Leica SL Tethering

[albireo_double]

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This may have been answered above (sorry, no time to read through the entire thread): Just take the SD cards out of the camera and the SL2 will tether fine, with Capture One or with the LR Tethered Plugin. Usually, taking out just the second SD cards works for me, but for totally seamless experience, just take both cards out.

Edited December 1, 2022 by albireo_double

[un-342]

6 hours ago, Photoworks said:

in many cases that is an issue with the OS. Many times the card inserted will time out and fail a connection for tether.

I think windows is a bit better in this regard.

Using capture one and SL2 you can have a card in with latest software. Be sure to start with formatted card.

The Leica SL 601 is supported from v21 up

The Leica tether software can be connected with the card inserted, but it has not been updated in years and CaptureOne support came along.

To me the only Tether software that is worth using is capture one at this point. the speed difference to Lightroom is unreal.

Well good to know there will be progress will the SL2. 

I actually tried the test version of capture one pro. and yes it's really good regarding the tether function. For me it just doesn't make much sense to buy capture one pro besides the creative suit of adobe, since I use quite a few of their services.
anyway its a acceptable fix to shoot tethered without the SD- Card. 

🥳

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[MRJohn]

Does anyone know if Lightroom supports Live View or Live Preview when tethering an SL2? It does not work for me (capturing photos works fine). Would be nice to be able to focus in Lightroom view (I am digitizing film with a manual R macro lens). Maybe I do not know the right settings. Thx

[un-342]

I don't think there is a live view option in Lightroom. 

[Photoworks]

22 hours ago, MRJohn said:

Does anyone know if Lightroom supports Live View or Live Preview when tethering an SL2? It does not work for me (capturing photos works fine). Would be nice to be able to focus in Lightroom view (I am digitizing film with a manual R macro lens). Maybe I do not know the right settings. Thx

nope, but the Leica Image Shuttle does. Or capture one, probably the best one to use.

https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-70385-Leica Image Shuttle.zip

[tangosix]

What cable are you using to connect the SL2S and PC based Capture one?

[LBJ2]

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On 12/12/2022 at 11:05 AM, Photoworks said:

nope, but the Leica Image Shuttle does. Or capture one, probably the best one to use.

https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-70385-Leica Image Shuttle.zip

Using Image Shuttle ver 3.8 looks like it now almost works on M1 Mac macOS Ventura 13.1 . I connected the SL2 ver 5.0 via usbc to the Mac usbc port with a OWC Thunderbolt 4 cable. *Works w/ SL2 USB-Mode set to PTP ( not mass storage). Image Shutter app appears with all settings on the desktop. But doesn't seem to actually import any images to my Mac computer--so maybe if not user error, not yet fully functional with M1 Mac macOS Ventura 13.1 if anyone is interested. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by LBJ2

[Mads Christensen]

Please allow me to step into this thread at a late stage. 

I have done my best to understand the exchanges above. But it remains unclear to me if I actually can connect my Leica SL Typ 601 to my laptop (with the USB 3.0 - USB cable that came with the camera) and use the laptop monitor to have a bigger area to focus my camera when digitizing old slides and/or film strips. My efforts so far have unsuccesful: My monitor will not/has not shown what my SL chip 'sees'. I have not tried to see if it works without the SD card/s inserted. 

[Photoworks]

1 hour ago, Mads Christensen said:

Please allow me to step into this thread at a late stage. 

I have done my best to understand the exchanges above. But it remains unclear to me if I actually can connect my Leica SL Typ 601 to my laptop (with the USB 3.0 - USB cable that came with the camera) and use the laptop monitor to have a bigger area to focus my camera when digitizing old slides and/or film strips. My efforts so far have unsuccesful: My monitor will not/has not shown what my SL chip 'sees'. I have not tried to see if it works without the SD card/s inserted. 

older tech does not always perform the best.

The SL2 live view was clear but not perfect, but the SL3 is a real step up for Live View. I would imagine the USB of the 601 is even slower.

I would suggest using an HDMI monitor to see the image bigger instead of live view. Worked for me, I had a spare computer monitor.

[Mads Christensen]

Thanks very much for your kind reply. 
Please do not promote the SL2 and SL3 too much... I am attracting by the latter. 
I have an old monitor that my kids used for their Playstation era. I did not pull out of retirement, yet. Maybe I will give it try later in my afternoon, here in Denmark. I forgot to ask if shifting to using Capture One instead of LR will make any difference?

[Photoworks]

13 minutes ago, Mads Christensen said:

Thanks very much for your kind reply. 
Please do not promote the SL2 and SL3 too much... I am attracting by the latter. 
I have an old monitor that my kids used for their Playstation era. I did not pull out of retirement, yet. Maybe I will give it try later in my afternoon, here in Denmark. I forgot to ask if shifting to using Capture One instead of LR will make any difference?

