Workflow

Tethering

How to connect your camera 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 and battery level appear in the Tethering inspector panel.

Zero-Click Workflow

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

This “Zero-Click” ingestion means your incoming photos are immediately available in the Grid, Loupe, and Develop modules—perfect for studio shoots where you need instant visual feedback on a calibrated display.

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.

Click the Trigger Shutter button inside the Tethering Inspector, and Fovea will command your camera to take a photo and immediately download the result.

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. You can also toggle the Tethering switch in Fovea off and back on to force a re-scan of the USB bus.
  • Fujifilm X-Series: Ensure your USB Mode is set to USB Tether Shooting Auto or USB Tether Shooting Fixed in the Connection Settings menu.