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Author Topic: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?  (Read 1791 times)

lowep

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Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« on: August 09, 2019, 01:42:55 am »

I am thinking about trying to shoot Hy6 with MFDB tethered to a 13" Macbook Pro in the field (can't be worse than shooting with a 4x5 like we did in the dark ages, right) but am not certain what to do with the laptop - though am sure you or others here have done so at some point in the past before you wised up and got a more practical system that did not require such a clunky combo.

How do or did you mount your laptop together with your camera on your tripod? 
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fdisilvestro

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2019, 02:19:37 am »

While I have not personal experience, there are accessories to mount a flat table holder for a laptop to a tripod such as:

https://www.tethertools.com/product/tether-table-aero/

This setup requires an additional tripod or light stand, which is actually a good idea, so you can work with the laptop without causing vibrations to the camera

nirpat89

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2019, 11:45:29 am »

I am thinking about trying to shoot Hy6 with MFDB tethered to a 13" Macbook Pro in the field (can't be worse than shooting with a 4x5 like we did in the dark ages, right) but am not certain what to do with the laptop - though am sure you or others here have done so at some point in the past before you wised up and got a more practical system that did not require such a clunky combo.

How do or did you mount your laptop together with your camera on your tripod?

I have a little 10" Windows netbook PC that I just hand-hold tethered with usb cable or find a rock to sit on and take pictures using controlmynikon software.  No need for mounting the laptop nor to stay close to the camera once the shot is set.  I am thinking of getting one of those wifi dongles so I can move about more freely away from the camera.  The new cameras like the Nikon D850 have built in wifi, but not sure if they do the job as good as usb-connected devices. 

:Niranjan.
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lowep

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2019, 05:36:08 pm »

Thanks for these good suggestions! Yep a pocket computer on a rock may be simpler and easier than struggling with a more sophisticated solution but my MFDB requires a laptop that runs osx 10.10 and accepts firewire input, so the options are not that many. Plus I am wondering if a pocket computer will be powerful enough to do the job. As far as I can see the smallest Macbook Air is 11" but it doesn't have firewire input. An alternative option could be a Hackintosh laptop, which used to be heresy but can now be found for sale on ebay and amazon, so I try to find out what is the smallest possible laptop that can run osx 10.10 with either a card reader or some other way of connecting to a firewire cable. It would be great to find a tablet on steroids that could do this but I doubt that exists.
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TonyVentourisPhotography

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2019, 09:35:24 pm »

If I am shooting with a laptop in the field, I generally have two ways I hold it.  First is with a second tripod and a tether tools table as already suggested.  The second option is I just lay my think tank roller down and put the laptop on that.  I’ve done that with back packs too.  Another option I’ve done if I didn’t need to see the computer, but just needed the files going in dir3ct was to put the laptop in a backpack with a microfiber cloth bunches up to prevent the screen from closing.  This would allow me to keep shooting without the computer going sleep.  Backpack on my shoulders with the cable just running out to the camera. 
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lowep

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2019, 11:17:48 pm »

"just lay my think tank roller down and put the laptop on that" 

excellent - problem solved :)
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BFD

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2019, 12:22:04 am »

"just lay my think tank roller down and put the laptop on that" 

excellent - problem solved :)
If you want the laptop to be more at standing level, you could do something like this DigiPlate: https://www.inovativ.com/shop/digisystem/bundles/pro-super-kit/
They also make a DigiPlate Lite which is very lightweight. You would just need the DigiPlate, DigiBracket and some laptop clamps. The whole unit just attaches to your tripod. If you need power, www.powrbloc.com would be your best bet.

Kirk_C

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #7 on: August 11, 2019, 09:54:08 pm »

"just lay my think tank roller down and put the laptop on that" 

excellent - problem solved :)

Sure. But only after you've popped it into one of these.
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BFD

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2019, 11:57:58 pm »

Sure. But only after you've popped it into one of these.
That thing is a little tall, eh? One of these might suit you better: https://www.inovativ.com/digisystems/digishades/

TonyVentourisPhotography

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2019, 09:58:29 am »

I can vouch for the ttp pixel sunshade....it’s huge but it works really well.

This is one of the reasons I actually considered a Hasselblad x1d for a second.  Tethered to an iPad Pro sounds very nice in the field.  Attaching an iPad to a tripod log is so much easier.  Then I tried one and was not a fan of the interface actually.



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BobShaw

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #10 on: August 12, 2019, 07:23:42 pm »

I can vouch for the ttp pixel sunshade....it’s huge but it works really well.

This is one of the reasons I actually considered a Hasselblad x1d for a second.  Tethered to an iPad Pro sounds very nice in the field.  Attaching an iPad to a tripod log is so much easier.  Then I tried one and was not a fan of the interface actually.
I only tether to an iPad for customer viewing as it is a basic Phocus mobile. Tethered to a MacBook Air is almost as portable and gives the full interface of Phocus.
In reality I only tether in the studio as I see little point in the field. Just get the exposure and focus right.
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lowep

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Re: Shooting tethered to a laptop in the field?
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2019, 10:19:17 pm »

Thanks Cooter and others for this helpful advice - good to hear your batteries aren't flat!


Depending we usually run a laptop to a 27” monitor, (or the laptop alone if we're out in the field) or in studio an I mac with another 27” monitor, though one long standing client wanted to view with ipads for him and his clients, so they could set on a sofa in the studio.

So I had our DIT guy load up C-1 to Capture Pilot or something like that.    By Noon, when everyone broke for a quick lunch, I walked around the studio and on ipad was in a corner, one was under a magazine and one was on facebook.   I think the AD and client’s spent about 45 minutes with the ipads and spent most of the day at the DIT station.

I agree with BFD that the nine volt or any system that uses V-locks because if you travel you can rent the batteries in any market and not worry about traveling on a plane with batteries.

Another system is the Paul Buff system.   Yesterday ordered one setup with extra batteries.  https://www.paulcbuff.com/Portable-Power/

and they have paperwork for flight approval, though some airlines are tougher than others.*

Like BFD says the innovativ system just rocks and is highly configurable.   https://www.inovativ.com/shop/digisystem/bundles/pro-digitech-kit/

Their carts are great especially the travel carts.   I have three magliners and they’re great if you have the space and magliners are tough and configurable, though innovativ just changed the game, IMO.  The only issue with innovativ is costs, cause they ain’t cheap, but what is in pro image making equipment?

IMO

BC


*With V locks we keep them in a Pelican case and gaff tape all the contacts.   It's really safe, though leaving Tokyo a couple of years ago three officials pulled me off the plane holding my Pelican case open with all the V locks out of case and put all 8 of them in two plastic bags, the type you get at duty free.  I tried to explain it was safer in the case,  but they put them in the overhead and off we went.  So now we just leave them and try to rent them if the market we're flying to have v-locks for rent.
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