Sinar 86H

[E_Edwards]

but for some reason in the auto import settings there is no 'same as previous' option for the import 'develop' settings. It has to be done manually.

Quite right: Option, Command, V to apply the previous setting. Something I do regularly.

I use a macro program called Quickeys that allows me to trigger from Lightroom (kind of). I've designated Return as the "shoot" key. The macro program very quickly switches from Lightroom to your regular import program (in the background) so the Lightroom window is all you see all the time, no flicker. Then, in a fraction of a second, back to Lightroom being active. Difficult to explain in words, but the actual effect is that it looks like you are actually shooting from Lightroom. You would never know that you are in fact shooting from the camera software running in the background.

I also use Quickeys to trigger the LiveView whilst in Lightroom, etc.

Additionally,  I've designated two "delay release keys" set to 5 and 10 seconds, to allow me time to position momentary things (such as light shaders,  or hand-held reflectors) in the shoot area, after I press the trigger, as I can't be relying on an assistant all the time and sometimes it's easy and quicker to do things yourself, without having to explain.

I use all of the above with the Leaf software and Lightroom working in unison, and I'm pretty sure it would work just as well with other software.

[bdp]

Sounds like you've got it working pretty well. I like the sound of Quickeys.

Command, option, V is OK if you're sitting at the keyboard but to change it permanently for all the newly captured shots you have to go through the process of naming and saving a new develop preset with the current settings, then go to the auto import dialog and select that preset for new imports. Tedious and silly imho when they have the brilliant 'same as previous' setting for the tethered capture dialog. Why Adobe don't just put that into the auto import section as well is a mystery to me.

However I love the rest of LR and use it often with my Sinar files if I don't shoot tethered, although I find it hard to get the colour looking as natural as in eXposure or CaptureShop, even after creating a custom profile for LR and using the myriad of controls available to me. If the lighting is not mixed or I don't need highlight recovery or selective tools like individual colour sat/hue sliders etc, I usually just use eXposure.

Ben

[BrendanStewart]

I was just at the Shoot-nyc.com event yesterday and saw hte 86H in action. The live view is truly in a class in itself. I know nothing else about the back, but when i saw that i was floored. Amazing.

[Dick Roadnight]

I was just at the Shoot-nyc.com event yesterday and saw the 86H in action. The live view is truly in a class in itself. I know nothing else about the back, but when i saw that i was floored. Amazing.

David Grover demonstrated Hasselblad/Phocus live view on the H4D-60 in London at the Hasselbuddy event the other day, and that was good... but it only works in low light conditions (you have to keep your modeling lights low) and I think, without a Neutral density filter, it does not work in sunlight.

[Dick Roadnight]

Additionally,  I've designated two "delay release keys" set to 5 and 10 seconds, to allow me time to position momentary things

You could fire the shutter remotely with a pocket wizard or similar, could you not, and, when we get eShutters, it will be possible to fire the system with an iTouch or iPad?