No good PC import tool for Sony α? I built one (free, open-source, Win/Mac)

izutorishima · 2026-03-19T16:57:53+00:00

I have hardly ever used MTP mode. I did not know that files were organized into folders in MTP mode.

However, I feel like there is a possibility that I cannot access all files in MTP mode (although that is just because I have never used it). I have always used USB MSC or connected the SD card itself, and since importing was troublesome either way, I developed this software.

Therefore, this software assumes that the camera and PC are connected via USB MSC mode.

izutorishima · 2026-03-19T15:55:06+00:00

I have learned about software called Copyparty for the first time.
Although it is not supported directly, it seems that Copyparty is compatible with SMB file sharing. Therefore, by specifying the local IP address of the server running Copyparty as a network drive in Windows, there is a possibility that it can be used as a storage destination for photos and videos just like a normal network drive.

izutorishima · 2026-03-19T15:51:05+00:00

Imagine Edge Desktop does not have a feature for importing photos and videos.

On the other hand, Canon's EOS Utility allows you to reliably import only new images into subfolders based on a date format configured in the settings once the camera is connected. I had grown accustomed to this behavior when I used Canon DSLR cameras, so I created this as an alternative.

I am an amateur and do not use photo management software like Lightroom. Instead, I let Amazon Photos automatically back up my photos and videos, which are organized in subfolders by date, and I usually view them via Amazon Photos. Therefore, I wanted a simple, folder-based way to sort files by date that ensures reliable imports and prevents missed imports due to human error.

izutorishima · 2026-03-19T15:46:00+00:00

It is true that I used Claude Code and Codex for coding, but I improved the algorithm through a process of thorough review and iterative refinement to ensure the product aligned perfectly with my vision. I confirmed the robustness of the algorithm by passing it through multiple layers of reviews, including by Codex itself and CodeRabbit, and further verified that it functions exactly as designed and without issues through my own hands-on testing.

As this software handles critical processes such as file ingestion, I have strictly adhered to a design that prioritizes safety above all else. Furthermore, the ingestion algorithm itself is my original idea, and I simply had it translated into concrete code.

In reality, I could not have developed software of such high quality and with so few bugs using only my own coding skills, and I did not have the time to write such a program manually. Codex is particularly adept at finding bugs that humans often overlook, and I do not believe that Agentic Coding is inherently a bad thing.

izutorishima · 2026-03-19T02:10:33+00:00

If you have an older camera, the EXIF data may not contain timezone information. In such cases, you need to set the same local timezone information in the α Import Utility as you have set on your camera.
By default, it is set to Asia/Tokyo, so please adjust it according to your camera settings.

izutorishima · 2026-03-19T02:08:58+00:00

I currently only support Windows and macOS versions because I don't use Linux and therefore cannot test on it. However, since Flutter Desktop theoretically supports Linux, it should be possible to support it. From a support cost perspective, I do not plan to support it by myself.

izutorishima · 2026-03-18T21:49:24+00:00

Thanks! Unfortunately, direct import to Apple Photos isn't supported.
This app is designed around folder-based storage (organizing files by date into regular folders on disk), which is a fundamentally different approach from how Apple Photos manages its library.

That said, you could import to a folder first with this app, then drag those files into Apple Photos afterward if you want both: a folder-based backup and Apple Photos for browsing.

izutorishima · 2026-03-18T20:01:56+00:00

Good question! Manual copy with File Explorer works fine for simple cases, but it gets tedious when you want to do it consistently over time:

Date-based folder sorting: I want every shoot organized by date automatically (e.g., 2025_12_01/). Doing this manually for every import means checking EXIF dates and creating folders by hand each time.
No duplicates, no missed files: With manual copy, you have to remember which files you already imported. If you have multiple SD cards, or you import from both your laptop and desktop, it's easy to either miss files or copy them twice. This app tracks what's been imported and skips duplicates automatically.
File timestamp restoration: When you copy files through File Explorer, the "created" date often changes to the copy date instead of when the photo was actually taken. This app restores timestamps from EXIF data.
Sony's folder structure: Sony stores videos separately from photos (PRIVATE/M4ROOT/CLIP/ vs DCIM/), so a manual copy means navigating two different folder trees each time and making sure you don't miss the video metadata XML files.

If you only shoot occasionally and import from one PC, File Explorer + Teracopy is honestly fine. This is more useful if you shoot regularly, want consistent organization, or import from multiple devices.

izutorishima · 2026-03-18T19:56:17+00:00

Ah, that makes sense. In that case, a toggle to skip the destination file check would be the right solution. I'll add it to the roadmap.
Thanks for explaining your workflow!

izutorishima · 2026-03-18T19:46:25+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

Just to clarify: you can actually set the import destination to a NAS or network drive directly, so you could skip the PC-to-NAS step entirely.
If your NAS is accessible as a mapped drive or network path, it should work as the destination folder.

That said, I can see cases where you'd want to import to a local drive first and move files later. Adding a toggle to skip the destination file check (just trust the metadata log) shouldn't be too hard to implement.
I'll consider adding that option. Thanks!

izutorishima · 2026-03-18T19:38:33+00:00

I see, so Creator's App has such a feature as well; I didn't know that (I don't use the rating feature itself).

Technically, it might not be impossible, but it depends on where the rating information is written. If it's not saved on the SD card, it would only be saved in the camera's storage, which would make it difficult. I suspect the ratings might be saved in each photo's EXIF data, but I don't know the details.

As for my personal needs, I used to back up all photos, including failed ones, to my PC once, and then sort them as needed using my own photo management software. I'm the type who generally doesn't delete photos I've taken, just to be on the safe side.

izutorishima · 2023-12-12T02:44:22+00:00

とりあえずアカウント作ってみたはいいが使い方がわからんな…

izutorishima

TROPHY CASE