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Inspiring
May 24, 2011
Open for Voting

P: Tethered Shooting Camera Control

  • May 24, 2011
  • 49 replies
  • 1560 views

I am writing this Feature Request in accordance with Victoria's guidelines posted here:
http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...
and comes from use of the Trial version of DSLR Remote Pro from breezesys.com
(hereafter referred to as DSLRRP) during a product photoshoot.

THE FEATURE REQUEST:
I'd like to see a LOT more Camera control in the Tethered shooting module,
along the lines of the DSLRRP software, which allows control of most of, if not all of,
your Canon or Nikon Cameras' setting from your Laptop, without touching the camera.
And includes some other nice bells 'n' whistles.

Below is a list of features I'd like to see integrated into Lightrooms' tethered shooting,
taken from the features for Canon cameras in DSLRRP, I assume for the Nikon version also.
So if it works there, I see no reason that Lightroom can't also integrate these features.
Also, this is a personal preference, feel free to discuss/add/subtract features.

Primary Features (in order of preference to be added):

Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO selectable from the Tethered shooting Module.
Live View - to include if possible, the ability to auto-focus (see next item).
Shutter Release half-pressed mode (to allow for auto-focus).
The on or off ability to overlay a "Rule of Thirds" grid on the Live View window.
Camera Battery Meter (displayed in Titlebar on DSLRRP software, saves surprises).
The ability, when Tethered, to save shots to Camera Only, PC Only or Camera & PC.

Secondary Features (features useful in other situations than product shooting):

Auto Bracketing (to be setup from a menu dialog, useful for HDR shooting):
Setup Dialog:
Selectable, number of shots.
Selectable, f-stops separating shots (in 1/3 stop increments).
Selectable, setting to modify when in Manual Shooting Mode - Shutter Speed or Aperture.

Time Lapse Mode (to be setup from a menu dialog):
Setup Dialog:
Start immediately OR user-selectable START time & date.
Number of Shots OR user-selectable END time & date.
User-selectable time between shots (hh:mm:ss for absolute control).

The ability to overlay the Cameras' internal Meter display on the Laptop Live View,
(I am adding this to secondary features, because it's an afterthought,
and I am unsure if it can be done).

HOW I WOULD IMAGINE IT WORKING IN LIGHTROOM:
Any of the functions setups would be accessed from a dropdown menu in the menu bar.

Access to the functions setups and the actual functions themselves,
would be accessed from Lightrooms floating tethered shooting control bar.

OR

A better possibility, an option to, instead of using a floating bar, use a sliding panel.
I see this option replacing, ONLY WHEN TETHERED SHOOTING IS ACTIVE,
one of Lightrooms slider panels, which one being left to user choice.
Sliders, to clarify, being the slideout panels/bars on the sides of the Lightroom window.

HOW WOULD IT HELP YOUR WORKFLOW:
Well for a start, if one was interested in the mentioned functions,
it would prevent one having to purchase and run a second program, during tethered shooting.

The Live View mode would help with picture composition,
instead of squinting at the Cameras' LCD, one could see more clearly on the Laptop.

I think the rest of the functions I listed, are pretty much self-explanatory.

Again, these are features I'd personally like to see added, as possible, to Lightroom.

49 replies

Inspiring
September 25, 2015
Nikon has Camera Control Pro 2 in order to manage camera settings however if it is run simultaneously with Lightroom then, even if a picture is taken by pressing the release button from the tether control in Lightroom, the image will not show up in Lightroom. This is also the case when using NKRemote. There is therefore no way to be able to manage camera settings with an app and use Lightroom tethering at the same time!
areohbee
Legend
August 8, 2014
I think it would be more appropriate to post in the user forum, since this is an Adobe forum for feedback to Adobe about Lightroom (and family), but it's your call of course.. - Adobe does benefit from knowing their competition..
Morgan Moller
Participating Frequently
August 8, 2014
I'm currently making a video tutorial in which I retouch a severly underexposed image and 'save' it using capture pro 1 where I highlight the color editor, highlight and shadow recovery, usage of layers and such. If you are interested i'll share the link here!
areohbee
Legend
August 8, 2014
Fair enough Morgan.

Anyway, I think even most Lightroom users agree that C1's tethering support is superior (I don't tether, so can't comment).

I've tried every new version of C1 for several years now, but it still hasn't won me over, yet - maybe one day it will..

Cheers,
Rob
Morgan Moller
Participating Frequently
August 8, 2014
-Rob : To each his own 🙂 RAW processing is very personal, my transition to C1P7 has been very gradual, I was always a bit reluctant but the point of the matter is that (for me) when I loaded my RAWs into c1p7 they just looked better right of the bat. For my type of work I prefer how it handles highlight and shadow recovery. The use of layers is phenomenal, the tethering support with ipad for clients is vital in my studio work so those things make it the perfect tool for me, evidently it is a personal choice.

-I think that Adobe wants to gear it more towards (serious) amateurs since they obviously don't care to implement certain tools that only pro's require like extensive tethering and color correction capabilities. They add stuff like Maps (WHO uses that?), Books and stuff that pro's really don't need in their raw processor (They would be way better in a separate application imho)

I guess that with Aperture's recent demise the folks at PhaseOne are happy to know theyll recuperate that professional userbase probably....
Participating Frequently
August 8, 2014
While we're on this tangent, I just think that LR is in an unfortunate position where it should not keep too many people away from Photoshop. Maybe this will change with Adobe's new and improved (not even being sarcastic here) pricing.
areohbee
Legend
August 8, 2014
I appreciate your opinion - seriously: thank you.

That said, I don't think C1 sharpening is better and I don't think noise reduction is as good. Highlight recovery is certainly not as good, nor shadow recovery, and clarity..

But I agree: C1 has several useful features that Lightroom does not, and you could be right about Lr targeting amateurs over pros (after all, more than half of Lr users are amateurs).
Morgan Moller
Participating Frequently
August 8, 2014
I've gived up on lightroom and switched to Capture One Pro 7. Never been happier : Tethering tools (and iPad support), amazing color correction tools, better sharpening and noise reduction, LAYERS,and so on. Lightroom is clearly becoming a database and processing engine for average consumers, stepping away from any pro features. A lot of photographers I know feel also that way.
Inspiring
August 8, 2014
How about a live view for a tethered camera?????
June 30, 2014
I've given up waiting. I use Capture One for tethered capture, then process later in Lightroom. I know a lot of professional photographers who work that way.