Post by Vihang Vasa, Photonics Enterprise in Mubmai, India
If you have setup a tethered photography station and are having issues with the connection, here is a quick troubleshoot checklist.
Steps:
- Use the finest quality USB 2.0/ 3.0 cables
- Remove the CF/SD card from the digital back/DSLR while tethering to PC or Apple computer.
- Use USB 2.0/3.0 repeater
- Try keeping the powered repeater/hub close to the camera/digital back.
- While using Nikon/Canon camera with COP7 (Capture One Pro 7.0) software, first – go to the preference setting of COP7, and select – Nikon or Canon respective camera system.
- Unless this is correctly chosen the camera will not tether to the computer.
- Have you tested only 1 cable or multiple/different cables and found none of them are working?
- One cable may be defective so be sure to test 2 or 3.
- Are you using 1 extension or trying to use multiple daisy-chained together?
- USB 3.0 is limited to only 1 passive cable and 1 active extension.
- USB 2.0 is limited to only 1 passive cable and 4 active extensions.
- Is the computer you are tethering to USB 2.0 or USB 3.0?
- In PC the USB 2.0 port will be black in color from the inside.
- In PC the USB 3.0 port will be blue in color from the inside.
- You can also confirm which by checking your system preferences.
- In Apple it is impossible to tell from the look/color of the port. You will need to look in System Info. Go to ‘Apple Menu’ (top left), then ‘About this Mac’, then ‘More Info’, then ‘USB’.
- Is the computer Mac or PC? Do you have the ability to test the cable on both?
- Are you using the USB cable/USB extension on a Digital back or with the Nikon D800?
- Are you using the USB 3.0 cable or USB 3.0 extension?
- First, use only the cable without the extension to check if it works.
- Have you tried tethering to other software besides COP7 or Lightroom?
- Try this to determine if it is a software issue.
- Try using camera manufactures software or other options. Most have free 30 day trials
- Have you tried it with other devices besides a camera? e.g. portable harddrive.
- Have you tried it using a powered USB hub?
