[kyteflyer]

Okay seriously, what's tethering?

Thanks for asking the question... saved me the trouble.

Tethering... nice to have but not essential for me. I can see why lots of people might want it, though.

[brecklundin]

Okay seriously, what's tethering?

here is a nice summary of tethering and the features it should provide:

DSLR Remote Pro - Remote Control/Tethered Operation of Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS-1D Mark III, EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1D Mark II, 5D, 30D, 400D, DIGITAL REBEL XTi, 20D, 30D, 40D, EOS-1D, EOS-1DS, 10D, 350D, DIGITAL REBEL XT, Kiss Digit

Yeah, it's a 3rd party app but their list does look to cover the details in a nice concise fashion.

I'm kinda worn out tonight but there are many who know a lot about this sort of shooting, I would add that real tethering includes complete camera control and on screen (on the PC) liveview in a window. Simple remote file transfer like an EyeFi card as some suggest is not tethering at all, it's just wireless file transfer and does nothing but slow down the process without any benefit of remote control.

A particular application of tethering is when you have the camera in a position where it is physically impossible to look through the viewfinder, see either display panels and, obviously, access the controls on the body to change settings as needed. The reason real liveview is needed is, of course it affords the ability to properly compose as well as manual focus at magnified levels both when you cannot access the camera or because you have a difficult time getting the AF to work and it needs a bit of a manual adjustment (assuming the lense has what Pentax calls "quick shift" focusing otherwise the lense/body needs to be in MF mode).

Hope that and other explanations cover the usefulness and importance of tethering to a large number of people out here.

[jboyde]

I use the Eye-Fi card and once you finally get it set up its great to use. I'd say its on par speedwise with tethering on the K20 (8 secs max). Also, I get the freedom of motion that I can't get when I'm tethered, so with remote flashes and wireless tethering I truly have an wirefree studio. :-)
The downside? It sucks a lot of juice from the batteries to send the photos over. I used 2 fully charged batteries and they completely drained out by the end. I'd say I had enough juice for 2000 shots but I only was able to take 800. All things considered its not too bad. I'll just get another battery and warm it up in the charger bullpen.

[brecklundin]

jboyde:

EyeFi cards are interesting but you cannot control the camera via the EyeFi card, right? Then this is NOT tethering....it is simply file transfer for $100 give or take the EyeFi card you prefer...tethering includes true remote control of the camera. The K20D and Remote Assistant 3.51 comes close but drops the ball as they left out liveview then again liveview was not really refined yet on the K20D so it could make sense why it was left out of the software. You take shots and re-config your setup if needed so it's closer but it is not real tethering and honestly probably worse of an option that hooking up to an external display via HDMI if you have a K7, which supports no tethering what so ever. And since the body does not support tethering all the EyeFi cards will ever do in such a body is file xfer after the shot is taken, which does indeed have it's uses but again, is not tethering.

It does look like the EyeFi cards finally offer better RAW support than a few years back. At least DNG is in there.

[johnmflores]

I'm being pulled in two directions. The photographer is very excited by the K-5, tethering or not. I do like flip-twist screens (which may be a proxy of sorts for tethering) a lot but don't base purchase decisions on them.

The other part of me wants to jump into the deep end of video - a place where flip/twist and/or tethering may be even more useful. The Panasonic GH2 seems like a strong candidate here.

So I'm kind of torn between the K-5 and GH2. I'm inclined towards the K-5 right now just because I'm still more of a still photographer, but maybe I'll win the lottery and get both!

[Kirivon]

I'll buy the K-5 regardless as it will be replacing the K-7, which doesn't support live view either. However, it is something I would like to have. There is already such a strong expectation for pros to be using Canikon, I can't imagine showing up to a shoot where the client requires tethering with your incompatible Pentax camera would go over very well. I still have the K10D as a backup plan, but the lack of liveview kind of cancels out that advantage.

[brecklundin]

I'm being pulled in two directions. The photographer is very excited by the K-5, tethering or not. I do like flip-twist screens (which may be a proxy of sorts for tethering) a lot but don't base purchase decisions on them.

