Normally, when we take photos, we save them to the memory card, pop that card into our computer, and download the images to Lightroom or whatever cataloging program we choose. However, many studio photographers use tethering to bypass the logistics of working with a memory card, but it offers more advantages than just the convenience. This excellent video tutorial will show you what tethering is, why it is beneficial, and how to use it in your own work.
Coming to you from David Bergman with Adorama TV, this awesome video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of tethering. If you are someone who shoots images in the same place you edit them, tethering can offer a lot of convenience. It goes beyond that, though. When you view an image on your camera's rear LCD, not only are you working with a very small screen, you are, at most, viewing it with one of the camera's JPEG preview settings applied. However, when you tether to a computer, not only do you get to view the images in near real-time on a large display that is useful for checking things like critical focus, you can have the program automatically apply a range of edits, making it easier for clients or assistants who are there to see how the final shot will come out. While some cameras offer Wi-Fi tethering capabilities, wired tethering is generally both faster and more reliable. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Bergman.
While the advertised brand of wire is probably great, it's also not necessary. I shoot tethered all the time for 24 years. Any cable will do. I started with scsi cables on digital backs but we switched systems as soon as USB tethering was available. What I've learned is that it's better to have regular regular connection than all solid because you want it to separate if there is a pull. Get a short cable attach to the camera, loop the cable to tripod or make your own clamp. That one first cable has to be solid so the connection to the camera won't get pulled in any direction. At the end of your short cable, connect an extension that will run to the computer. That's the connection that should break off for safety. The lock block advertised is the only product I would get personally. Canon will let you shoot to both card and computer but the file name will be standard while in the therein capture you will control the name of your file if you use Canon Utility. The utility is what I use all the time. It has many features. All the basic ISO, f stop, shutter speed and 2 bulbs mode. It has also a nice timer and delay mode. You can set the delay up to 100 minutes, shooting interval up to 100 minutes and the number of exposures up to 1 million. There is a quick preview when you shoot and all the images are available in a secondary app named DPP that I keep open at all time. DPP will let you enlarge only once but you can travel L, R,U, D like with the back wheel on a camera. I only open the actual files in Camera RAW when I know I am pretty close to what I want. There is really no point in opening files that are not worth anything in CR when DPP provide a nice preview nearly instantly by double clicking on an image.
--- "it's better to have regular regular connection than all solid because you want it to separate if there is a pull."
--- "Get a short cable attach to the camera…"
--- "At the end of your short cable, connect an extension that will run to the computer. That's the connection that should break off for safety."
This!
If client is with you on set, it's just straight up unprofessional not to shoot tethered.
You're just shooting yourself in the foot by providing poor service because the entire reason for shooting tethered is to see what you're doing in 1:1 detail in order to have a conversation with your client about what the heck you all are getting paid to do that day!
I don't agree with that. Tethering has downsides too such as massively slowing down the speed you can shoot as well as introducing another system to fail and introduce problems. (And boy does tethering software like to fail and cause problems)
As a professional you should be able to approach a situation and understand what setup makes the most sense. Tethering often does in a studio setting but not always.
I don't remember issues with tethered since probably 2005 when computers were not as performant as new ones today. May be it's the brand you use. As soon as my USB is connected and camera is turned on the software shows up. Tethered is not for everything.
I'm on Nikon, I'd say if I plug the camera in and turn it on there is at most a 30% chance Lightroom will detect it. I usually have to turn it off and on half a dozen times before LR knows a camera is detected. (I've tried plenty of cables, its not the cable)
--- "Tethering has downsides too such as massively slowing down the speed you can shoot"
Tethering is pretty fast, actually. In realistic shooting, you are not going to outrun it by much. Maybe a few seconds.
--- "as well as introducing another system to fail and introduce problems."
It's worth it even with the very minute chance of an issue. I guarantee, issues are isolated and usually user errors.
--- "...understand what setup makes the most sense. Tethering often does in a studio setting but not always."
When you have the clients or the production manager there, it's gong to lean to most likely always.
I constantly outrun it when I'm tethering. I have to purposefully stop and slow down or wait for it to catch up. I'm using a high-speed USB-C cable with a Nikon Z7ii attached to a top-spec M2 Macbook. I'm not shooting like a fiend, the camera is in S mode most of the time but if the model is changing poses every 3-4 seconds I'm going to outrun the tether.
This problem skyrockets when I need to shoot burst such as when working with athletes or dancers doing dynamic action moves. I've outrun the tether by as much as 10min before if a Dancer does a ton of cool moves in succession and then we just sit there and wait for the computer to catch up. (Which is really dangerous because if Lightroom randomly decides to crash or disconnect from the camera, you lose a lot of the images that are still sitting in the buffer)
I recently was working with an Olympic Athlete who competed in Wushu (A martial art), we tried to tether but I just gave up because the computer didn't have a prayer at keeping up. To capture her moves I was working in high speed burst.
I tether a LOT because I'm often shooting to composite and I use the Loupe feature to match perspective but its ALWAYS problematic and something I have to deal with.
Have you tried other tether capable software other than LR, like Capture One or NX Tether?
Over the years, yes. Recently, no. Somehow I doubt they are 10x faster than LR though. I don't expect its a software problem.
LR has always been known to shit when it comes to tethering. Probably one of the reasons many photographers jumped from LR to C1 (or use C1 exclusively for tethering and LR for editing) is because of LR's tethering speed, or rather, lack of.
On my setup, Sony a7III + C1 + home built PC, takes about 1.7 secs for the image to display as soon as I press then shutter. A burst of 24 images takes about 19.4 secs from when the first image is displayed until the last. You have to take account my reaction time pressing the start/stop button. That obviously would have added a little bit in the time.
--- "I don't expect its a software problem."
Well, didn't you just get a new Mac?
It boggles the logical mind why the resistance to try out the newest of C1 and/or NX just to see...just to test. Process of elimination.