[bumgardnern]

So I have been tethering with my 645Z into Lightroom since I purchased the camera. With the most recent Lightroom Classic release I am no longer able to tether. I keep getting a message that I need to update the camera firmware. My camera is on the most recent firmware posted on the Pentax website.

So far I have reinstalled the plugin, and purchased new tether cables to make sure that was not the problem.

Has anyone else had tethering issues since the release of the new Lightroom Classic?

[postnobills]

I have not tried it yet, but as there are so many complaints regarding the recent Lightroom Classic/Lightroom CC deal I tend to suspect that it's an Adobe issue.

[TonyW]

Nope, not an Adobe issue as they only support certain cameras via lightroom from the Canon, Nikon and Leica stables AFAIK.

Other camera marques such as Pentax require a plugin. So assuming that the Pentax plugin is the latest it sounds like it is broken with the new Lightroom Classic (not tried it so cannot be sure)

[Adam]

Other camera marques such as Pentax require a plugin. So assuming that the Pentax plugin is the latest it sounds like it is broken with the new Lightroom Classic (not tried it so cannot be sure)

This sounds more likely, and I'm sure an update will be released in due time.

Adam
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[paulster]

I used to get that error occasionally before the update. The tethered capture plugin is so flaky it's untrue. So frustrating on this expensive a camera.

[TonyW]

This sounds more likely, and I'm sure an update will be released in due time.

I have no knowledge of how Adobe implement tether capability or how they decide what cameras to include.

But a guess would be that they would require an SDK for each camera to enable communications. Nikon and Canon have offered such for some time and I believe Leica also have SDK available.

Am I correct in assuming Pentax do not offer SDK for any camera?

[Adam]

Am I correct in assuming Pentax do not offer SDK for any camera?

The Theta has one

Pentax publishes their own plugin and software for tethering. Also, the wi-fi interface can be reverse engineered, though no api docs have been published.

Adam
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[bumgardnern]

I kind of assume that it is the Pentax plug in that is not working with Lightroom right now.

Can anyone tell me how good the Pentax tethering software is?

[Gerd]

So I have been tethering with my 645Z into Lightroom since I purchased the camera. With the most recent Lightroom Classic release I am no longer able to tether. I keep getting a message that I need to update the camera firmware. My camera is on the most recent firmware posted on the Pentax website.

So far I have reinstalled the plugin, and purchased new tether cables to make sure that was not the problem.

Has anyone else had tethering issues since the release of the new Lightroom Classic?

Which operating system do you use? Mac, Windows, version?
For me, tethering is absolutely flawless with the 645Z and LR Classic.

Windows 10 (1709)
LR Classic 7.0.1
Pentax Tethered Plug-in 1.2.0 (645Z/K1)
Firmware 645Z / 1.30

Greeting Gerd

[paulster]

Which operating system do you use? Mac, Windows, version?
For me, tethering is absolutely flawless with the 645Z and LR Classic.

Windows 10 (1709)
LR Classic 7.0.1
Pentax Tethered Plug-in 1.2.0 (645Z/K1)
Firmware 645Z / 1.30

Greeting Gerd

Interesting. I wonder if they have never tested with Windows 7 then, because my setup is exactly the same as yours except that I use Windows 7 64-bit. I have random disconnects (usually during transfers) that may or may not lock up the camera badly enough to have to remove the battery. And I get the exact same behaviour on two different computers from two different manufacturers, and on my choice of 4 different USB3 cables.

I tested using LR Classic yesterday and it was just as awful as on the last pre-Classic version of LR.

[bumgardnern]

I have tried on both of my computers one has the newest version of Windows 10 and the other is running the newest version of OSX. I guess it could be a problem with the port of my camera, but the camera was tethering flawlessly until the update.