The other part of me wants to jump into the deep end of video - a place where flip/twist and/or tethering may be even more useful. The Panasonic GH2 seems like a strong candidate here.

So I'm kind of torn between the K-5 and GH2. I'm inclined towards the K-5 right now just because I'm still more of a still photographer, but maybe I'll win the lottery and get both!

I know exactly how you feel John. I really look at the K5 and can't but feel it's everything the K7 was what I hoped it would be. And the K7 is a darned fine body. Gawds I need help if I am writing comments about a camera body being "darned fine", once was a time I only cared about a different sort of, ahem body, hehehehe...

And yes you are really correct that the tilt twist panels would indeed be a very close approximation of true tethering. And even though it does not offer the enlargement IQ of sending the liveview to a PC, after seeing the liveview AF work in that one demo video that came out during Photokina I have to say that the higher and larger resolution panel on the camera is fantastic! And I could really live with the flip-out panel while also acknowledging it also introduces some potentially insurmountable engineering issues in terms of sealing.

But we are not gonna get a flip out any time soon and also after seeing what looks to be a disappointing version of it on the 60D I am not sure I would like it even though when I first move over from PnS to DSLR I felt it horrible that a DSLR would not have the feature. I still see the same very valid uses for it but I dunno...I would not want to compromise the integrity or robust nature of the sealing for people who come to depend and rely have that level of proven sealing. Adding the flip screen could set back the trust in the sealing. For me, as I actually have no WR lenses after my first fisaco that was a brand new 50-135 that died a crib death haven't even looked at any SDM lense since. And w/o sealed lenses the sealed bodies are almost, but not completely pointless for a lot of us who don't have WR lenses.

I'll buy the K-5 regardless as it will be replacing the K-7, which doesn't support live view either. However, it is something I would like to have. There is already such a strong expectation for pros to be using Canikon, I can't imagine showing up to a shoot where the client requires tethering with your incompatible Pentax camera would go over very well. I still have the K10D as a backup plan, but the lack of liveview kind of cancels out that advantage.

Ummmm....could you be confusing liveview with tethering? The K7 does indeed have liveview. While the K7 absolutely does not have tethering at all, it has liveview. I forget the reason(s) proposed (more like people rationalizing the lack of need for a feature they simply never used and/or did not understand at all) for the dropping of any sort of tethering in the K7 but there was a conversation about why a while back postulating reasons why no tethering in the K7 after having it, though in a somewhat crippled incarnations, on the K20D. As I recall of those conversations I am sure there was no official reason just a few reasonable sounding possible reasons. While originally I wondered about heat, I then remembered video is in the body and that has to generate at least as much heat as the video. Some felt it had to do with Hoya leaving out the needed circuitry to make tethering work. It might have been Falk or one of the other more more intimate knowledge of the electronics of the K7 who offered an explanation as to why it could not be added...or, as I said it may have all been just theories as to why, at this point in time it doesn't matter though as even if it was just a firmware feature HoyaTax is not going to release it and cannibalize potential K5 sales because of price alone.

But the K7 does indeed have liveview, and it's not bad from what I have seen of it in action. Also I don't see how this has anything to do with a different brand of body in so far as whatever "expectations" mean. Pentax had a fair version of tethering in the K10D/K20D though without liveview preview ON THE PC to aid in composition and focusing.

Here is another site that discusses tethering to some degree but seems a bit light after a fast read last night...of course it's focused on Canon bodies but the principles and uses are still the same and brand agnostic.

TETHER TALK -Resources for photographers interested in Tethered Photography. {again kinda light on content but it's a start on helping folks see how tethering can be used}

A lot of the features depend on the software being used on whatever PC you are using but also it depends on if there is an API provided by the given mfg for their tethering solution as implemented in their bodies.

