camera tethering + Stackshot ?

A forum to ask questions, post setups, and generally discuss anything having to do with photomacrography and photomicroscopy.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

dorsetman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 1:02 pm

camera tethering + Stackshot ?

Post by dorsetman »

I have a renewed interest in macro, having discovered ( and bought) Stackshot. I am starting off using the method of manual focussing on the subject in an end position, then letting Stackshot move the camera.

My problem is that with some eyesight problems ( old age related) I have difficulty in manually focusing to the best position - and if I could view the image on my big screen ( 15 inch laptop) or better still 27 inch retina screen on my Mac, I am sure I could do better.

So I need tethering software ( I think). I see all sorts on offer from freeware, through CameraRC DeLuxe, and up to Nikon Capture or Lightroom.

Advice on what to choose will be much appreciated .
Geoffie

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Re: camera tethering + Stackshot ?

Post by Chris S. »

Geoffie, welcome to the forum! :D

For the PC, I'd strongly recommend ControlMyNikon. I switched to it from Nikon Capture, and strongly prefer it. Have also tried a few other programs, but neither liked them, nor remember their names. No experience with Mac, though.

--Chris

Lou Jost
Posts: 5947
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Post by Lou Jost »

I'm a beginner who has been trying various tethering programs. ControlMyNikon is also the one I ended up keeping. It's only problem is the unnecessary, potentially very long time it takes to establish a connection between camera and computer. The delay is so long that it is easy to think the program must have crashed. Be patient.

I seem to recall that the other programs I tried didn't take nearly as long.

Still, it is a great, robust program.

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

Lou Jost wrote:It's only problem is the unnecessary, potentially very long time it takes to establish a connection between camera and computer. The delay is so long that it is easy to think the program must have crashed. Be patient.
Lou, I had that problem intermittently with both ControlMyNikon and Nikon Control. Turned out that if the memory card in the camera had lots of images on it, it took forever for the computer to connect with it. With a freshly-formatted memory card, however, the connection happens very quickly.

I'd be interested to know if your memory card has a lot images on it, and what happens if you clean it off or format it.

--Chris

Lou Jost
Posts: 5947
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Post by Lou Jost »

Hi Chris, yes, that's the cause of the problem. The ControlMyNikon manual blames the delay on the number of images on the card. However, I used the same camera with about the same number of images with a free program called digiCamControl, and I do not recall having this problem. That's why I think there must be a programming trick that gets around it.

Even with the delay, the software is well worth it. I will even take it into the field with me on my Surface tablet. It's painful to go back to using the camera's own Live View and image review after seeing both on nice monitors!

dorsetman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 1:02 pm

Thank you all

Post by dorsetman »

Thank you all for the unanimous (!) advice. I have just bought it, and am installing now.
Geoffie

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

Geoffie, I think you’ll be pleased with your purchase. Like you, I tether for studio macro—it makes things so much easier.

Lou, why not pick up an inexpensive memory card, to be kept empty, just for tethered shooting? The delay would disappear.

--Chris

Lou Jost
Posts: 5947
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:03 am
Location: Ecuador
Contact:

Post by Lou Jost »

Aww, that would be too easy....Yes, that's a good suggestion.

NewForestTel
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:38 am
Location: New Forest, UK

Re: camera tethering + Stackshot ?

Post by NewForestTel »

dorsetman wrote:I have a renewed interest in macro, having discovered ( and bought) Stackshot. I am starting off using the method of manual focussing on the subject in an end position, then letting Stackshot move the camera.
My problem is that with some eyesight problems ( old age related) I have difficulty in manually focussing to the best position - and if I could view the image on my big screen ( 15 inch laptop) or better still 27 inch retina screen on my Mac, I am sure I could do better.
So I need tethering software ( I think). I see all sorts on offer from freeware, through CameraRC DeLuxe, and up to Nikon Capture or Lightroom.

Advice on what to choose will be much appreciated .
I am only a beginner in photomicrography but have used a Mac for some years.

