Tethering as a feature in lower end cameras

[John EH]

It's so easy to take photos with your phone yet a lot of the time those pics for my blog or YouTube videos all kind of look the same. Also, the better the pic you can take the more interest it might get on an online sales listing.

I've been tethering for years. From the mid 2000's towards the end of the decade Canon and a couple others were cranking out lower end cameras that could be tethered to a computer. And some provided free software for tethering.

I can't know for sure but I'm pretty certain someone discovered that if you sold a cheap camera that gave amazing results that there would be no reason to invest in a high end cameras or DSLR (for some photographers).

Back in those days I had a Canon A640, G7, and a G9. I think I had a Nikon that would tether as well but don't recall the model designation. I actually still have and use the A640. I sold my G7 and bought a G9 and then realized I had made a mistake. Not saying the G7 is better but to me it was. Sold the G9 and bought a G7 again. To this day I still use them.

And it seems the manufacturers are content to see those low cost tethering solutions fade into the sunset. Windows 11 no longer has drivers for those old cams and the manufacturer sure isn't supplying drivers for 20 year old cameras. The buck stops with Windows 11. Once Windows 10 stops being supported I guess the move to Linux will be necessary. I use DarkTable and Entangle software on Ubuntu from time to time just for fun. I'll probably always keep a laptop with Windows 10 but just turn off the internet and use thumb drives for these ancient shooters. I use Breeze PS Remote which I've also had for nearly 20 years.

How I wish someone would make a really inexpensive camera (and I know that means different things to different people) that supports tethering. But I'm guessing that won't happen.

I took this shot with my Canon A640 and PS Remote the other day. While some of you studio pros might see some things that need improved for the most part this is a solid pic. Better than most iPhone photos I could have taken. I took the radio pic for a review on my blog.

Someone would probably do good to to make a cheap cam with a free hunk of software for blogging and online selling.

Canon A640 Tethered To Windows 10 Laptop

 

[ishwanu]

Wi-Fi SD cards are still offered, and should work with most low end cameras. I have a couple that can do immediate transfer of RAW and/or JPEG files as they're taken. I also have apps that monitor the destination folder and display the files as they show up. There's no remote control of the camera, though.

 

[Gato Amarillo]

Wi-Fi SD cards are still offered, and should work with most low end cameras. I have a couple that can do immediate transfer of RAW and/or JPEG files as they're taken. I also have apps that monitor the destination folder and display the files as they show up. There's no remote control of the camera, though.

What cards are you using? Thanks.

 

[FrancoD]

My guess is that although this tethering is very important to you, manufacturers found out that t wasn't (for an entry level camer) for most and so it faded away.

 

[ishwanu]

Wi-Fi SD cards are still offered, and should work with most low end cameras. I have a couple that can do immediate transfer of RAW and/or JPEG files as they're taken. I also have apps that monitor the destination folder and display the files as they show up. There's no remote control of the camera, though.

What cards are you using? Thanks.

The cards I personally use (Eye-Fi Pro X2) won't work for 'new' owners anymore, so don't buy them. The software and the servers that were required to register them with the software were discontinued and shut down years ago after Ricoh acquired the company.

Toshiba cards and some other brands might have current support, but you'd have to look into that.

 

[John EH]

My guess is that although this tethering is very important to you, manufacturers found out that t wasn't (for an entry level camer) for most and so it faded away.

Exactly my point. Thanks for picking up on that.

 

[Gato Amarillo]

Wi-Fi SD cards are still offered, and should work with most low end cameras. I have a couple that can do immediate transfer of RAW and/or JPEG files as they're taken. I also have apps that monitor the destination folder and display the files as they show up. There's no remote control of the camera, though.

What cards are you using? Thanks.

The cards I personally use (Eye-Fi Pro X2) won't work for 'new' owners anymore, so don't buy them. The software and the servers that were required to register them with the software were discontinued and shut down years ago after Ricoh acquired the company.

Toshiba cards and some other brands might have current support, but you'd have to look into that.

Thanks, but darn. I had an Eye-Fi in the past, was hoping their might be something current that worked as well.

Gato