And, as with about everything else, there are a ton of videos on YouTube explaining and demonstrating variations of tethering solutions. Some more complete than others and most free...the Canon software in that works via their EOS Utility is not perfect but it's nor awful either...and there are lots of free apps out there. Unfortunately none I am aware of work with Pentax cameras which support tethering so we have to use Remote Assistant (which, while no liveview in tethered mode, is not bad software).

[Northern Soul]

I voted that I can overlook it not being there, but that is only because I have a K10d which does have tethering, and I intend to keep it.

I'd like to use tethering to remote release the camera when taking wildlife shots though, so I wish now I'd said it has to have it - tethering with a live view would be awesome. Sort it out, Pentax please.

[brecklundin]

Hey folks, I just noticed there is a NEW remote with the K-5 (prolly still extra though). Here is a thread I started...could it potentially offer the ability to solve the tethering issue if that remote lets us control settings while sending liveview to an external display via HDMI?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/116752-looks-like-new-...-solution.html

If it does then that is enough for me...I don't absolutely need remote file saving but do need the control...one could always add the EyeFi card if the remote file saving is a must have feature...funny never considered a possible more advanced remote and support of liveview via HDMI to allow setting and focus adjustments...hmmmmm...interesting? never gonna work? Man I wish we had better info!

[Northern Soul]

I can't see how something with so few buttons can allow you to control all the functions of the camera as you can when it is tethered!

[kittykat46]

I can't see how something with so few buttons can allow you to control all the functions of the camera as you can when it is tethered!

Good question...I was wondering how its done.
The IR-simple protocol certainly has enough bandwidth to transmit complex control commands, but I was thinking you'd need something with multiple buttons.

[brecklundin]

hence the posing it as a QUESTION...I have seen a lot of things done with just a couple buttons on other devices. it comes down to the UI. Face it the navigation of the menu system and settings is not that complicated and a couple buttons if the camera traps the button presses relative to the camera mode could possibly make it a viable option to true tethering. but that is something I would assume someone who understands the bandwidth issue to realize as a possibility already.

[Kirivon]

Ummmm....could you be confusing liveview with tethering? The K7 does indeed have liveview. While the K7 absolutely does not have tethering at all, it has liveview. I

Obvious typo, as could be inferred by me stating that I still have the K10D for tethering, but at the expense of not having live view (thereby canceling out the advantage). As, in the case of the K10D, you might as well just use an EyeFi card.

[Northern Soul]

hence the posing it as a QUESTION...I have seen a lot of things done with just a couple buttons on other devices. it comes down to the UI. Face it the navigation of the menu system and settings is not that complicated and a couple buttons if the camera traps the button presses relative to the camera mode could possibly make it a viable option to true tethering. but that is something I would assume someone who understands the bandwidth issue to realize as a possibility already.

That's just the waterproof remote from what I can tell. It can't work for tethering because there is no screen - how would you get feedback to know the changes you had made had been sent to the camera properly? For example, unless you happened to remember what number item on the list 'tungsten' light balance was, you'd have no chance!

And of course you'd still need to get the image from the camera to the PC.

[wll]

Pentax has fixed about all my complaints about the K-7 ... EXCEPT Tethering !

Tethering is very important to anyone that does a studio shoot or needs to show clients or themselves what the image looks like on the big screen.

I would love to take my iPad or other small laptop and see live my architectural shots, studio shots, etc up close and personal.

I can't tell you the number of times I have been working with another photographer and had to hand him or her the camera so they could see the image I just took.

Missing that feature keeps Pentax in the amateur class. I know MANY folks that like Pentax, but use Canon "JUST BECAUSE OF TETHERING" ! They don't care for the size of Canon DSLR's and they have very few lenses, but the tethering feature is a deal breaker.

For me, I can put up with the fact Pentax does not have tethering, although it is a terrible inconvenience.

The only two missing links IMHO that keep the K-5 from being the "BEST OF SHOW" is tethering and an articulating screen ........ maybe the tethering will come in firmware, and maybe the articulating screen will come in the next model.

Those two Missing links will not stop me from purchasing the K-5, it has many great features that I have been waiting for. IMHO the K-5 is what the K-7 should have been !!!


wll