Step by step for shooting tethered?

[Bob Krist]

Hi Kirk: I'm running PM 4.6.2.1 on an Intel Macbook running OS X 10.5.8 and also Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 ver 2.7.0. I have a gig coming up where I need to shoot tethered, which is not my usual MO.  In running my tests, I find I can shoot and view individual pictures using just the Nikon software and that's fine.

But I'd like to be able to shoot and have the PM contact sheet type view. I have been successful in using Live Slide Show to get a nice big image on the screen, but whenever I try Live Ingest, it tells me to select a folder, I select the folder I'm tethering into, but it tells me that folder is already selected, and it doesn't work.

I've searched the forums, but I've not been able to find a good, clear, step-by-step on how to use Live Ingest in this way, or any other tutorial on "shooting tethered for dummies."  Does such a thing exist, and if not, can you write one in your spare time?:-).

I can get by with either of the above options that are currently working but I'd like to get the most efficient workflow possible since somebody will have to be editing and printing selects in almost real time while I'm shooting when I have to do this for real.  thanks, Bob K.

PS. In anticipation of possibly suggesting "use Aperture or Lightroom," I don't use either and would rather not start now for this gig. Thanks!

 

[Kirk Baker]

Bob,

Hi Kirk: I'm running PM 4.6.2.1 on an Intel Macbook running OS X 10.5.8 and also Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 ver 2.7.0. I have a gig coming up where I need to shoot tethered, which is not my usual MO.  In running my tests, I find I can shoot and view individual pictures using just the Nikon software and that's fine.

But I'd like to be able to shoot and have the PM contact sheet type view. I have been successful in using Live Slide Show to get a nice big image on the screen, but whenever I try Live Ingest, it tells me to select a folder, I select the folder I'm tethering into, but it tells me that folder is already selected, and it doesn't work.

I've searched the forums, but I've not been able to find a good, clear, step-by-step on how to use Live Ingest in this way, or any other tutorial on "shooting tethered for dummies."  Does such a thing exist, and if not, can you write one in your spare time?:-).

I can get by with either of the above options that are currently working but I'd like to get the most efficient workflow possible since somebody will have to be editing and printing selects in almost real time while I'm shooting when I have to do this for real.

Live Ingest is covered in the Photo Mechanic 4.6.2 manual on page 73, but perhaps it isn't comprehensive enough.  I think what may be going on is that you have set Live Ingest to watch a Source Folder, but are attempting to have one of the Destination Folders (Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary) set to the same folder as the Source Folder.  Live Ingest won't allow this since it would cause an infinite loop to occur.

Basically what you'll want to do is set your Nikon software to put photos in a folder somewhere on your system.  You'll then add that folder to Live Ingest's Source Folders list.  Then in the Primary Destination, you'll want to choose a different folder to have your images end up moved into.  So for instance you could have a directory tree like this:

HardDrive
    Tethered
    LiveIngest

You'd have Nikon's software to put images in the 'Tethered' folder.  Then you'd have Live Ingest monitor the 'Tethered' folder as one of its 'Source Folders' and have the Primary destination as the 'LiveIngest' folder.  Then it should work fine.

I should note that at this time, Live Ingest only supports JPEG images and currently ignores RAW file formats such as NEFs.  We plan to rectify this situation in a later version of Photo Mechanic.

HTH,

-Kirk

[Bob Krist]

Thanks Kirk. Your answer, plus a re-read of the manual, has brought me up to speed. Many thanks! cheers, Bob