Shooting tethered… easy control, excellent shots

Battery On Lens

Battery On Lens
Taken using Canon tethering software to accurately capture the battery terminal and leave the rest of the shot out of focus
Battery On Lens By Netkonnexion on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

Photography phactoids number 003.

When you are trying to get it right a high resolution screen is a great support. A significant development in photography is the screen on the camera. How would you feel about seeing your picture even larger? Tethered shooting allows you to use a screen off-camera to display your shot immediately. Tethered shooting is the way you can get greater camera control and see your shot in a large display immediately.

Tethered shooting involves plugging your camera into your computer (laptop, tablet – PC or Mac. etc). Then you can control the camera from the software and as soon as you take the shot it is displayed on your large screen. It is the ideal way to increase your screen resolution so you can see how effective your shot was a soon as it is taken. The camera control is also excellent. From your keyboard you can focus, change the settings and see the live view version of your intended shot too.

Canon supply tethered shooting software free with their cameras. Nikon charge extra for their software. There are also a range of third party software packages to do the same as the manufacturers own software. Install the software on your computer then simply connect up your camera. If you have the appropriate equipment you can even use wireless connections.

The control of your camera from the keyboard of your computer gives great accuracy for taking the shots. The precise control off settings and focus allows you to do close-ups and macros with certainty that you have the shot you want. Because the picture is direct to the screen the shot is easily verified directly.

Tethered shooting can be used for all sorts of shots. Its great for those shots where you will use a tripod. Portraits, macros, close-ups, landscapes and technical or product shots are all great examples. The technique is less useful for shots where you are on the move or where you would need to hand-hold. The latter are still achievable however, if you use a wireless connection.

Tethered shooting is really useful for accuracy, verification of shots and precise control of the camera settings. Every photographer should all have a go at this. The experience is worth the small amount of effort it takes to set up.

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.

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