How to use tethering software

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Tethering your camera to your PC or Mac is a super-fast, efficient way to transfer your photos. It’s ideal for controlled studio settings where you want to review on a bigger screen as you work. It also gives you the option to show your work to clients in real time during a shoot.

What is tethering?

Tethering means wired connection to your computer while you shoot. It’s much faster than transferring via WiFi, but it also has other advantages. You’ll need special software, but you get sophisticated control.

First, connect via USB (or USB-C on α7R iii and α7 iii for even faster data connection). On the camera, change the USB connection setting to PC Remote.

Software

This article looks at two possible software choices, perfect for professional and advanced photographers. (Be sure to check your camera is compatible before you buy software.)

Imaging Edge

Free to download from our Support site, this software has three branches – Edit (a RAW development application), Viewer and Remote (for tethering).

Check the Remote Shooting column on this page to find out about compatibility for tethering according to model: https://support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/app/imagingedge/en/devices/

Features:

For many camera models, you can control aperture, shutter speed (depending on mode), ISO, exposure compensation, RAW/JPEG, file size, drive mode, white balance and start/stop movie recording. There’s even an intervalometer option.

Recent Sony models have ‘Display Live View’, which lets you see exactly what you’re shooting from your computer. If you’re using α7 iii or α7R iii, you’ll be able to control manual and autofocus, plus autofocus area. You can also zoom in on what you’re looking at to assist with manual focus.

Check out useful composition tools like the Display Grid and Display Guide. Display Overlay lets you add a guide to where non-photographic elements of an image will appear, e.g. if you’re shooting a magazine cover, you can indicate areas for the title and captions.

For α7R iii, you can get highly accurate colour information and high resolution using Pixel Shift Multi-shooting. This is for use with a still subject (and most probably requires shooting from a tripod). The feature works by taking four pictures consecutively, moving the sensor by a distance of one pixel in a square direction between each shot. The camera creates four RAW files with full RGB colour information and Imaging Edge Viewer combines them automatically into one file. Ideal for product shots, it also lends itself to projects like archiving where a truly accurate colour record is valuable.

Another useful feature lets you designate where you save your files. If you shoot in RAW and JPEG, both files will be saved on your SD card; you can then choose to transfer either the RAW file or the JPEG or both. You can also choose to save only on PC.

If you’re using a different RAW converter (e.g. Lightroom or Capture One), you can also set up a Hot Folder to share your files between programmes quickly and easily.

Capture One

Phase One’s Capture One Express Sony is a very capable RAW converter. Again, it’s free to download from Phase One’s website.

Capture One Pro is the version that supports tethering (dependent on product compatibility.) It’s not free, but there is a discount if you download Capture One Pro Sony, the version that handles Sony RAW files (but not other RAW formats).

As above, change the camera’s USB connection setting to PC Remote. Then choose the Capture tab. Unlike Imaging Edge, you can’t pick the focus point but you can change core settings like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, drive mode etc. You can also start working on your files as soon as you’ve shot them.

NOTES
Software and discount availability may vary by region.