[magnum1]

Hi,

I am wondering if it is possible to hook my camera to my laptop to view shots as they are taken. I am being hired to take Homecoming pictures in about a month and I don't want to rely on my camera LCD to judge the quality of the shot, but I also don't have the time to make people wait for me to load them into my laptop via the card.

Thanks

[nosnoop]

Have you tried using the Pentax Remote Assistance?
It has its limitations, but may satisfy your needs.

[Russell-Evans]

Pentax Remote Assistant

PENTAX REMOTE ASSISTANT 3.51
PENTAX is pleased to announce the release of PENTAX Remote Assistant 3, available free of charge to owners of compatible cameras. Remote Assistant allows you to use your computer to control a tethered camera, making it ideal in various studio and special application photographic situations. In addition to standard remote camera operation, Remote Assistant offers functions such as:

• Operational control of 2 or more cameras
• Interval, Timer, and Bulb Timer modes
• Remote User Mode and Custom Functions control
• And more

COMPATIBLE CAMERAS

• K10D (with firmware version 1.20 or later)
• K20D

[YJD]

Nothing for the K100D Super?
It would be fun to try... but I can understand why Pentax will not do it :-(

[CaymanImaging]

I have the lastest version. but when I use it, I can control the camera via the computer, not so much see the image on the computer as soon as I take it. I'll admit that I've spent about 15 mins messing around with it, but as a pro, I want to be able to hook my laptop to the camera and see instant results. Any help you guys and gals can give would be helpful to me and Magnum. Thanks!!

[magnum1]

Just finished downloading the remote asst. and I have to say it does exactly what I want. I love the fact I can make camera adjustments via my laptop. Cool!!

The only thing that worries me is they suggest using an AC addapter on my camera while using using RA. I hope the battery drain isn't too much and I run out of power during a shoot.

Thanks for the help!!!

[architorture]

i use remote assistant in combination with capture one. PRA lets me control the camera and fire the shutter remotely, capture one lets you see them as they come in with good histogram, check focus, and also see them on a calibrated monitor (if yours is). it's not as simple as it is with a canon camera, but it's almost as good.

tip: put the camera mode dial at USER to be able to change everything from the computer.

[fillerupmac]

The only thing that worries me is they suggest using an AC addapter on my camera while using using RA. I hope the battery drain isn't too much and I run out of power during a shoot.

Thanks for the help!!!

I have used PRA with my K10D on battery only, for several hours at a time doing astro photography. Can't say I have noticed much battery drain at all. A looonnngg exposure takes a long time to upload to the computer tho!

Al S.

[fillerupmac]

i use remote assistant in combination with capture one. PRA lets me control the camera and fire the shutter remotely, capture one lets you see them as they come in with good histogram, check focus, and also see them on a calibrated monitor (if yours is). it's not as simple as it is with a canon camera, but it's almost as good.

tip: put the camera mode dial at USER to be able to change everything from the computer.

Architorture, can you expand on this a little? Do you use a separate monitor to display
the photograph? What is your setup?

Thanks

Al S.

[architorture]

Architorture, can you expand on this a little? Do you use a separate monitor to display
the photograph? What is your setup?

i connect the k10d to the computer with the supplied usb cable + a usb hub usually. the hub allows me to use a longer cable.

pick where PRA sends the pics. make the active session in capture one use that folder. there is no interaction between the two programs, but capture one actively monitors the folder and updates in real time based on the contents.

i have just one monitor (20" widescreen acer al2051w). i have created and applied an icc-profile with x-rite eye1 display hardware/software.

i alt-tab between the programs. you could easily split them onto two monitors if you wanted to.

i'm really no expert with capture one and it's an awful interface on windows, but you're supposed to be able to have it apply a custom whitebalance to every image that comes in, so you'd take a grey-card w/ the first shot, adjust it, then all the next "real" pictures would be color-correct (if you're in a constant light). i just use it as a much bigger, and color-corrected monitor to check exposure, composition, and focus. then process the RAW files with bridge/acr (or whatever program you would like).

there are probably other programs that would do what capture one is doing for me.

if we were using canon cameras, capture one does everything that PRA does.

hopefully that answers (most of) your questions

[magnum1]

I have used PRA with my K10D on battery only, for several hours at a time doing astro photography. Can't say I have noticed much battery drain at all. A looonnngg exposure takes a long time to upload to the computer tho!

Al S.

This is good to hear. I run 2 batteries and found it kind of strange that I would run out after a few hours. Actually I am only going to be shooting while connected for an hour and a half at the most.

[trent]

As an alternative solution, you could consider the eye-fi card (Eye-Fi ), which is an SD card with build in wireless (if you have a WIFI network where you're taking pictures, I haven't tried yet if I can connect it to my laptop without). It's nice if you also want some freedom to move, and so far the battery drain has been reasonable (though I didn't use it for hour-long sessions yet).

T.

[fillerupmac]

i connect the k10d to the computer with the supplied usb cable + a usb hub usually. the hub allows me to use a longer cable.

pick where PRA sends the pics. make the active session in capture one use that folder. there is no interaction between the two programs, but capture one actively monitors the folder and updates in real time based on the contents.

i have just one monitor (20" widescreen acer al2051w). i have created and applied an icc-profile with x-rite eye1 display hardware/software.

i alt-tab between the programs. you could easily split them onto two monitors if you wanted to.

Thanks!

Al S.

[magnum1]

I'm looking at the dimensions of those wireless SD cards and I don't think they will work in the K10D (and I assume the other models) because the card door must be closed. These cares are long and are meant for items that leave the card hanging out such as PDA's etc...

I could be wrong.

[trent]

My card has exactly SD card dimensions, and I'm using it in a K10D, so that's not a problem. The main issue for me is that I can't get it to work without a wireless access point present, so the freedom of movement is limited again. I don't see a fundamental reason why it shouldn't be possible, just doesn't seem to be supported.

T.