Setting up the Nikon Transfer 2 app on your Mac

The application, Nikon Transfer 2, is a utility software that automatically launches to copy images and movies from your Nikon camera or memory card to a designated folder on your computer and is part of the Nikon NX Studio suite. Key features of the application include transferring new files only, creating simultaneous backups to a separate location, renaming files during transfer, syncing camera time, and handling various formats like JPG and NEF (RAW). It can be triggered by connecting the camera via USB or inserting a card, and supports wireless transfer with compatible cameras.   INSTRUCTIONS:

Go to https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/564/NX_Studio.html

Download NX Studio. (You don’t need to use any of it apart from the Nikon Transfer 2 app)

Open the Nikon Transfer 2 app to check it works OK but do nothing with it yet (it is located in - Dock/Launchpad/Nikon Software/Nikon Transfer 2)

Connect the camera to your Mac using a USB cable.

Go to ‘Launchpad’ in the Dock, open the ‘Other’ folder and find the ’Image Capture’ app and open it. Your camera should appear in the ‘DEVICES’ column shown on the left.

Select your camera and click the ‘…’ icon in the middle to get this drop down.

Use ‘Other…’ to find and select the Nikon Transfer 2 app (usually in HD/Applications/Nikon Software/Nikon Transfer 2/Nikon Transfer 2.app)

Close down the Image Capture app.

Open the Nikon Transfer 2 app and click on your camera which should be displayed in the ’Source’ tab.

Open the ‘Primary Destination’ tab and create a folder (I call it ‘Nikon Transfer 2’ for simplicity) wherever you like. This will be the folder that all your downloaded images get save to.

Make sure that ‘Create subfolder for each transfer’ is selected and I’d recommend keeping the default folder dating option (It keeps your photos in a folder for each day they were taken). Ensure that ‘Use subfolder with same name if it exists’ is ticked.

Ignore the ‘Backup Destination’ tab and open ‘Preferences’.

I recommend ticking the the options selected in the image and add your photo editing app (mine is Adobe Bridge 2026) 

Click the ’Start Transfer’ button to transfer any photos on your camera to your chosen location.

That’s it, when you next connect your camera to the Mac, the Nikon Transfer 2 app will automatically open for you to choose the images you want to download. Make sure you add it to your Dock so you can access it easily.