Tethering with Sony A7-Cameras

[fotographer]

Tethering: You put your camera on a tripod and connect your camera via cable to a computer. Then you see the live-view of the camera on the computer-screen and check, what you see. First after evaluation of the picture on the screen you press the shutter-button and make the picture. This is often used for studio shooting.

 

CaptureOnePro8 from PhaseOne offers this option for comparable cameras.

 

My question is, how does this work with Sony A7, A7II, A7r or A7s?

 

Has anybody already experience?

[Guest PenGun]

 I will find out eventually, I have Capture One Pro, but I just use my phone so far. Works good. I have a monster 6.2" Sony Experia Z Ultra I bought largely for interfacing with the camera.

[iul]

For my purposes, i go a much easier way.

 

A HDMI cable (HDMI mini connector on camera side and normal hdmi connector on the other side) connects the A7 with a monitor with HDMI socket.

 

No need for a computer here.

[fotographer]

For my purposes, i go a much easier way.

 

A HDMI cable (HDMI mini connector on camera side and normal hdmi connector on the other side) connects the A7 with a monitor with HDMI socket.

 

No need for a computer here.

 

Ok, but it would be fine to know what your purposes are.

 

Can you use LiveView of the camera to check the picture before you make the picture with the camera?

[iul]

Ok, but it would be fine to know what your purposes are.

 

Can you use LiveView of the camera to check the picture before you make the picture with the camera?

 

What you see on the monitor is exactly that what you see in the EVF, so also that kind of 'in-camera LiveView', if enabled.

 

I suppose you are more interested in something else, so you might get your answer here:

 

http://briansmith.com/capture-one-pro-for-sony-adds-live-view-tethering-for-sony/

 

and

 

http://www.phaseone.com/en/Imaging-Software/Capture-One/Supported-cameras.aspx#camera=FDE2564B0BB3413EB611689425C99C80

[Michael_j]

There is this http://rccdroidpro-en.glensk.com/for tethering to an android device or Smart Remote Control app if you want to go wireless.

[iul]

I use the Smart Remote Control app wireless on the iPad from time to time. It works somehow, but because of the limited band width, it is far to slow for a comfortable 'LiveView' workflow. In addition, battery life time is reduced dramatically.

[Brian Smith]

To answer the original question, Live View tethering using Capture One Pro 8.1 (or the current version of the $30 Capture One Pro for Sony) only available for Sony a7S, a7II and a77II cameras. Tethering is also supported (without Live View) for a7, a7R, a6000, a5100, a5000, a99, a900, a850 and a700 cameras.

 

Here's a link for more details on Live View Tethering for Sony

 

Before anyone gets up in arms over why no love for a7R, I'm fairly certain Sony made a hardware change beinning with a7S to make Live View tethering possible.

[fotographer]

To answer the original question, Live View tethering using Capture One Pro 8.1 (or the current version of the $30 Capture One Pro for Sony) only available for Sony a7S, a7II and a77II cameras. Tethering is also supported (without Live View) for a7, a7R, a6000, a5100, a5000, a99, a900, a850 and a700 cameras.

 

Here's a link for more details on Live View Tethering for Sony

 

Before anyone gets up in arms over why no love for a7R, I'm fairly certain Sony made a hardware change beinning with a7S to make Live View tethering possible.

 

Hi Brian,

 

could you explain, what tethering without LiveView would be.

 

Did you mean in your second sentence "beginning a hardware change with A7s"? As A7s already has LiveView, I think you ment A7 or A7r. Did you?

 

And would they not better have to change their software for getting this?

[David Grover]

Hi Fotographer,

 

You can connect Sony A7, A7II, A7R, A7S (and many other Sony cameras) via USB and capture directly into Capture One.  The image comes up on screen almost immediately, allows you to asses exposure, focussing and of course apply adjustments directly on the RAW files as you capture.

 

Its extremely useful for Fashion, Portrait, Still Life, Interiors and so on.

 

Live View is simply taking the view from the LCD display and also displaying that in Capture One.  Again very useful for critical focusing and composition.  Not all Sony cameras can show Live View in Capture One. As Brian mentions, the A7R and A7.

 

This is not a limitation of Capture One but a limitation of the Sony firmware / hardware.

 

David

[fotographer]

Hi Fotographer,

 

You can connect Sony A7, A7II, A7R, A7S (and many other Sony cameras) via USB and capture directly into Capture One.  The image comes up on screen almost immediately, allows you to asses exposure, focussing and of course apply adjustments directly on the RAW files as you capture.

 

Its extremely useful for Fashion, Portrait, Still Life, Interiors and so on.

 

Live View is simply taking the view from the LCD display and also displaying that in Capture One.  Again very useful for critical focusing and composition.  Not all Sony cameras can show Live View in Capture One. As Brian mentions, the A7R and A7.

 

This is not a limitation of Capture One but a limitation of the Sony firmware / hardware.

 

David

 

Hi David,

 

 thank you very much for this clarification.

Two questions:

- Can I change the camera-settings via CaptureOne-Manual, when LiveView can be used (as with A7II or A7s)?

- Do you know, why Sony has the LiveView-Option disabled for A7 and A7r?

[colbill]

Good questions and discussion. I'm new to Sony A7 and tethering in general so my question my seem simplistic: how do I tether to an iPad? I take my iPad with me, but don't use a laptop. Adobe CC and Capture One Pro user. Thx in advance.

[Austerror]

I think you need the app on the ipad and then it connects via the wifi or NFC?

[weinhous]

Is done by direct WiFi 'tween camera and iPad. Don't remember details offhand. Approximately - run an app on the a7, go to settings on the iPad and choose the camera as your WiFi source. Run ? Play Memories Home on iPad.

 

Works great.

[Steve C]

For my purposes, i go a much easier way.

 

A HDMI cable (HDMI mini connector on camera side and normal hdmi connector on the other side) connects the A7 with a monitor with HDMI socket.

 

No need for a computer here.

 

It's actually a HDMI micro connecter on the camera side.

[iul]

It's actually a HDMI micro connecter on the camera side.

 

Mea culpa - I hope that nobody ordered the wrong cable because of my mistake.

[Steve C]

Mea culpa - I hope that nobody ordered the wrong cable because of my mistake.

 

 

LOL, I did !!!    

[kasimodem]

Hello,

 

To add to this post, for those of you who would be interested in tethering A7X from Lightroom, unfortunately there's no integrated solution.

What I do is :

1- Use Remote Camera Control (the official tethering software from Sony for A7X) to take pictures in a specific folder.

2- Use auto import feature in File menu of Lightroom to check this folder and import each picture immediately, it works very fine.

 

There's also a Lightroom plugin to add Sony compatibility, but I didn't tested it (seems ok however).