[gsrokmix]

I tried using the latest version of PKtether on my Macbook Pro running both Windows 10, and Windows 7 using Parallels. The camera is recognized properly by the OS in both cases, and the program will show me all of the settings on the camera, so it's communicating to some degree. I do not get any display however. When I trigger the camera from the software, both OSs would crash. I have read on the PKtether site that other people have had similar problems. No solutions were offered. I have the newest firmware that they put out for the K-5 ii (V1.07). I have tried switching the USB modes in the camera, but that didn't seem to make a difference in getting the software to work. I believe the P setting worked better with PKtether, and M mode worked better with the DNA plugin.

I have also tried the DNA tether plugin for LR CC, with no luck. LR recognizes the camera, but that's it, no control or anything. Again I have tried both USB modes but no luck.

I also tried to install pktriggercord on my Windows 7 VM, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to even open that thing! Looks like you need to be a programmer to figure it out. I downloaded the Windows.zip, and the GTK package, but wasn't able to find any info on how to get that running.

If someone is using the same setup as I am (2015 Macbook Pro, OX 10.11.5, newest version of LR CC, Parallels running Windows 10, and Windows 7) with a K-5 ii (firmware V1.07), I would surely appreciate help to get mine working. I know there are people that are using one of these softwares that work. I am not a computer dummy, but just can't get these going. I have been wanting tethering for years, I bought an EyeFi card (too slow to work with), and have tried everything with no luck. I am honestly very close to switching to Canon just to be able to tether. If someone would buy all of my Pentax gear (about $6500 worth....conservatively) and I could walk away with a 5d Mk III, 70-200 2.8, and 24-70 2.8, I think I would give up my 18 lenses and go...I'm very frustrated as you can tell!

Thanks very much!

George

[stevebrot]

I am honestly very close to switching to Canon just to be able to tether.

It looks like you have covered your bases in terms of options. I suspect your issues are related to using virtual machines. Hardware abstraction is the Achilles heal of many VM solutions. A good test might be to see if you can mount the camera as a bulk storage device and actually move files across the USB connection from your Win 7 and/or Win 10 VM.

As for pktriggercord, the note regarding GTK is not quite correct. The zip file contains the required GTK files. I was able to get pktriggercord to run with my K-3 from my Win 10 (Lenovo E430) laptop, but it is buggy (shutter speed is about 100x longer than indicated) Download time for a 24Mpixel DNG is about 8 seconds with a shutter lag time of about 1.5s.


Steve

[gsrokmix]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply. Yes I am able o transfer files between the K-5 ii, and both versions of Windows running as VMs. The problems are the camera working with any of the tethering software. Can you tell me how you got pktriggercord to work? After I unzipped the downloaded file, I couldn't even see a .exe file in the folder. It looked like a bunch of library files.

Thanks,

George