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Microstock Photography Forum - General => Cameras / Lenses => Photography Equipment => Canon => Topic started by: oxman on March 15, 2013, 19:46

Title: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: oxman on March 15, 2013, 19:46
The 5-pin, Mini-B digital terminal on my Canon 5D Mark II died in the middle of a shoot last week. Tested with new cord and different computers and tested all elements with my other Canon Rebel. All indications point to the camera's digital terminal on my camera. Not surprising as it gets jerked around in there alot. I just bought a JERK STOPPER.

Anyway, before I send it back to Canon (ugh) for repair. Has anyone had their Mini-B, digital terminal stop connecting when shooting tethered? Any home fixes? Costs for repair?

Thanks

Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: gostwyck on March 15, 2013, 20:42
Why shoot tethered? Wireless alternatives are just so cheap nowadays. I'm sure it'll be cheaper to go wireless rather than having your camera's socket repaired. You could even use a basic flash gun, mounted onto your hot-shoe, to trigger your strobes. One very successful microstocker I've shot with (back in 2007) used that method all the time.

PS: I've heard you can even get non-tethered electric telephones nowadays too. Who'd have thought it, eh?
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: shotupdave on March 15, 2013, 20:50
I shoot teathered and import directly into Lightroom so I can check focus, compisition, exposure etc. Its.a lot easier looking at your photo on a large monitor than a 3 inch screen.. I still trigger my stobes with a remote.
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: tab62 on March 15, 2013, 20:53
the wifi (Eye fi) works for me well...
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: oxman on March 15, 2013, 22:29
the wifi (Eye fi) works for me well...


How do you make it work? It does not work with a Canon 5DMark II

http://support.eye.fi/cameras/canon/eos_5d_mark_ii (http://support.eye.fi/cameras/canon/eos_5d_mark_ii)
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: oxman on March 15, 2013, 22:31
Why shoot tethered? Wireless alternatives are just so cheap nowadays. I'm sure it'll be cheaper to go wireless rather than having your camera's socket repaired. You could even use a basic flash gun, mounted onto your hot-shoe, to trigger your strobes. One very successful microstocker I've shot with (back in 2007) used that method all the time.

PS: I've heard you can even get non-tethered electric telephones nowadays too. Who'd have thought it, eh?

Thanks for the reply.
Can you tell me your set up? I want to shoot into Lightroom 4 with about the same download speed of wired. A Paul Buff Cyber Commander is in my hot shoe so that is occupied. Thanks again for your advice

Bill
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: flashon on March 16, 2013, 03:27
I had same thing happened to me in 2011. The repair cost then was $230 from Canon Factory Service Center (in US). It was not covered in warranty as it was considered as physical damage.

For eye-fi to work, you need to get a CF -> SD adapter, some claimed it not very reliable (at least it's not officially supported). I shoot Mark III now and the eye-fi works just fine (very short distance though).

The other option is Canon's $700 WFT (what?) unit.
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: oxman on March 16, 2013, 09:51
I had same thing happened to me in 2011. The repair cost then was $230 from Canon Factory Service Center (in US). It was not covered in warranty as it was considered as physical damage.

For eye-fi to work, you need to get a CF -> SD adapter, some claimed it not very reliable (at least it's not officially supported). I shoot Mark III now and the eye-fi works just fine (very short distance though).

The other option is Canon's $700 WFT (what?) unit.

Thanks Fashon
I have been reading alot of reviews at Amazon and most of the pros feel the software is buggy and the DL speeds are very slow even for jpeg.

Using the Eye-fi, How is your DL speed and overall performance (bug issues?) with the Mark III? I am considering making the move to the III but not sure if the advantages will be worth the expense.
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: gostwyck on March 16, 2013, 10:11
I had same thing happened to me in 2011. The repair cost then was $230 from Canon Factory Service Center (in US). It was not covered in warranty as it was considered as physical damage.

For eye-fi to work, you need to get a CF -> SD adapter, some claimed it not very reliable (at least it's not officially supported). I shoot Mark III now and the eye-fi works just fine (very short distance though).

The other option is Canon's $700 WFT (what?) unit.

I tried Eye-Fi and found it to be useless unless you don't mind waiting a minute or two for each image to arrive on screen.
Thanks Fashon
I have been reading alot of reviews at Amazon and most of the pros feel the software is buggy and the DL speeds are very slow even for jpeg.

Using the Eye-fi, How is your DL speed and overall performance (bug issues?) with the Mark III? I am considering making the move to the III but not sure if the advantages will be worth the expense.
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: gostwyck on March 16, 2013, 10:18
Why shoot tethered? Wireless alternatives are just so cheap nowadays. I'm sure it'll be cheaper to go wireless rather than having your camera's socket repaired. You could even use a basic flash gun, mounted onto your hot-shoe, to trigger your strobes. One very successful microstocker I've shot with (back in 2007) used that method all the time.

PS: I've heard you can even get non-tethered electric telephones nowadays too. Who'd have thought it, eh?

Thanks for the reply.
Can you tell me your set up? I want to shoot into Lightroom 4 with about the same download speed of wired. A Paul Buff Cyber Commander is in my hot shoe so that is occupied. Thanks again for your advice

Bill

I just use a couple of Elincrom lights, triggered by their own Skyport, and a reflector. I'm shooting microstock so I like to keep it simple, cheap and quick.
Title: Re: 5D Mark II tethered question.
Post by: flashon on March 16, 2013, 18:47
I had same thing happened to me in 2011. The repair cost then was $230 from Canon Factory Service Center (in US). It was not covered in warranty as it was considered as physical damage.

For eye-fi to work, you need to get a CF -> SD adapter, some claimed it not very reliable (at least it's not officially supported). I shoot Mark III now and the eye-fi works just fine (very short distance though).

The other option is Canon's $700 WFT (what?) unit.

Thanks Fashon
I have been reading alot of reviews at Amazon and most of the pros feel the software is buggy and the DL speeds are very slow even for jpeg.

Using the Eye-fi, How is your DL speed and overall performance (bug issues?) with the Mark III? I am considering making the move to the III but not sure if the advantages will be worth the expense.

5D Mark III comes with CF + SD slots. I save my RAW to CF and a small JPG to SD (eye-fi), not as fast as direct tethered but pretty close. My Lightroom automatically opens the image when it comes over so I can get much clear view for the focus, lighting etc. If you need other people (model or your client) watch the image in real time such as projecting it on a large screen,  small JPG is all you need. I shot one time a church directory, 3 days of shooting, multiple photographers (all eye-fi enabled) and one presenter (sales person). The process worked flawlessly. Obviously you don't want to transmit RAW file over the wifi, as gostwyck said, it would be too slow.