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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
June 30, 2014
Automated focus bracketing for focus stacking too please.
Inspiring
June 30, 2014
Still waiting for this - crazy that Lightroom doesn't have proper tethering controls yet?? Also needs to have the capability of copying to an external hardrive too...
Inspiring
July 9, 2013
Yes, we are still waiting for at least a stable tethering ! Each time you change a lens or camera auto shutdown, the thethering is lost and need to be relaunched. Very annoying during a long shooting and absolutely not professional.
Morgan Moller
Participating Frequently
April 18, 2013
Sadly, the LR5 Beta wasn't promising. Other than a keyboard shortcut it doesn't seem they've added a lot. Beta ends in June, and I can't see Adobe come up with a whole new tethering interface in 2 months time. Sadly, if the tethering capabilities aren't upgraded in LR5 I'm switching to COP7. I've already dappled with it a bit, and they are just light and lightyears ahead of Adobe.

LR5 is COP7's retarded inbred brother when it comes to tethering sadly
Participant
April 18, 2013
LR 5 beta out not even a hit in tethered shooting of camera control? Am I wrong that this is a paramount feature that would help considerably in any workflow?
Inspiring
April 18, 2013
Have you seen the way tethering capture is handled by Capture One 7? I'd like to have these features in LR! I hope we'll have a good surprise in LR 5 final!

As a studio photographer, thetered capture is part of my daily workflow, and LR 4 is just not good at this game!!!
Morgan Moller
Participating Frequently
November 22, 2012
Dorin,

Thanks for the link, hadn't seen that htread so incorporated it in mine as well.

Cheers
dorin_nicolaescu
Inspiring
November 22, 2012
NOTE: there's a separate thread for "Tethering Backup": http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...
Morgan Moller
Participating Frequently
November 22, 2012
Hi guys,
I've been a LR1 user since the beginning, and have upgraded to each version. I love the fact that Lightroom, Camera Raw & Photoshop are so interlinked, and work so well together. It's been one of the reasons I haven't stepped to Capture One.

Version 4 brought us amazing stuff (re-engineered RAW engine, Books,...) but if the following isn't in LR4.5 /5 I'm going to have to reconsider.

You NEED to upgrade the tethering options. They haven't evolved since LR2/3/4 and they're quite pathetic. They are just TOO basic. You should need the options to change your ISO/Aperture/Shutter speed/Metering Mode/... via your computer. Maybe even throw a little Live View in there?Even Capture One Pro allowes you to do so.

Another HIGHLY needed feature (maybe even the most important) is when tethering, LR should offer to possibility to back those tethered images up to another drive/disk/usb key/whatever. I know that Nikon users, when shooting tethered, only have the images on the computer via tether since they won't record to the memory card of the device. Having only 1 device with the images is just too damn risky. It doesn't even have to be instant. It can be a low-priority background task, but it needs to be done. You can select this when importing from a memory card, why not during tethered sessions?

These are really the most important issues I'm facing. I really don't want to switch to Capture One Pro because of the reasons stated above, but if I see that pathetic tethering window in LR 5, I think I'm going to need to. They are just lightyears ahead when it comes to tethering.

I hope this was helpful!

Cheers!
M.M.

Inspiring
November 22, 2012
I'm not the first, but i join my voice to suggest that in tethered mode I could change the settings of the DSLR ( useful in long & multiple exposures of a subject) in LR.
My Best Regards.
Laurent Nevo, France.