P: Tethering support requests and information

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

This post is applicable to Lightroom Classic.

ETAs for tethered support for specific cameras are not available.

Tethered Capture is a feature of Lightroom Classic that allows the direct connection of your camera to the Lightroom desktop environment. Images are imported into your Lightroom catalog as they are captured via the connected camera. 

New camera support for reading the raw files is generally added quickly after a camera is released by its manufacturer.  New camera support can be verified here: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/camera-raw-plug-supported-cameras.html. 

Tethered support for a particular camera model normally follows a version or two after the raw file support. Adobe relies on the manufacturer’s (Nikon & Canon) SDK (Software Development Kit) to facilitate the tethering of your camera to Lightroom. The timing of the release of a manufacturer’s support via their SDK greatly affects the time to release for tethered support. In addition, Adobe goes through a rigorous process of integrating the functionality of the SDK and tests tethering before support is announced.

To see if your camera is supported for tethering on your version of Lightroom, refer to this document: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/tethered-camera-support.html

If your camera is listed, but your Lightroom version is too old, you may need to update or upgrade to enable tethering.

If your camera is not listed, and your camera’s raw file isn't supported, you would need to check with the camera’s manufacturer to see if they support tethering via their SDK. 

Note: Not all camera manufacturers or models will necessarily receive tether support.

[Mieke Engelbos]

It seems that LR Classic - version 11.3.1 does not yet support the Canon R3 camera for tethering.  Any idea when this will be solved/updated ?

Thx nd knd rgds

Mieke

[7865436]

Does LR support  tethering for sony a7iii and does it have live view? thanks so much! 

[dj_paige]

Answer is here: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/tethered-camera-support.html

[7865436]

Thank you so much for the link! I'm suprised that sony is not supported! 

[peterk56070589]

I can not tether to lightroom classic with my Canon R3. Do you know when this will be up dated?

[michaelk31020731]

Don't hold your breath,. I've been trying to get an asnwer about that for the last 5 months. No one will tell me anything. Canon says it has to do with Adobe and Adobe won' say anything. On that note, Capture One DOES support the R3 for tethgering, so it looks like I'll be making the switch.

[rendysavage]

So like you, I've been waiting for months too, till today... I jumped when I saw the R3 support on latest 11.4 update. But perhaps I jumped too quickly... for some reason, I cant get my R3 to connect to both my 16-inch MacBookPro and 27-inch iMac. Anyone manage to get your R3 to connect?

[michaelk31020731]

Holy cow!! I saw the update pop up but didn't get to excited, until I checked. FINALLY!! 

I was able to connect on my MacBook Pro. Took a little bit for it to register though.

I'm assuming you did all updates. Did you also tru tethering by selecting "tether capture" under the file tab? Then "start tether capture"? That's the only way I know how to do it, but it worked.

Hope you can get it to work too!  

[rendysavage]

Ah, good to know it worked for you - gonna figure this out. I shoot tethered almost on a daily basis tho so I'm baffled why this isn't working, for now. I don't even see the memory door red LED blinking when connecting, which typically happens.

Tip: To speed up connection, typically I remove all the cards in camera but of course that would mean you don't have that additional backup.

[aegeiger]

Did you ever figure it out? I tried to tether my R3 today and it shows the computer icon on the camera lcd but in LR I get the "no camera detected" message when i go to tether. 

[Sanpanza]

It has been over6 noinths since Nikon came out with th eZ9 but Adobe has failed to suppor tethered capture. Capture one supported tethered caputre withing2 months of the Z9's release, so what is the problem with Adobe?

[michaelk31020731]

This is extremely frustrating. Seems like they just don't care. Unless they are just waiting until so many cameras need to be added they can do it all in one update. 🙄

[Sanpanza]

This is Adobe's way of telling photographers that we are no longer important because we are not their main profit center and because AI is meant to replace many of us.  They are telegraphic their future aspirations of AI dominance. 

I do think it Adobe wants to make a large section of photographers obsolete.

[Justin25017342u7ck]

Hi Adobe,

It would be really great to have Tethering available for the Canon EOS 90D in Lightroom Classic.

