The latest digital cameras using USB offer the user a choice of two image transfer protocols, MSC (mass storage class) and PTP (picture transfer protocol), which are selectable through the camera's menu system. This is due to the fact that the latest operating systems now offer both PTP and MSC USB image transfer protocols. By default all digital cameras are set to MSC.
With USB mass storage class (MSC), when USB-compatible equipment is connected, it is recognized as a removable drive like a floppy or hard disk drive. This means that images can be read, not only with the supplied software, but also with Internet browsing software such as Internet Explorer, etc., for added versatility.
Picture transfer protocol (PTP) is the new protocol for image transfer that can be used with Windows XP (Home/Professional) and Mac OS X.