Digital Photography Software Review: Camera Control Pro Tether Software

Digital Photography Software Review: Camera Control Pro Tether Software
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Camera Control Pro: Tethering Software

Camera Control Pro is a software program that allows Nikon users to tether their camera to their computer. Tethering involves connecting your computer to your camera via a USB cord, wireless LAN or FireWire, and tether software programs allow you to remotely control your digital camera.

Features (4 out of 5)

The Camera Control Pro program comes packed with features. Once you set up your program, you can remotely control camera settings like aperture, exposure and shutter speed. After you have your settings, you can take photographs directly from your computer. Then, the program immediately downloads your images so you can see how they look.

You have three windows open on your computer when using the tether software: preview, histogram/download and remote access. The preview menu immediately pulls up your images as soon as you take them, and the remote access window has all your controls. The second window shows you your images histograms and the progress of your image downloads.

This feature is very useful to portrait photographers who need to immediately see whether or not a photograph came out correctly.

You can also use the program as an external shutter. For example, if you are zoomed extremely far out, then you increase the chance of getting blurry pictures. Even the simple act of depressing the shutter button causes just enough shake to mess up your image.

Another great feature is that you can wireless connect with your camera if you obtain a wireless transmitter. This means that you don’t need to set up your computer right next to the program to use it, which can lead to tripping over wires.

According to the Camera Control Pro website, this program is compatible with all Nikon DSLR cameras, but you’ll see in the Cons section that that may not be the case.

Cons (3 out of 5)

The major downside to this program is that it’s expensive, ranging from $150 to nearly $200 depending on the website and the sales. Plus, it’s only for Nikon users, limiting its user base. But, if you are curious about the program, you can use the free trial download, which lasts for about 30 days. This allows you to test the functionality of the program without dropping the dough.

Another issue with this program is that it’s glitchy. Despite what the program says, it won’t recognize certain cameras all the time. (Many D300 users run into this problem). Further, if you have an older version, you may have to upgrade to a newer version to get it to work with your camera. The manufacturers of this program, however, are always making improvements.

Bang for Buck (4 out of 5)

Despite its hefty price tag, the program has a lot of neat features, and it’s perfect for portrait photographers. But, if you only plan on infrequently using this program, you may consider going with one of the free versions like Nikontrol 3K. It may not have as many features as the paid program, but it will still get you where you want to go. Basically, professional photographers will probably get more out of this program than amateurs.

References

Hissink, Dennis. “Nikon Camera Control Pro 2 software.”, https://www.letsgodigital.org/en/16333/nikon-camera-control-pro2/