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Tether with Mac Book Air

alajuela

Active member
A question

Does anybody have experience and / or an opinion on tethering the Phase back to a MacBook Air - either the 11 inch or 13 inch?

Thanks

Phil
 

miska

Member
Hi,
I am interested in this question too ! Are there any differences using USB2 / USB3 / Thunderbolt to FW ?
I have understood that the IQ back cannot be powered by the laptop if the Thunderbolt to FW adapter is used. Is this true also for USB 2 / USB 3 ?
I mention USB 2, because I have an older Macbook Air, which does not have USB3 ports.
Thanks !
 

Jwoo

New member
I'm interested too to hear from those who are using the MacBook Air for tethering.
Looking at the 11 in with 4gb of ram. Will that be sufficient for a P40+?
 

cly

Member
MBA 11" (2012), 8GB RAM and IQ140 - no problems. I use the TB-firewire adapter.

BUT: Unless weight and size is really important for you I'd go for the 13" - the better battery life does make a difference. And the screen of the 11" is only 11" :)

Chris
 

adamduckworth

New member
Same here. I tether a P40+ to an 11in Mac Air via the adapter. And it works fine, except the camera must be on battery power as the FW cable doesn't provide enough juice.

The 11in screen is small though. Part of its charm, of course, in its portability. The whole thing is not much bigger than an iPad.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
You could upgrade to a IQ 260 with wifi and use a IPad as well. This is Dante's inferno and cheap way out is not allowed. ROTFLMAO

Seriously a p40 should have no issues with air tethered.
 

alajuela

Active member
You could upgrade to a IQ 260 with wifi and use a IPad as well. This is Dante's inferno and cheap way out is not allowed. ROTFLMAO

Seriously a p40 should have no issues with air tethered.
Hi Guy

I am a certified member of Dante's inferno - trust me :angel:

This is for the P45+ which is now full spectrum - so I really can not trust the auto focus / manual focus scale either, and I am sorta anal about that. So the option is to tether.

I am thinking about the Air, and for a platform - looking for something light, even thought about a music stand top cause the gitzo and tether tools tops are over 2 pounds each. saving weight is the goal, I am old :( and in Shanghai its taxis and walking. Miami not such a big deal as a car is helpful. And I don't know why but I always take too much stuff :facesmack:

Phil
 

alajuela

Active member
Same here. I tether a P40+ to an 11in Mac Air via the adapter. And it works fine, except the camera must be on battery power as the FW cable doesn't provide enough juice.

The 11in screen is small though. Part of its charm, of course, in its portability. The whole thing is not much bigger than an iPad.
MBA 11" (2012), 8GB RAM and IQ140 - no problems. I use the TB-firewire adapter.

BUT: Unless weight and size is really important for you I'd go for the 13" - the better battery life does make a difference. And the screen of the 11" is only 11" :)

Chris
Thanks - this is what I am thinking - its just to tether , not for working on.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Hi Guy

I am a certified member of Dante's inferno - trust me :angel:

This is for the P45+ which is now full spectrum - so I really can not trust the auto focus / manual focus scale either, and I am sorta anal about that. So the option is to tether.

I am thinking about the Air, and for a platform - looking for something light, even thought about a music stand top cause the gitzo and tether tools tops are over 2 pounds each. saving weight is the goal, I am old :( and in Shanghai its taxis and walking. Miami not such a big deal as a car is helpful. And I don't know why but I always take too much stuff :facesmack:

Phil
Can't seem to find it but I thought Gitzo had a triangle cloth base to put between the tripod legs. Something like that would be very light weight .
 

Grayhand

Well-known member
I do use a 13" MacBook air (2011) and a TB - Firewire adapter with my P45+.
Works perfect, much more stable than with my 17" MacBookPro and "straight" Firewire connection.

Ray
 

cly

Member
Can't seem to find it but I thought Gitzo had a triangle cloth base to put between the tripod legs. Something like that would be very light weight .
Manfrotto makes something like this, it's called "Manfrotto Tripod Utility Apron"

Chris
 

alajuela

Active member
Thank you everybody - I think I will go with the MacBook Air - I'll go to the store and check out the 11 and 13 inch. I guess 8 gig Ram and I guess 256 Flash Ram.
Thanks so much!!
 
I run on a Late2011 MacBook Air 4GB 13" + Thunderbolt-FW + P45 (non-plus but with the live view option), and it works an absolute treat.

Be prepared to keep power close at hand with this setup. C1 is a battery suck, particularly if you're using live view focusing (which is a great way to warm your lap on a cold day on location). I get about 1.5 hours at best off battery shooting tethered to my 2011 Air. Newer Airs are probably better. Will be interested to see how this improves (or not) with the next minor release of C1 and Mavericks.

At Capture Integration's Jeffrey Jacobs workshop, I tried this setup with an IQ260, and apart from one solid crash where I had to hard-reboot (I'd just upgraded to 10.8.5, so that might have been a contributing factor; it's been fine since), the setup handled a full shoot.

From experience, I'd recommend *against* using the utility apron to hold a 13" Air, though it might work with an 11" Air. I have a utility apron on an 055XPROB. It's fine for holding lenses, filters and (especially) speedlights, but the fact that the apron isn't flat makes it really iffy for holding a laptop. I handhold my Air (or put it on the ground) in a Thule everything-proof clamshell sleeve designed for a 13" Pro, which works pretty well--the TB cable and, if I'm using it, power anchor the sleeve to the laptop fairly well. There might be a Magic Arm in my future, though!
 

miska

Member
From a Live-view point of view, is there any difference between USB2 and USB3 ? And what about USB2 and FW ?
I am not interested in tethering, but checking focus on my laptop (IQ back, to C1) could be interesting. Alas, I have only USB2. I could also get FW through the thunderbolt adapter, but I don't know if that will bring anything - again only for LV. I'm sure that for proper tethering having more transfer capacity on the cable is better.
Thanks !
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
From a Live-view point of view, is there any difference between USB2 and USB3 ? And what about USB2 and FW ?
I am not interested in tethering, but checking focus on my laptop (IQ back, to C1) could be interesting. Alas, I have only USB2. I could also get FW through the thunderbolt adapter, but I don't know if that will bring anything - again only for LV. I'm sure that for proper tethering having more transfer capacity on the cable is better.
Thanks !
Liveview is not currently supported via USB2 or USB3.

You'll want to get the FW:Thunderbolt adapter.
 

narikin

New member
I use the Surface Pro. Full 'Retina Display' touch screen, latest processors, 2lb weight. Its a full power laptop in tablet form (with optional rip-off keyboard). C1 DB is free of course. Works like a charm for my IQ1 series back via USB3. Zero reasons to upgrade to an IQ2 series!

A pro-tablet is easier to work with on location (flat panel in your hand) than a L shaped laptop form. I just use it tethered laying on my camera bag top, which is bandoleer style over my shoulder (with bag to the front) so the screen is right there to hand. If anyone does take this route, get the updated Surface Pro 2 - much better battery life

No idea why Apple doesn't make an 'iPad Pro', but they don't. So, in this case, well done Microsoft.
 
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