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Canon camera tethered - button failure

Forum|Forum|25 days ago
September 10, 2026
8 replies
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Hi, I’ve noticed in recent weeks that when I am shooting tethered with my Canon EOS 5D Mark iii and Lightroom Classic, the buttons on my camera don’t work properly, but when I unplug from the cable, the buttons on my camera work fine. It’s a tethering issue and I am guessing a software issue, rather than a camera issue since the trouble only happens when I am plugged (Tether Pro cable to macbook Pro running Sonoma 14.3 with Lightroom Classic 15.5.1). Anybody else? I have trouble choosing focus points, etc. because the buttons don’t work when tethered. Super frustrating!

Thanks!

Correct answer Anshul_Saini

Thanks for running those tests and sharing the System Info,@JaniceLawandi. Your EOS Utility comparison is particularly helpful. The same camera and tether connection allow the camera controls to work normally there, while the issue occurs during a Lightroom Classic tethered session.

I’d like you to try one additional targeted test. Go to Lightroom Classic > Settings > General > Tether Options, enable Use Canon SDK for Tether, then restart Lightroom Classic and start a new tethered session. Please check whether the Q button and focus-point selector remain usable with that option enabled. If the behavior remains unchanged, could you also let me know whether the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO controls on the camera body remain functional when tethered, or are they immediately overridden/disabled?

@Jorge29955117g2o6, your additional report is helpful too. Since Janice reproduces the behavior on macOS Sonoma 14.3, this doesn’t appear to be explained solely by your Sequoia 15.8 update.

Best,
Anshul Saini

J

Jorge29955117g2o6

Participant

I experienced the same thing on September 15th and 16th. I noticed that my Canon 5D MIII was acting strange when I was tethered to my MacBook Pro using a Tether Tools cable. I pressed the button to reposition the focus point and was unable. Unplugged it worked fine. On Sept 17th the tethering was not making any connection with my Canon at all. On the Sept 18th I used my Nikon D800 to test the tethering and same result. No tether connection either. What happened to LR? It is updated to Lightroom Classic 15.5.1 My MacBook Pro was on Sequoia 15.7.9 and was updated too 15.8 on Sept 17th. That may be the culprit but Idk.

J

JaniceLawandiAuthor

Participant

I’m running Sonoma 14.3 so I don’t think that update is the issue. I could be wrong though ;)

Anshul_Saini

Correct answer

Community Manager

Thanks for running those tests and sharing the System Info,@JaniceLawandi. Your EOS Utility comparison is particularly helpful. The same camera and tether connection allow the camera controls to work normally there, while the issue occurs during a Lightroom Classic tethered session.

I’d like you to try one additional targeted test. Go to Lightroom Classic > Settings > General > Tether Options, enable Use Canon SDK for Tether, then restart Lightroom Classic and start a new tethered session. Please check whether the Q button and focus-point selector remain usable with that option enabled. If the behavior remains unchanged, could you also let me know whether the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO controls on the camera body remain functional when tethered, or are they immediately overridden/disabled?

@Jorge29955117g2o6, your additional report is helpful too. Since Janice reproduces the behavior on macOS Sonoma 14.3, this doesn’t appear to be explained solely by your Sequoia 15.8 update.

Best,
Anshul Saini

J

JaniceLawandiAuthor

Participant

I updated the firmware on my camera, thinking maybe this was the issue, but I still can’t use the buttons (Q, focus point selector, etc) when shooting tethered with Lightroom.

Anshul_Saini

Community Manager

Hi @JaniceLawandi,

Thanks for the update. Since updating the camera firmware didn’t change the behavior, and the controls work normally again as soon as you disconnect the tether cable, I’d like to narrow down whether this is specific to Lightroom Classic’s tethered session.

Could you please try a few targeted tests?

1. Test with Canon EOS Utility: Quit Lightroom Classic and tether the same camera to Canon EOS Utility using the same cable. Check whether the Q button and focus-point selector work normally there. This comparison will be particularly helpful.

2. If you’re using Live View in Lightroom Classic, close Live View and test the camera controls again. Please let us know whether the problem occurs only while Live View is active or also during a regular tethered session.

3. If possible, try a different USB cable/port, preferably connected directly to the Mac rather than through a hub or adapter.

4. Please go to Help > System Info > Copy in Lightroom Classic and paste the complete System Info here.

You mentioned that this started within the last few weeks. Do you recall whether it began after updating to Lightroom Classic 15.5/15.5.1, or did it begin while you were already using the same Lightroom Classic version?

Also, while tethered, can you still change shutter speed, aperture, and ISO using the camera controls, with only Q/focus-point selection affected, or do most physical controls stop responding?

These comparisons should give us a much clearer idea of whether we’re dealing with the Lightroom tethering session, Live View interaction, or the camera/USB connection.

Best,

Anshul Saini

J

JaniceLawandiAuthor

Participant

Hi! Thanks for helping me!
1) I tested tethering with Canon EOS Utility and the focus point selector and the other buttons all work normally.
2) I wasn’t using Live View and generally don’t…
3) I tested a different cable to tether the camera to my computer, and again, the buttons don’t work properly, when clicked, the flicker on and then are immediately disabled again.
4) Here’s the system info:

Lightroom Classic version: 15.5.1 [ 202608131348-cab7eed5 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-CA
Operating system: Mac OS 14
Version: 14.3.0 [23D56]
Application architecture: arm64
Logical processor count: 12
Processor speed: NA
SqLite Version: 3.36.0
Adobe GSDK Version: 1.4.0.213

Power Source: Battery, 100%
Built-in memory: 36,864.0 MB
Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 1,011.0MB / 27,648.0MB (3%)
Real memory available to Lightroom: 36,864.0 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 1,360.3 MB (3.6%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 413,396.0 MB
Memory cache size: 3.5MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 18.5.1 [ 2687 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 502MB / 18431MB (2%)
Camera Raw real memory: 507MB / 36864MB (1%)

Cache1:
Final1- RAM:292.0MB, VRAM:330.0MB, pumpkinseedcake_3438.heic
NT- RAM:292.0MB, VRAM:330.0MB, Combined:622.0MB

Cache2:
m:3.5MB, n:287.4MB

U-main: 96.0MB

Standard Preview Size: 3456 pixels
Displays: 1) 3456x2234

Graphics Processor Info:
Metal: Apple M3 Pro
Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
User Preference: Auto
Enable HDR in Library: OFF
GPU for Preview Generation: Auto (S5_27)

Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: /Users/janice/Pictures/Lightroom/Lightroom Catalog-v13-3.lrcat
Settings Folder: /Users/janice/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Installed Plugins:
1) AdobeStock
2) Aperture/iPhoto Importer Plug-in
3) Flickr

Config.lua flags:

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