I currently use Lightroom but you could acquire Aperture for Mac, it is no longer being updated so should be very cheap, but it works very well as a tethering software with Mac.

Looks as though you now have an easier solution.
Terry Turner

soldevilla
Posts: 684
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:49 pm
Location: Barcelona, more or less

Post by soldevilla »

I do not know if I understand the problem ... I have a Canon Live View with an HDMI cable connected to a television, and I see the same information from the camera screen on TV. Focus is very comfortable there ...

ChrisR
Site Admin
Posts: 8668
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:58 am
Location: Near London, UK

Post by ChrisR »

Canon Live View with an HDMI cable connected to a television
I've used a cable to go through a cheap hdmi to VGA converter, to show on an old 15 inch flat computer monitor. That's good too.

dorsetman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 1:02 pm

ControlMyNikon did not work for me...

Post by dorsetman »

I have been persevering, making attempt after attempt; reading what had been said, I reformatted memory cards, and put just a single image on. I have two Nikons ( different models) and tried with both, tried every combination of USB port, and different connecting cables too. I could select the appropriate camera, click on connect and get every indication that it was trying, but it never got there...

I read somewhere that Aperture 3 on my Mac will do the job, and have just downloaded a tutorial, so I'll switch to that and continue my efforts - something to do on Boxing Day, maybe !
Geoffie

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

Geoffie, no doubt that's incredibly frustrating.

Which Nikon bodies are you trying? And what version of Windows?

If it's an old version of Windows, it could be lacking Nikon drivers. See here. I've had it happen with Windows XP computers that tethering went better after installing Nikon software.

Also, if your Nikon body is old (like my D200, circa 2006), you need to change the USB setting to support tethering. This is not needed with more recent bodies.

You might also consider downloading Nikon Camera Control Pro 2. You can use it for 30 days as a free trial. I don't recommend that you purchase it, but simply use it as an experiment and a potential source of drivers.

Does your camera connect when you use Nikon Camera Control? If so, try ControlMyNikon again--it just might work, because the Nikon Camera Control installation may have installed some missing drivers.

Note that you want to reboot after installing Nikon Camera Control, so that any new drivers are accessed by ControlMyNikon.

Please let us know how this goes! :D

--Chris

dorsetman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 1:02 pm

Post by dorsetman »

Thank you Chris. I have a D300 and a D5300. Windows is 8.1, supposedly updated to the latest version when I went back to it after not liking an upgrade to 10.

You do expose my ignorance; on looking at the D300 menus, I found I had USB set to Mass Storage, and the alternative was MTP/PTP (whatever that means) but it rings bells as the needful setting.... With the D5300 I cannot find anything similar in the menus.

But I guess I need to have another go, at least with the D300.

I have not so far tried Nikon Camera Control - another thing to put on my list.

I knew it would be a long learning curve, but so far its only a straight line, bumping along the bottom.

Thanks again,
Geoffie

Chris S.
Site Admin
Posts: 4042
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by Chris S. »

dorsetman wrote:Windows is 8.1, supposedly updated to the latest version when I went back to it after not liking an upgrade to 10.
Ack! I can't imagine what issues this sort of Windows switchery may create; I've avoided it on the PC's I support.
You do expose my ignorance; on looking at the D300 menus, I found I had USB set to Mass Storage, and the alternative was MTP/PTP (whatever that means) but it rings bells as the needful setting.... With the D5300 I cannot find anything similar in the menus.
On the D300 (a body I have no experience with, but which probably resembles my D200), you want MTP/PTP--definitely not "Mass storage." On the D5300 (another body I have no experience with, but which probably resembles my newer Nikon bodies), you don't have to worry about this choice.
I have not so far tried Nikon Camera Control - another thing to put on my list.
I don't understand. From your description, I thought you were already working with Nikon Camera Control. What camera control program are you working with? Windows alone will definitely not suffice.

Please explain! :D

--Chris

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic