Camera Control — Troubleshooting
Fixes specific to the Camera Control MCP — the local server that operates a connected camera. (For the hosted research servers, see Docs MCP troubleshooting.)
Connection
Section titled “Connection”| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Tools present but every call fails to connect | The bundled server didn’t start. Confirm a camera is attached and set to PC Remote mode, then run crsdk doctor. |
| “No camera found” | Reconnect USB; make sure no other app (Imaging Edge, Creators’ App, another Claude session) is holding the camera. |
| You run your own REST server | Set Camera server URL in the extension settings; the bundle then adopts that server instead of spawning its own. |
| Camera keeps disconnecting | Try a different USB cable/port; connect with reconnecting enabled so the SDK re-establishes dropped links. |
Properties look read-only
Section titled “Properties look read-only”If get_camera_state / get_property report writable: false on most settings, the camera hasn’t granted PC control yet. Connect first — the priority-key (pc-remote) handshake unlocks writability, and connect_camera does this for you. A body that reports writable: false with empty available_values almost always just needs the priority key claimed.
Live view looks stale or degenerate
Section titled “Live view looks stale or degenerate”Right after connecting, the first live-view frames can be stale or blank while the camera settles — poll get_live_frame again a moment later rather than treating the first frame as the truth. Use the OSD overlay (overlay: osd) when you need the real histogram/exposure readout baked into the pixels.
Events flood the response
Section titled “Events flood the response”Calling poll_events with wait_s: 0 drains the entire buffered backlog, which can be large. Pass a since_cursor from a previous call to get only what’s new, or wait_s > 0 to long-poll for the next event.
SD card listing is empty or wrong
Section titled “SD card listing is empty or wrong”list_captures reads one slot at a time and needs remote-transfer or contents mode. If a slot returns nothing, the card is likely in the other slot — try slot: 1 and slot: 2. (Bodies with two slots often have the card in slot 2.)
Settings download / upload fails
Section titled “Settings download / upload fails”snapshot_camera_settings / restore_camera_settings require a memory card in slot 1 on many bodies — the camera gates the feature on it. If it errors, check the card is in slot 1 and re-read the enable-status properties.
LUT import does nothing in a stills mode
Section titled “LUT import does nothing in a stills mode”import_lut (and reading the LUT slot list) only works when the camera is in a movie mode — base-look import is disabled in stills modes. Switch the mode dial to movie, then import.
A capture won’t fire
Section titled “A capture won’t fire”- “Internal temp. high” in the live frame is a real hardware state — let the body cool; captures may be inhibited while it’s hot.
- If autofocus can’t lock, the shutter won’t fire on an AF capture. Retry with manual focus, or half-press to confirm AF before firing.
Still stuck
Section titled “Still stuck”Pull server health and recent logs with get_server_diagnostics, and confirm the session with get_connection_status. If the server itself won’t start or the camera keeps dropping, surface the diagnostics rather than retrying in a loop.