P: Tethering

[scottawoodward]

I am a professional photographer who relies heavily on LR for my digital workflow. I tether my Nikon D3 and D3x to LR frequently. I've never had an issue with tethering my cameras to LR until this past week. And, after much frustration and processes-of-elimination and testing the issue across multiple machines, I BELIEVE that the problem has to do with the latest OSX 10.6.8 update when running LR 3.4.1.

You can read my initial post about this problem on Adobe forums here http://forums.adobe.com/message/37883... when I was stumped about why it was happening.

Then you can see my follow-up post about this problem today here http://forums.adobe.com/message/37894... and why I think it has to do with the recent 10.6.8 update.

Please feel free to contact me for anymore information. I really hope you can look into this issue.

Thank you,

Scott Woodward

[Mike M Lynch]

The tether issue is not addressed in the notes accompanying the LR3.6 RC update.

Is this some sort of "Secret Fix"?

Additionally, the fix described above only mentions the Nikon D3.
Since I am having the problem with Nikon D700, I am wondering if the fix applied to my camera. Is that also a secret?

[bcarmic]

SEE WHAT I MEAN ADOBE. OWN UP and GET IT FIXED. That is how you should roll.

Bob Carmichael
Very disturbing huh fellow photographers?

[LR_Kevin]

It's not a secret fix, but we are seeking more feedback before we can conclusively declare the problem fixed, since it's been a difficult one for us to reproduce.

I think there's a very good chance it'll fix similar tethering problems on the D700. Please give it a try and let me know.

-kevin

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I tried to download LR 3.6 but I did not find it.
(neither on adobe.com/downloads nor through lightroom->search for update)

:-(

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

As indicated in Kevin's post above, LR3.6RC can be found here:
http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjourn...

Release candidates are usually found on the Adobe Labs site.

[Mike M Lynch]

Kevin
Here are my most recent results:

LR 3.6 RC continues to have the same memory leaks as previous versions.

This, while I am editing an import of around 400 Nikon D700 (raw&jpg) images and applying adjustments as I go through it. My adjustments are mainly cropping and lighting (often adding fill), vignette and the occasional spot removal tool.
(But rarely adding an adjustment brush or gradient this time.)

In this latest attempt, I was making adjustments to previously edited images and re-exporting them (using "export with previous") as I went along. Eventually LR reported "not enough memory" to export and soon after I found that purging memory only purges enough memory to export a single file before running out of memory again.

Closing and reopening LR seems to temporarily solve the problem (until the available memory fills up again).

For this job I am using my (at the time, high end) 3yr old desktop using up-to-date Win XP with Nvidia display and Spyder Pro-3 adjustments.

[J453]

It's a Release Candidate not (yet) available through the normal update mechanisms. Details, instructions, and links to the downloads here:

http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjourn...

[dellenbag]

Dear Adobe ,
All these people are not dumb and would like to spend time
shooting instead of "tethering" a camera that was pretty easy some time ago.

My D700 and a colleagues Canon D1 and my sons Canon D400 do not shoot tethered anymore !! Bought a short usb-with-gold-plugs and now it transports a few more frames ± 10, before starting to stop ... grey thumb in LR and the spinning wheel. Stopping LR helps of course but after startup the same problem.

Hopefully my system screenshots are uploaded as well ....
Would you try to come-up with a helping fix ?

Thanks in advance,
Peter Dellenbag Amsterdam

[dellenbag]

After installing the LR 3.6 update it works !! fast but with a short cable ...
± 3 mtr. ( a little short for studio / location) but i'm happy so far .
Before LR3 it was possible with an usb 6 mtr. cable (with repeater)
Thanks it took you guys a long time ?

Peter

[Trantow]

Wondering: How much influence could choice of cable have on this stuff either working or failing. I have multiple 12' (whatever the max is supposed to be) small-USB to regular-USB cables, and they're all cheap crap. Is there a quality USB cable out there that might help?

It just seems like there are a million moving targets out there, but there have been a couple interesting comments here regarding the stupid cord. Could it be?

[dellenbag]

In my case the length of the cable is (was) crucial, it did not work with a longer one.
And still doesn't. ± 3 mtr. and a small camera usb connection cable with "gold" contacts ... The original Nikon cable does not work anymore.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

It looks like for me the problem is that Canon no longer support the 5D mk1 - hence it doesn't work with os x lion..... still, here is my contribution:

* Make/Model of camera
5D mk1

* OS version
Lion 10.7.2 (macbook air 2nd gen)

* What problem you're having - can you shoot anything through tether?
- LR recognises the camera but not the settings on the camera.
- Also doesn't import any photos

* What, if any, steps gets the camera tethering again after you have the problem?
- Nothing resolves it.

* What length USB cable are you using?
- 5m

* Have you tried a shorter cable?
- Yes, 1m (brand new cable)

* Have you tried a different USB port?
- Yes

* Are you using a USB hub? Powered or unpowered?
- No

* Did tethering work for you previously?
- Yes, in sept 2011 using up to date version of snow leopard (although temperamental - often had to stop tethered capture and restart for it to work)

* When you're tethering, how do you normally shoot? Do you do a bunch of big bursts, followed by a pause to let the computer catch up? Or is it more steady? If you shoot very quickly, can you get the problem to still happen if you shoot more slowly?
- When it worked pre-lion, I shot slowly, 1 at a time.

* Are you adjusting the camera settings quite a bit as you tether? Does that seem to have anything to do with the failure?
- No

* Open "About This Mac" from the Apple menu, then click "More Info". In the window that opens, select "USB". Your camera should be listed under "USB High-Speed Bus". Click on it and look at what it says for Speed. Does it say "Up to 480 Mb/sec" or "12 Mb/sec"?
- Upto 480 Mb/sec

[Joel Aron]

Philip, I am in the same boat. Exactly.

