If you have media on a device that you want to get direct to Dropbox for editing or accessing without having to take the SD card out or without having to plug the device directly into your laptop, many modern cameras support secure file transfers via SFTP or FTP.
Chances are you have a camera or device that supports Wi-Fi or mobile connectivity and has SFTP or FTP as a method of uploading data, especially if you're a professional photographer working with a high-end camera. The main disadvantage to this method is that you need to use an SFTP server, specifically one that can connect to Dropbox.
This is where Couchdrop can help. It bridges the gap between SFTP/FTP and modern cloud solutions such as Dropbox, S3, Google Drive, or other storage solutions. It’s simple to set up and only takes a couple of minutes to get going.
Check your camera's connectivity options
Before you can transfer media via SFTP to Dropbox, you need to make sure that your camera supports these types of connections. Typically, you'll find connection settings in a network section of the settings or similar. You'll need to include the SFTP server requirements to establish a connection as well.
The specific process for setting up FTP/SFTP varies depending on the particular camera model you're using. It's also not always straightforward to find which transfer protocols are supported, even from the same manufacturer. For instance, the Canon EOS R series has models with different protocol support. Some only support FTP, while others support FTPS or SFTP.
Fortunately, Couchdrop supports multiple protocols and also functions as the SFTP or FTP server with Dropbox connectivity built in.
How to connect a camera to Dropbox via SFTP using Couchdrop
Couchdrop can function as an SFTP gateway to move files from your camera to Dropbox. This is a common use case for the Couchdrop Link Plan and removes many of the manual steps and additional software normally required for this process.
The steps to get started (in summary) are:
- Step 1 — Connect Dropbox account
- Step 2 — Create an SFTP/FTP user for your camera
- Step 3 — Configure cameras for FTP/SFTP
- Step 4 — Transfer files
Step 1 — Connect Dropbox account
Once you’ve signed up to Couchdrop, your SFTP server is created automatically without any manual steps required. This enables an external user—in this case, the camera—to connect to the Couchdrop account.
When the user connects, they will be able to transfer files from the camera into a folder in the Couchdrop account. This could be hosted storage to quickly move files onto the server, or a folder in any of the 30+ supported storage platforms like Dropbox. Since these are virtual paths, the folders actually reside in the storage accounts themselves, and the files are never stored by Couchdrop at any point.
What this means is that the SFTP user associated with the camera can move files via SFTP into the Dropbox account directly, something that normally wouldn't be possible without custom integrations or scripting.
Couchdrop supports both personal Dropbox accounts and Dropbox team accounts. The process for connecting varies slightly depending on the account type, but it only takes a few minutes to make the initial connection for either type.
Once that initial connection is complete, the Dropbox folder will appear in the virtual file system and can be used as an endpoint for SFTP transfers. If you want to connect to different folder endpoints, you can create multiple Dropbox connections that are isolated to different folders as roots, and then create different users that can only SFTP into the particular folder.
Step 2 — Create an SFTP/FTP user for your camera
Now you need to create an SFTP/FTP user for your cameras to connect to Dropbox with. If possible, we recommend using SFTP because it's more secure, but if the camera doesn't support it, you can also create a user who can connect via FTP/S.
Users can be created from the Users tab on any page. Couchdrop will prompt you to create a user type based on different permissions, like external SFTP or FTP users. These types have some specific access controls pre-selected, but can be customized as needed.
The user can be autogenerated by Couchdrop or you can create the credentials yourself. Once you've created the user, you'll need to configure the camera to connect using those credentials.
Step 3 — Configure camera(s)
Now that you’ve configured your backend storage and the connecting user, the next step is to configure your camera to connect to Dropbox via SFTP or FTP.
Provide the following information to your device:
- SFTP/FTP Hostname - You can find this by clicking the cloud icon at the top of any page.
- Username and Password (for the user created before)
As mentioned previously, the specific connection process can vary between manufacturers and camera models. However, some manufacturers have a general guide you can follow to configure the camera for SFTP / FTP transfers.
Here are FTP/SFTP configuration guides for some of the most popular camera manufacturers:
Step 4 — Transfer Files
When your camera connects using the credentials, it's actually making a direct connection to the folder on the Dropbox account. This means that you can now upload files directly to your desired Dropbox folders.
To move photos and videos, simply select the desired media and choose to share/transfer using this method. By connecting via SFTP, you can transfer camera files to Dropbox from anywhere with a network connection without having to work with wires and adapters. And because SFTP is a secure transfer protocol, the files are transferred safely and securely.
Try Couchdrop free for 14 days
If you want to give this setup a try for yourself, you can try Couchdrop free for 14 days by registering for an account. Each registration gets immediate access with no credit card required. Simply sign up for an account now to get started.