions/eoszoom /main/actions/eoszoomposition /main/actions/eosviewfinder /main/settings/datetime /main/settings/reviewtime /main/settings/output /main/settings/evfmode /main/settings/ownername /main/settings/customfuncex /main/settings/capturetarget /main/settings/capture /main/status/model /main/status/ptpversion /main/status/dpofversion /main/status/batterylevel /main/status/serialnumber /main/status/shuttercounter /main/status/availableshots /main/imgsettings/imageformat /main/imgsettings/imageformatsd /main/imgsettings/iso /main/imgsettings/whitebalance /main/imgsettings/whitebalanceadjusta /main/imgsettings/whitebalanceadjustb /main/imgsettings/whitebalancexa /main/imgsettings/whitebalancexb /main/imgsettings/colorspace /main/capturesettings/autoexposuremode /main/capturesettings/drivemode /main/capturesettings/picturestyle /main/capturesettings/shutterspeed /main/capturesettings/meteringmode /main/capturesettings/bracketmode /main/other/d402 /main/other/d407 /main/other/d406
Getting the value and possible values for a property is done using the --get-config argument. Here is an example with the shutter speed property.
Type: RADIO Current: 30 Choice: 0 bulb Choice: 1 30 Choice: 2 25 Choice: 3 20 Choice: 4 15 Choice: 5 13 Choice: 6 10 Choice: 7 8 Choice: 8 6 Choice: 9 5 Choice: 10 4 Choice: 11 3.2 Choice: 12 2.5 Choice: 13 2 Choice: 14 1.6 Choice: 15 1.3 Choice: 16 1 Choice: 17 0.8 Choice: 18 0.6 Choice: 19 0.5 Choice: 20 0.4 Choice: 21 0.3 Choice: 22 1/4 Choice: 23 1/5 Choice: 24 1/6 Choice: 25 1/8 Choice: 26 1/10 Choice: 27 1/13 Choice: 28 1/15 Choice: 29 1/20 Choice: 30 1/25 Choice: 31 1/30 Choice: 32 1/40 Choice: 33 1/50 Choice: 34 1/60 Choice: 35 1/80 Choice: 36 1/100 Choice: 37 1/125 Choice: 38 1/160 Choice: 39 1/200 Choice: 40 1/250 Choice: 41 1/320 Choice: 42 1/400 Choice: 43 1/500 Choice: 44 1/640 Choice: 45 1/800 Choice: 46 1/1000 Choice: 47 1/1250 Choice: 48 1/1600 Choice: 49 1/2000 Choice: 50 1/2500 Choice: 51 1/3200 Choice: 52 1/4000
Setting the property is done using --set-config argument, as shown below. There is generally no output to this command.
$ gphoto2 --auto-detect --set-config=/main/capturesettings/shutterspeed=0 Model Port ---------------------------------------------------------- Canon EOS 1000D usb:001,009
Taking a picture
There are numerous ways of taking pictures with Canon EOS cameras. Images can be stored on temporary internal memory or on SD card. Image with long exposure can be done using predefined length exposures, or bulb mode. The bulb mode can be controlled from two ways in gphoto2: setting the /main/actions/bulb property to 1 then 0 during the exposure, or using the -B command line argument.
For example, an 22s image can be downloaded right away to the computer, and not be written on the SD card, using the --capture-image-and-download argument in combination with the -B argument. The -B argument can only work when the camera is in M mode and its shutter speed is set to BULB. The captured image is then saved in the local directory, so be sure you can write to it.
$ gphoto2 --auto-detect -B 22 --capture-image-and-download Model Port ---------------------------------------------------------- Canon EOS 1000D usb:001,009 Bulb mode enabled (exposure time: 22s). New file is in location /capt0000.cr2 on the camera Saving file as capt0000.cr2 Deleting file /capt0000.cr2 on the camera Deleting 'capt0000.cr2' from folder '/'...
Numerous options can then be added to this command line, for example the --interval option to take several pictures, or --filename to change the output filename, inserting date or number in it. For example, the command $ gphoto2 --auto-detect -B 23 --capture-image-and-download --filename m42_23s_ISO1600_%03n.cr2 should name the file m42_23s_ISO1600_001.cr2 with an increasing number for each subsequent frame, although in reality the number does not increase and gphoto2 wants to overwrite the previous file.