I use Capture One to tether and then process the images with Lightroom with the plugin Negative Lab Pro 3 for color negative. 
B&W and Slides I edit them right in Capture One.

in Capture One you can set up the Levels like this and cross-slide the wight and black on each color.

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22 minutes ago, Mads Christensen said:

Please do not promote the SL2 and SL3

for scaning the 601 should be just right

[Mads Christensen]

Hmm, I dont quite understand why you are using the word 'scanning'. I want to use my Leica SL to digitize slides and negative film stripes instead of dusting off my Nikon Coolscan 4000. I want to make it easier to focus on a slide before pushing the button by having my laptop show what the chip sees.

[Photoworks]

1 hour ago, Mads Christensen said:

Hmm, I dont quite understand why you are using the word 'scanning'. I want to use my Leica SL to digitize slides and negative film stripes instead of dusting off my Nikon Coolscan 4000. I want to make it easier to focus on a slide before pushing the button by having my laptop show what the chip sees.

digitizing should be correct. LOL

[Donald M]

I have digitized (scanned) many, many slides with my sl601/Sigma 105mm macro and MacBook Pro without problem. The image shuttle app is just right for that. Sharpening is done in camera with magnification set to maximum. The corn of slides is a perfect indicator for the sharpness setting. Some slides not correctly exposed can be corrected using the pipette of the image shuttle app to get a better white balance. 
Afterwards in LR I do the necessary corrections, as removal of dust and color correction. 
Copies of slides are just that: copies, modern pictures always will be better…

Attached two samples of 36x24mm slides from 2006 made with a Leica R7 and probably a 60mm macro. 

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[kkcsm]

11 hours ago, Donald M said:

I have digitized (scanned) many, many slides with my sl601/Sigma 105mm macro and MacBook Pro without problem. The image shuttle app is just right for that.

Donald, I’ve recently been digitizing with my 601,  I use the Fotos iPad app for remote shutter release but other than that it’s worthless.  I believe the image shuttle app is not available any more even for Mac.  Does it allow you to focus via live view on the large screen?  I’ve been either looking through the led with magnifying glass or connecting a monitor via HDMI (which only works if I switch to video mode).  I’m following this topic because I’m interested in the SL3 for numerous reasons, but one is tethering for digitization and macro.  Can you go into more detail regarding your workflow with the 601?  Macro is easy as I just get it close, move the focus rail, and shoot.  Stack with Zerine.  For digitizing I find it a challenge to get focus sharp before stopping down.

Edited April 13 by kkcsm

[Photoworks]

11 hours ago, kkcsm said:

 I believe the image shuttle app is not available any more even for Mac

i had posted the Mac link above.

It is a free solution, but I think Capture One offers a better option and you can use it free for 30 days.

[Donald M]

This how I use image shuttle:

my SL (601) is connected to my MacBook Pro with the by Leica supplied cable. Fine tuning in sharpness I prefer to do with focusing with the electronic viewfinder. I can see the corn of my (mostly used in those years Velvia 50 or sometimes 100). That is the easiest way so see sharpness. My camera is supported by a copy stand from Rotscout.de. It sits on a desk so I stand while duplicating the slides. I can check sharpness on my MacBook with the image shuttle app, but that is less secure. The app helps with assessing the color balance, which is sometimes off of several slides. I also check with the app if the borders of the slide are as far in the corners of as possible, as to maximise the copy surface (the lens focuses 1:1 maximum), the copy stand helps to move the camera plus lens to optimize this. The SL is in electronic shutter mode and I press the shutter in the app, to minimise shake. The app stores a copy on the Mac and on the sd card. With LR I do the color grading, and cleaning up the slides (tiny hairs, little bugs, scratches, etc.). The app can change the names of the slides if you prefer to do that. Maybe there are more options, but these are the ones I use. 

@LBJ2 above gave the link to the image shuttle app. 
Maybe there are other (better?) options for tethering in LR or C1, but I don’t use them. See e.g. one of my favourite blogs: https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/11/lightroom-and-leica-sl2-now-work.html 

LR is on my Mac Studio and not on my MacBook. 
 

[kkcsm]

On 4/13/2024 at 8:56 AM, Photoworks said:

i had posted the Mac link above.

I should have read the thread more carefully.  Thanks for the link.

I did download capture one last weekend, could not get it to work (tethering).  I could see live view but could not operate the shutter.  However I’ll admit my effort was half hearted as I’m pretty ensconced in Lightroom.  At this point C1 would have to be life changing for me to switch.

Edited April 15 by kkcsm