Just looking through this thread, I wonder if Adobe is even responding to this issue. So.. I sit here, w/ 8 different length usb cable, a 5D, and a up to date mac w/ LR up to date.

I think that tomorrow.. I will try calling Adobe. Has anyone tried that yet? I can't imagine that they would let such a professional tool fail like this, with such an important, and relied upon feature. Sad. Don't know what I'm going to do this weekend for my shoot. Thank you Adobe... please help.

[LR_Kevin]

Joel, the problem is that Mac OS 10.7 does not work with the tethering libraries that Canon provides for the 5D. Canon no longer supports this camera, so will probably not update the library to fix the problem with 10.7. At this point there's not much we can do short of reimplementing major parts of our tethering just to support this one camera.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Is there someone out there who's a bit of a tech genius and can post a manual work round for this?... If the tethering libraries used by the 5d are in the wrong place is there a fix to move the library on the go to the location required by LR?... Maybe it's not possible?....

My thoughts - Canon and Nikon's success must stem from (in part) producing well built products with a lasting legacy. By making their products obsolete in this way is greedy, and will in my opinion start to chip away at that legacy.

FYI - my response from canon regarding this issue. (canon's number at the bottom - maybe if enough people call them they will sort this out?)

-----------------------------

Thank you for your e-mail and for contacting Canon.

Further to your enquiry regards availability of software for your [enter product name] and the Mac OSX 10.7 environment.

We are sorry to advise that the drivers and software for this OS has not been developed at the moment. Our development department are working on the compatible products and it is just a matter of checking the OS support page for compatibility and then the download page for upgrades to your software.

The New OS Support page can be located via the following link:

http://www.canon-europe.com/operating...

and the download page for your product can be accessed via the following link:

http://www.canon.co.uk/Support/Consum...

Yours sincerely,

Raluca van den Enden

Canon Services & Support

Tel: 0844 369 0100
Opening hours: 09.00 - 17.00 hrs (Monday to Friday)

[LR_Kevin]

It's not that the libraries are in the wrong place. OS 10.7 changed some USB functionality, and that just broke Canon's older libraries completely.

[bcarmic]

Joe just look at how ADOBE is marketing this product and realize that they are flat out liars and frauds to perpetuate this scam. Their product DOES NOT WORK and they know it. And are covering it up. I say everyone call ADOBE and tell them you are going to the mats to let people know about this fraud and we should find a lawyer for a CLASS ACTION SUIT against them. This is FRAUD plain and simple. Just go to their marketing of LR3 and read how wonderful it all is.

Bob Carmichael
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
bobcarmichael.com

In the mean time SOFORBILD for those looking for another program.

[Joel Aron]

Thank you so much for the reply! Sad that such a great camera is left out in the cold. I'll bug my friends at Apple and see what that gets us. 🙂

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Kevin - having read some more on this I feel the problem isn't with Canon as they haven't changed anything with their product. It's the mac os x and LR updates where the problems lie.

Adobe have chosen not to support the 5D (despite how the LR is advertised). Adobe's poor relationship with Apple seem's to be at the source of the problem? That shouldn't be made my problem.

I'm going to trial Capture one which I understand has no problems with tethering to the 5D. Perhaps they don't have such a bad relationship with Apple? If so this should help avoid any other problems going forward.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The OS changed, but Canon did not update their code to accommodate the OS changes on the drivers for some "older" camera models. This is not an Adobe decision - this is simply Canon not updating their drivers.

If you would like support for the 5D on MacOS 10.7, then you need to ask Canon to update their drivers.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I am seeing the tethered problem (losing track of the camera mid shoot) using a brand new MBP (as in this year's model just out) running OS
x 10.7.2 with a Nikon D3s. Yes if I do what the Adobe FAQ says to restart everything it does indeed capture for 5 or 10 minutes but then I have to restart it all again.

I am not sure if its related (as I am a new mac user - lived in a windows world for years) I am seeing what appears to be another picture program come up during the restart. I kill that program to stay in LR but not sure what I can do to make that go away and not be in the way at all.

In any event so far nothing in the Adobe FAQ seems to get me beyond the stop and restart everything answer

[Trantow]

Ha! You're probably seeing iPhoto automatically open. It's really annoying, but probably doesn't effect your tethering with LR.

Here's how to fix the iPhoto distraction:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA26553?v...

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your reply.

I spoke to Canon today.

The representative I spoke to told me they did not release any update for the 5D mk2 to solve compatibility with lion. Does this mean Adobe have sorted out the compatibility? If so why can't they do it for the mk1 as well?

As I understand it, LR supports the 5D mk2 but not the mk1. Tell me I'm wrong?

Canon are working on an update of EOS Utility for lion compatibility but it's delayed as they are having problems. (I imagine this will be resolved before the launch of the 1DX.) This may solve the problem of tethered shooting on the 5D Mk1 but perhaps not with LR.

[Benjamin Warde]

Hi Steven,

What version of Lightroom are you using? If you are not using the latest (3.6), please upgrade (it's free, as long as you're already running a 3.x version) and let me know your results.

Thanks,
Ben

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Canon's 5Dmk2 code works with Lion, but their older 5D code does not. Adobe uses Canon's code for tethering, but cannot fix Canon's code, and cannot do anything about their lack of support for the 5D on Lion.

Your best bet is to tell Canon that support for 10.7 is important to you, and ask them to update their code.