Workflow

Tethering

How to connect your camera, use Live View, adjust exposure settings, and shoot directly into Fovea Desktop via USB tethering.

Shooting Tethered

Fovea Desktop supports direct USB tethering, allowing you to capture photos on your physical camera and have them instantly appear in your active workspace for review, culling, or editing.

We utilize the robust open-source libgphoto2 framework, which provides extensive support for hundreds of digital cameras from major manufacturers including Fujifilm, Sony, Canon, and Nikon.

Getting Started

  1. Connect your camera: Use a compatible USB cable to connect your camera directly to your Mac.
  2. Camera Settings: Ensure your camera is powered on and set to PC Remote, PTP, or Tethered Shooting mode. (The exact menu name varies by manufacturer).
  3. Open Fovea Desktop: Launch your workspace.

Enabling Tethering

  1. Open the Left Sidebar in Fovea Desktop.
  2. Locate the Tethering section (typically below your Folders and Workspaces).
  3. Toggle the switch to On.
  4. Fovea will automatically scan for connected USB devices.

Once your camera is detected, you will see its model name, battery level, and advanced controls appear in the Tethering inspector panel.

Zero-Click Workflow & Loupe View

With tethering enabled, you can continue shooting normally on your physical camera.

Every time you press the shutter, Fovea automatically:

  1. Detects the new file on the camera.
  2. Downloads the raw image over the USB connection.
  3. Ingests it seamlessly into your currently selected Workspace folder.
  4. Auto-Reveals: Automatically transitions to Loupe View (full screen) to show you the newly captured image in high resolution, providing instant visual feedback on a calibrated display.

Advanced Camera Controls

The Tethering Inspector panel offers several advanced features for studio and remote workflows.

Remote Exposure Settings

You no longer need to touch the camera to dial in your exposure. You can directly adjust:

  • ISO
  • Shutter Speed
  • Aperture (f-stop)

These dropdowns automatically read the available limits and steps from your connected camera.

Live View

Toggle Live View to stream a real-time video feed from your camera’s sensor directly into Fovea’s main Loupe window. This is perfect for styling a set, checking focus, or adjusting lighting without having to look through the physical viewfinder. Note: When you take a photo, the Live View feed will automatically pause to show you the captured high-resolution image, ensuring a seamless workflow.

Triggering the Shutter Remotely

If your camera is mounted on a tripod or in a difficult-to-reach position, you can trigger the shutter directly from your Mac. Simply click the large circular Shutter Button inside the Tethering Inspector, and Fovea will command your camera to take a photo.

Dual Save (Save to SD Card)

By default, tethered images are saved directly to your Mac’s hard drive. Toggle Save to SD Card (Dual Save) to tell the camera to write a copy of the photo to its internal memory card as a backup, while simultaneously transferring the image to Fovea Desktop.

Troubleshooting

  • Camera Not Found: Ensure no other application (like Apple’s Image Capture, Lightroom Classic, or Capture One) is currently holding a connection to the camera. Only one application can control the camera at a time.
  • Connection Drops: Try turning the camera off and on again, or re-plugging the USB cable. Fovea actively locks the USB port during Live View or file transfers, so sudden disconnections may require a camera power cycle to reset its USB state.
  • Fujifilm X-Series: Ensure your USB Mode is set to USB Tether Shooting Auto or USB Tether Shooting Fixed in the Connection Settings menu.