# Best software for tethered shooting with 5DMkIII?



## ereka (Dec 17, 2012)

Rather than hijack a similar thread specifically about problems using LR4/EOS Uitlity for tethered shooting with the 5DMkIII, I thought it might be better to start a new thread.

So, for those of us that shoot tethered with our 5DMkIII, what is the best software/combination you have found for this?

I'm currently using EOS Utility and auto importing the resulting images into LR4.3. This setup works sort of OK, but seems like a bit of a round about solution. The biggest drawback for me is that LR4 auto import settings seem to be limited to standard settings (which don't, for example, include 'as previous'). Therefore I find myself processing the first image and then having to 'copy and paste' the settings to each subsequent image.

Has anyone found a better (i.e. simpler/more efficient workflow)?


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## miah (Dec 17, 2012)

I agree. Using Canon's EOS Utility to shoot (for it's ability to control the camera and put Live View through to the computer screen), and then auto-importing into Lightroom, is horribly convoluted. I hope someone has a better solution, but I fear there isn't one.

EOS Utility, at least with Mac OS X Lion and Mountain Lion, is very unstable. It regularly locks up and stops transferring files, forcing me to Force Quit and start all over. It's frustrating. I wish Canon would actually use this software so that they could see how unstable--and therefore unusable--it is.

Ideally, I'd just like Lightroom to do the whole job. I want to shoot in Live View. I want to adjust the camera settings from the computer before I press the virtual shutter button. I want the images to go directly into my LR catalog in the predetermined folder. And like *ereka*, I'd like 'as previous' to automate my workflow. Is that too much to ask?


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## M.ST (Dec 17, 2012)

I use DSLR Remote Pro from http://www.breezesys.com/products.htm.


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## instaimage (Dec 17, 2012)

If you set up your "recipe" as a preset and have Lightroom process it as such when you import it will use whatever preset you choose... I shoot tethered and on cards and import into Lightroom all day long and have presets automatically "color" the images.

Why are you using EOS Utility, why not just shoot straight into Lightroom? No, you cannot make camera adjustments from Lightroom... that's not it's job... but once you have the camera settings in camera, you can shutter release from Lightroom... Do you have an iPad? Set it up as a remote with On-One's DSLR Remote to do your "tethered" adjustments and shoot away...


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## miah (Dec 17, 2012)

Thanks for the tips, *instaimage*. 

Regarding OnOne's DSLR Remote, my wife has an iPad that I can maybe borrow, but I'm confused by the connection info given on OnOne's website. It looks like the camera must be physically tethered to a laptop running their server software; no problem. But then it shows the iPad or iPhone communicating with the laptop via wi-fi. 

Does this mean both laptop and iPad need to be connected to a router-supplied wi-fi network? I work out in the field, far from any wi-fi networks. So, alternatively, can the wi-fi-capable iPad create its own network with the wi-fi-enabled laptop, provided they're within range of each other? Do you have direct experience with this?


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## miah (Dec 17, 2012)

I dug into OnOne's support page to find that you can set up an ad hoc network, out in the field. Here's what is says:

Why is an ad-hoc network useful for the DSLR Remote?

If you find yourself in a situation where there is no internet access, yet you need to use your DSLR Remote your laptop with a wireless card can act as the connection itself. Once you create a network location (ad-hoc) you will then be able to connect the DSLR Client with the Server and remotely fire your Canon DSLR camera.

Thanks again for the tip, *instaimage*, but FYI, OnOne does not list the 5D Mark III as a supported camera for DSLR Remote (yet).


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## jrsforums (Dec 17, 2012)

If you want to travel in the field and/or have add'l functionality...and have an iPad/iPhone (or soon an ANdroid device), you should look at CamRanger

John


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Dec 17, 2012)

I find Canon utilities much preferable to importing to LR. Breeze DSLR Pro is also very good. The initial settings in Canon Utilities are those on your camera. Set it the way you want, and that will be the starting point.
Using LR seems worthless to me, it just basically closes the shutter, you can't remotely change the settings, view focus with magnification on a big screen, and see the histogram in advance. It just captures a image, which might not be what you want.


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## TrumpetPower! (Dec 17, 2012)

When I'm shooting tethered, I'm doing fine art reproduction or similar still life work. And I use EOS Utility to control the camera and send the resulting files to RawDigger, where I'm mainly checking for highlight clipping. The files then go through a convoluted process that you really don't want to know about, but includes linear developing and ICC profiling. Composition and lighting I do through the viewfinder; focus is with live view. If the camera's in too awkward a position to use directly, I'll do remote live view through the tether.

When I'm doing portraiture (which I don't do a lot of), I tend to take the same approach. I'll get the stage, including lighting and exposure and what-not, all set up the way I want it before the model steps onto it. Then I'll just focus my attention on posing, framing, and clicking the button, confident in knowing that everything else is the way it should be. If it were a scene where the camera could stay in its fixed position on the tripod, I'd get away from behind it and use a remote trigger; otherwise I'll have it up to my eye. If I were to use remote shooting, it'd only be to closely check focus and expressions and the like after I clicked the shutter...and the back-of-the-camera preview is almost as good for that sort of thing. But that kind of remote shooting means a hard-wired tether which seriously limits mobility.

Other than that sort of situation, I don't see much use for tethered shooting. (A big exception would be, for example, a camera mounted over the basket in a game, or that sort of thing.)

There have been a few times out in the wild where I've wanted to put the camera somewhere that I can't put my eye to...but I've quickly given up wishing for a remote live view in those situations because I also wouldn't be able to securely get the camera in place and adjusted.

Cheers,

b&


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