Tethered shooting

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cuxlander
Posts: 146
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 12:13 pm

Tethered shooting

#1 Post by cuxlander » Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:18 pm

Hello,

Which cameras, DSLR or compact (micro four-third?), can be controlled via the laptop, i. e. tethered shooting? Until now I only found high end Olympus like the E-M1 and the E-M5 Mark II.

Thanks,
Hans

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mrsonchus
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Location: Cumbria, UK

Re: Tethered shooting

#2 Post by mrsonchus » Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:43 pm

Hi cuxlander - I use a Canon EOS 1200D (the UK name) tethered for 'live shooting' very happily. Intermediate optics are needed between the camera and photo-port of course.
Here're a couple of the setups I use,
the first one is my current 'main' kit - used since I chanced-upon a genuine Leitz 0.32x optic for an extremely good price...
The tablet PC is a Windows 10 machine, with which camera control and picture settings, shutter etc are set and triggered ('tethered - live-view' shooting)
ws_orthoplan and canon.jpg
ws_orthoplan and canon.jpg (79.53 KiB) Viewed 4979 times
Of course the camera may be operated including focus, manually atop the photo-port as here,
ws_canon-on-scope.jpg
ws_canon-on-scope.jpg (76.12 KiB) Viewed 4979 times
Another mode is also possible with the Canon DSLR - the use of an Android tablet with a touch-screen controlled tethered-shooting piece of free software, as here, Seen with a cheaper intermediate optic (Chinese I'm sure).
ws_canon-tether-to-scope-ri.jpg
ws_canon-tether-to-scope-ri.jpg (216 KiB) Viewed 4979 times
Here's a 'ToupCam' 5mp LCMOS hooked-up with another Chinese optic that screws onto the ToupCam - the software used for this is the superb and free 'ToupView' software by the same manufacturer - it's really an extremely good piece of software, but works with the ToupCam, not the Canon - which uses the proprietary Canon software...
ws_5mp toupcam hardware (6).jpg
ws_5mp toupcam hardware (6).jpg (151.06 KiB) Viewed 4979 times
Hope this helps a little to give you an idea - all of the above systems work very well indeed. :)
John B

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wporter
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Re: Tethered shooting

#3 Post by wporter » Sat Nov 04, 2017 9:51 pm

I have the Olympus OM-D E-M5II camera, and take images by using a 31" (diagonal) smart tv that was discarded by a relative who was upsizing. The microscope-mounted camera is attached to the tv via an HDMI cable and displays what would normally be in the camera viewfinder or monitor, but much much larger and easier to view. The camera is triggered by use of a remote shutter release, which is very helpful in eliminating vibration that would arise from pushing in the camera's shutter button.
Not having to squint into a tiny camera monitor or viewfinder is an amazing change for the better for someone like me who is eyesight challenged, and makes focus-changing for stacked images very simple.

MicroBob
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Re: Tethered shooting

#4 Post by MicroBob » Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:34 am

The SONY A6000 and probably other models offers tethered shooting via Android app. I haven't tested it for microscopy applications yet, but for general use it works very well. For proper function it is necessary to update the app in the camera via internet, and this was quite difficult. I don't know wether there is also tethering with PCs for this SONY model.
For microscopy use you should look for a camera with EFSC (electronic first shutter curtain) or a leaf shutter. Many Canon DSLRs offer this, very few Nikon DSLRs, all Nikon Ones, some SONY-Models like A6000 and NEX-7, and a couple of Olympus and Panasonic models. It is really important to look for this specific feature. For general photography it is not so important, so it is sometimes a bit difficult to find out, which models offer it.

MichaelBrock
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Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2017 4:47 pm

Re: Tethered shooting

#5 Post by MichaelBrock » Sun Nov 05, 2017 12:33 pm

I think all of the Canon EOS cameras can be tethered to a computer via the EOS utility which you can get for free from Canon. I have a Canon t1i (aka D500) which I will be setting up this way. There is also an android app for tethering I believe. And tethering can be wireless for the later Canon's.

Here is an overview of the EOS software specifically for use with microscopes: http://www.lmscope.com/produkt22/canon_ ... e_en.shtml

That same site (which sells impressively expensive camera/microscope adapters) has a number of articles and reviews of cameras for microscopy.

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cuxlander
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Re: Tethered shooting

#6 Post by cuxlander » Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:01 pm

Hello John B,

yes, a lot of very useful information for me to start with, thanks.
At present I use a Toupcam-cmos-camera with the adapter FMR 050 and the great Toupview software which came with it.
Here is my present tool, and I do not want to miss the pretty Zeiss KF2, and I very much like the convenient handling of this system and the software.

Image

The reason why I am considering upgrading the photo equipment is that I want a compensation optic between microscope and camera to avoid chromatic aberration.
Meanwhile I found that most Canon EOS- and Nikon D- cameras know how to tether, both on Windows and Android and there is plenty of software.
So any of these camera bodies are suitable. I think I shall buy an inexpensive older body and lens mount to T2, and start experimenting. I already have an adapter eyepiece to t2. I shall report.

@wporter: yes connecting to a TV or a tv-card in the computer is an alternative. Agree, focussing through the camera monitor is useless in microscopy.

@Microbob and the others above: thanks for your advice.

Hans

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