Using camera tethered to a computer...

[andynoey]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience in using the camera tethered directly to a PC or laptop using a USB? How does this work?

[JDArt]

Yes. You have to have remote control software, typically provided with your camera. Works just like any other device connected to the PC via USB.

[cyclohexane]

typically provided with your camera

Jay, this is Nikon. =P

Instead of getting software included with the camera, Nikon wants $80 for Nikon Camera Control Pro. I tried the 30-day free trial, and liked it a lot as it worked really well, but never got around to purchasing it. For one thing, I mostly use the custom function portions, a la Photo Secretary back in the days of the F5, and don't shoot tethered much at all.

Andynoey, be sure your camera's USB mode is set to peer-to-peer ("PTP", "P"), otherwise Camera Control Pro won't see your camera.

[andynoey]

That explains alot. I had it on Mass and it did nothing.

[cyclohexane]

So it works now? Glad to hear that everything's working.

Oh yeah, welcome to the Camel!

[hear2see]

Hi Guys,
I can't speak to the hows and the where fores and such but I can say this...
I've seen two DSLR camera demonstrations at camera shows where the demonstrators would take a photo and then the crowd could instantly view the resulting capture on a large screen T.V. (I guess routed through a lap top?)

One fellow was demonstrating portrait lighting tricks and techniques... It was just so nice a large image of the photo taken just that moment before... so the photographer could refer to the photo and the model, so we in the crowd could see exactly what he was talking about.

Everyone in the crowd could easily see how powerfull a too, that tethered shooting is.. If you can set up to do it... wow... it would be very, very nice.

I don't have a lap top but it would be nice if I could just simply plug my camera into my T.V. and have a big clear image of what I was getting shot to shot...
charlie

[Bonner]

About two months ago there was a thread about this. I always use it in the studio because I have a D70 and can barely see the shadows and lighting. Now, I see any picture full screen on the laptop. BTW, we have a screen projector and can show the model on a wall her pictures, if we want, while she is modeling.

Also, there is an option to display a histogram on the laptop.

Jim

[dougsmit]

Originally Posted by hear2see

I don't have a lap top but it would be nice if I could just simply plug my camera into my T.V. and have a big clear image of what I was getting shot to shot...
charlie

This is one of those places where the point and shoot crowd wins over us DSLRers.* P&S cameras often come with a video cable so you can see on any TV what was displayed on the screen.* That includes before the shot is taken and the review image afterward.* I made great use of it when shooting coins for a book I did before I got my first DSLR.*

Since I have Canon (the one which gives this software free with the camera) I can't speak for Nikon but I also like the option of being able to record directly to the computer hard drive either backing up or instead of the CF card.* *It is kind of fun looking at the counter telling you how many spaces you have available before your 100Gig HD is full.

I trust everyone realizes that there is no preview on any DSLR tether just like there is no preview on the camera.* My self portrait shows on the screen the most recent shot before this one and the row of thumbs below for the rest.
http://www.pbase.com/dougsmit/image/66855373

[kayautho]

To Doug Smith:* Your last paragraph confuses me a little bit.* Let me just ask you...If I were using the software while taking a portrait shot of someone, would the picture not appear on my (laptop) computer almost instantly?
Arthur Kay

[dougsmit]

Originally Posted by kayautho

To Doug Smith: Your last paragraph confuses me a little bit. Let me just ask you...If I were using the software while taking a portrait shot of someone, would the picture not appear on my (laptop) computer almost instantly?
Arthur Kay

Certainly. The delay between shot and computer display is the same as the delay before the shot appears on the camera display. The paragraph was to confirm the obvious (I hope) that the tethered function does not add the preview function that is present in point and shoots which would allow the model to see and adjust the pose before it is shot.

[kayautho]

Doug Smith: Now I see exactly what you mean
Arthur Kay

[Brooks]

Check out www.bibblelabs.com for tethered shooting software and Raw File editing for most major camera brands/models.

[dstivers]

I've used WIA (Windows Image Acquisition) to directly acquire images from my D70. I used Photoshop, but pretty much any editing program that can use WIA should work.

Of course, WIA is not nearly as flexible as Camera Control Pro, and it is a bit clunky to use (at least from PhotoShop), but it is more or less built-in to Win XP. I'd guess that Apple has something similar.

[andynoey]

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone.