[CeciProAm]

I would love to know what you are using to tether your K3 to your laptop.
I am not interested in the flucard et al, but I am really interested in what
kind of cord you bought & where you got it.

I have found the tether tools but I can't believe I need to spend 50 dollars
on this. On the other hand, I don't want to cheap out & have a slow or
bad connection. Isn't a basic gold/speedy computer cord the same
tethering concept?

[RGlasel]

I can't believe I need to spend 50 dollars on this

A nice $5 USB3 cable should be just as fast. As for reliability, buy ten of them and you won't run out before the $50 cable breaks down.

Isn't a basic gold/speedy computer cord the same tethering concept?

Tethering usually refers to two-way communication between the computer and the camera; as far as I know, there isn't support for that over the USB cable with the K-3. The Flu-card gives you the capability of changing settings on the camera as well as working as a wireless trigger, but it transfers files much, much slower. If you just need to transfer files, or view the Live-View display on a larger screen, there are ways to do that with your camera using commonly available cables. My rule of thumb for computer cables is if you can flex the cable without something cracking or breaking, it is probably good enough.

[CeciProAm]

A nice $5 USB3 cable should be just as fast. As for reliability, buy ten of them and you won't run out before the $50 cable breaks down.

Sweet! You cracked me up & gave great advice~!

And thank you for the clarification on tethering. I was confusing myself.

---------- Post added 02-04-15 at 07:31 PM ----------

If I ever figure out how to make sure that the newest Lightroom update will talk to my K3,
then I will worry about tethering. For now, I just want a good cable to make sure I can
see the images on my laptop, as I shoot portraits. For me, it is a good reference guide.

[calsan]

I think the K-3 is intended to be used with a HDMI cable and a lcd monitor (or TV) for the use that you want.

[kkoether]

Here you go.


3' Flat USB 3.0 A Male to Micro B Male Patch Cable Black | CAC250095 | Distributed By MCM


Dirt cheap!


They also had good prices on HDMI cables.

[akshay869]

I would love to know what you are using to tether your K3 to your laptop.
I am not interested in the flucard et al, but I am really interested in what
kind of cord you bought & where you got it.

I have found the tether tools but I can't believe I need to spend 50 dollars
on this. On the other hand, I don't want to cheap out & have a slow or
bad connection. Isn't a basic gold/speedy computer cord the same
tethering concept?

I would love to know what software you're planning to use for cable tethering. And about the usb cable, use the one you get with usb3 external hdd or from someone or the other you know. Luckily I've had a lot of luck with cables, not to mention I also have the HDMI cable that came bundled with my old xperia arc.

[CeciProAm]

I would love to know what software you're planning to use for cable tethering.

Is the K3 never going to be cable adaptable?
Does this not resolve the problem;
Lightroom 5.3 Update with New Camera Support | Tether Talk

[RGlasel]

Does this not resolve the problem;

There are two headings in the link, the first is for three Canon models that have tethering support added for Lightroom 5.3 and the second is a list of camera models that had calibration profiles added. There isn't a publicly available programming interface for Pentax cameras, even the tethering support for the 645Z that was recently made available is customized software developed specifically for Pentax. There are a couple of open-source tethering projects for Pentax cameras, but I don't believe any of them work with the K-3. The customized Flu-card is a viable option for tethering, the two drawbacks are latency in Live-View (the wireless communication is too slow for the remote display to show what the camera's back display is showing, without noticeably lagging behind) and much, much slower file transfer speeds. Those limitations are inherent with any wireless tethering system, but if you need to see what the camera's sensor is seeing to the same resolution as the back display on the camera and can't get close enough to the camera display, you should definitely consider the Flu-card. There is an in depth review here Pentax FluCard O-FC1 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Is the K3 never going to be cable adaptable?

Not likely unless Pentax commissions the development of software that lets you change camera settings via a USB cable. The SD cards use a similar interface to the USB connection, so the Prime III processor in the K-3 must have that capability. The only thing you can do right now with the USB cable is access the SD cards, but with the HDMI port you can view what is being displayed on the back of the camera, and it is possible to remotely trigger the shutter either through the IR receivers or the cable release connection (which is electric, not mechanical).

[CeciProAm]

There are a couple of open-source tethering projects for Pentax cameras, but I don't believe any of them work with the K-3.

Thank you, RGlasel.

My life would be a lot easier if my brain retained a small
fraction of your knowledge & technical understanding.

I am grateful that you are here.