[Tom Marvel]

I have all the issues, too, when I try to tether to LR. Mostly camera freezing, program crashes, random disconnects, LR unable to recognize the camera. All updates are recent & up to date. I've tried a Tether Tools booster, a tether lock block, minimal length of cable, new Dell XPS. Nothing helps. (By the way, when tethering into LR all images are saved to the computer's hard drive not the camera's SD card. Not really happy about that especially when a transfer just decides to get clogged up in the USB cable) Recently I've had some success using an EyeFi card in the second SD slot. I shoot RAW into SD #1 & an extra small jpg into SD #2 (EyeFi). The EyeFi is set up to link to the wifi network in the studio so the transfer is very quick to the laptop. Of course I can't really manipulate the image on the laptop other than zoom in but I can check composition & lighting much more closely than on the back of the camera. Plus the clients can see the image in a larger mode. Also all images are stored in the camera with out the possibility of losing an image during the transfer. So far not too bad.

[bumgardnern]

I have all the issues, too, when I try to tether to LR. Mostly camera freezing, program crashes, random disconnects, LR unable to recognize the camera. All updates are recent & up to date. I've tried a Tether Tools booster, a tether lock block, minimal length of cable, new Dell XPS. Nothing helps. (By the way, when tethering into LR all images are saved to the computer's hard drive not the camera's SD card. Not really happy about that especially when a transfer just decides to get clogged up in the USB cable) Recently I've had some success using an EyeFi card in the second SD slot. I shoot RAW into SD #1 & an extra small jpg into SD #2 (EyeFi). The EyeFi is set up to link to the wifi network in the studio so the transfer is very quick to the laptop. Of course I can't really manipulate the image on the laptop other than zoom in but I can check composition & lighting much more closely than on the back of the camera. Plus the clients can see the image in a larger mode. Also all images are stored in the camera with out the possibility of losing an image during the transfer. So far not too bad.

It is really annoying. Tethering was working perfectly for the last 4 months. The camera was actually keeping a copy of the raw files on the card as well.

If I send the camera in for repair what are the odds that it will actually come back and be fixed? Looking at the tether port it appears to be in goods shape, it is not loose, and I do not see any foreign objects, also it looks like everything is in general sound.

---------- Post added 11-10-17 at 09:22 PM ----------

Well, my camera has decided that it will tether with my Surface Book Pro again. I am still having difficulty getting it to tether to my Mac Book Pro. The strange thing is that I generally have difficulty tethering to the Surface, and the Mac Book Pro has the more stable connection...

[Tom Marvel]

It is really annoying. Tethering was working perfectly for the last 4 months. The camera was actually keeping a copy of the raw files on the card as well.

If I send the camera in for repair what are the odds that it will actually come back and be fixed? Looking at the tether port it appears to be in goods shape, it is not loose, and I do not see any foreign objects, also it looks like everything is in general sound.

---------- Post added 11-10-17 at 09:22 PM ----------

Well, my camera has decided that it will tether with my Surface Book Pro again. I am still having difficulty getting it to tether to my Mac Book Pro. The strange thing is that I generally have difficulty tethering to the Surface, and the Mac Book Pro has the more stable connection...

If the images weren't so ****ing awesome, I would have ditched the whole deal 2 years ago. Gotta love Pentax!

[Gerd]

Interesting. I wonder if they have never tested with Windows 7 then, because my setup is exactly the same as yours except that I use Windows 7 64-bit. I have random disconnects (usually during transfers) that may or may not lock up the camera badly enough to have to remove the battery. And I get the exact same behaviour on two different computers from two different manufacturers, and on my choice of 4 different USB3 cables.

I tested using LR Classic yesterday and it was just as awful as on the last pre-Classic version of LR.

I use tethering with the 645Z since 2014/2015. Including Windows 7 32-bit and Windows 64-bit and various LR versions / 645Z firmwares.

I only had one problem once. Tethering along with mirror lock (MULP) has produced a camera freeze (with older software). Otherwise, the tethering plugin works absolutely without problems for me.

However, I use an active USB repeater to amplify the signal. Maybe you should try a USB Repeater.

Greeting Gerd