My ( very old! ) Canon EOS 600 D does it but I only use it as a backup and prefer the 90 D.

I noticed in the supported list the 80 D is on there.

Are there any plans to have the 90 D included?

Pretty please?? 🙂

[Damien23459377jjnn]

Lightroom ne reconnait pas mon appareil photo sony A7 IV, jaimerais faire un shooting connecté mais impossible 

[JP Hess]

If you are referring to tethered shooting support, Lightroom only supports that with specific models of Canon and Nikon cameras. There is no such support for any Sony cameras.

[BerndBerlin]

After the most recent updates (11.4.1) I thought I have a quick look and see if Tethered Capture is finally properly supported on the M1 Macs.

Guess what - it isn't.

As the M1 has hit the market more than one and a half years ago one can only assume that Adobe has no interest in supporting and developing the tether functionality any further. Rosetta is NOT a long term solution for pros who invest a lot of money to have fast and reliable hardware on a shoot.

This forces  a large number of pros over to Capture One as tethered shooting is often a requirement.

Shame on you Adobe. I got tired of waiting.

[magicgenie]

Eagerly awaiting.

Last update June 14th. Any thoughts on, if the next update will be August 14th and if Z9 tether support will be there?

[AlexClaude]

Has Adobe ever given an explicatino about why they do not support Sony Cameras for tethering???

I just changed from Canon to Sony, and I'm now realising I can't shoot tether ??? What the hell???

[AlexClaude]

I just changed my photography cameras system from Canon to Sony. I shoot a lot of corporate portraits and I aways shoot tethered to show right away the results to the clients.

And now I just realised that Lightroom does not suppor Sony cameras?!?! What the ??? Why would it not support Sony cameras? 

I tried the "hack" usinf Sony's software Imaging Edge Remote and using the auto impot feature in lightroom...ok, yes it does "work"... But it's so slow compared to a real, direct, tethering session I used to do with the Canon cameras...it's just not a valid alternative for a professional photography session, with real clients.

With Sony getting more ang more market share what a dumb move from Adobe???

[dj_paige]

What the ??? Why would it not support Sony cameras?

Could be that Sony doesn't co-operate with Adobe on this matter.

[DdeGannes]

When you look at tethered support it's basically selected Canon and Nikon model cameras. Not only Sony being ignored.

Just an observation.

[AlexClaude]

Exactly! I don't buy the argument saying that "Sony does not cooperate". Why would they cooperate with Capture One and not Lightroom? It would be a very very bad business decision. And as DdeGannes said, Lightroom and Adobe are ignoring a lot of camera brands, not just Sony.

Anyway, Adobe has to wake up because they're losing costumer and they will continue to lose more as more and more professional photorapher like myself are moving from Canon/Nikon, to Sony.

I'm rifgt now purchasing Capture One and will say good bye to Lightroom because in my professional practice I NEED tethered shooting mode.

[AlexClaude]

I don't buy it...

Sony would cooperate with Capture One, but not with Lightroom...? That doesn't make any sense

It makes more sense that Adobe are just lazy... there are no tether options for a lot of caméra brands...actually, all the brands can't be tethered except Nikon and Canon.

Adobe , wake up, professionals are moving away from Canon and Nikon! And if you don't adapt, professionals are going to walk away from Lightfoom and migrate to Capture One. 

That's exactly what I'm doing today. I'm getting Capturd One because I need the tethering option.

[Sanpanza]

Adobe understands the market better than photographers. There is not enough money in selling software to photographers but with the advent of AI they can ditch photographers as clients and begin to market to the public and businesses. They see a future where you can morph iPhone pictures into professional-looking headshots, architectural and still-life images shot with phones, so why would they prioritize photographers if many of us will be obsolete in 10 5-10 years?

This is a shot over the bow folks.

Adobe has had almost a year to come out with a version of Lightroom that is compatible with the Z-9 but has not done so. If this is not enough evidence that Adobe is no longer prioritizing photographers then I don't know what is. 

They see the future but we don't. It is one with a lot fewer photographers.