How can I immediately preview on my Macbook the picture I just took with my SLR?

February 7, 2011 8:50 PM

Please help me use my Mac as an immediate preview/proof window for the picture I just took with my digital camera. This has to be doable right???

So, what I want is this... Hook my SLR (It's a Canon xsi) up via USB to my Macbook, and when I snap a picture on the Canon, I want it to show up in... SOMETHING on screen on my Mac immediately. No fiddling with imports, flash cards, etc. Just CLICK... Preview... Next shot...

Is this possible? I sure can't find a way.

Thanks so much for any suggestions!

posted by jwhowa to Technology (12 answers total)

Google "tethered shooting". Also previously.
posted by Pinback at 9:07 PM on February 7, 2011

http://www.breezesys.com/DSLRRemotePro4Mac/index.htm
http://www.dslrassistant.com/
http://homepage.mac.com/stevepur/astrophotography/iAstroPhoto/
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/8574/canon-remote-capture-x
posted by travis08 at 9:13 PM on February 7, 2011

Don't know about the Mac suite that came with your camera...is there a Mac version of the tethered program on the disk that came with your xsi?
posted by notsnot at 9:27 PM on February 7, 2011

http://www.eye.fi/ maybe?
posted by lannanh at 9:38 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oooh, I have a free idea. But, it would depend on the setup. Are your pictures accessible in Finder when your DLSR is plugged in?
posted by 47triple2 at 9:53 PM on February 7, 2011

You need to use the canon software provide on the CD that came with your camera: Canon Digital Photo Professional and EOS Utilitiy. EOS Utility controls the camera remotely and downloads the photos from the camera. DPP can monitor a particular folder and display Canon RAW files.
posted by j03 at 10:18 PM on February 7, 2011

Did you RTFM? ;-)

Easiest way is to install the EOS Utility app that came with the camera.
posted by puffmoike at 10:47 PM on February 7, 2011

As j03 mentioned, the EOS Utility that should have shipped with your XSI will provide the functionality you desire. If you don't have the disc, you could try starting here, though I'm not sure if that will provide the complete program or just an upgrade.
posted by onetime dormouse at 11:27 PM on February 7, 2011

the eye-fi that lannanh mentioned has always looked like a useful gadget...plus, no pesky cable tethering you to the computer...
posted by sexyrobot at 12:10 AM on February 8, 2011

As j03 mentioned, the EOS Utility that should have shipped with your XSI will provide the functionality you desire. If you don't have the disc, you could try starting here, though I'm not sure if that will provide the complete program or just an upgrade.

Unfortunately, you need the disk - unless something's changed, Canon don't provide the full program online.
posted by Magnakai at 4:26 AM on February 8, 2011

If you did the basic install this should be the program that fires up automatically when the camera is plugged in via USB. (If it is installed but does not come up on its own, you can open Image Capture and use the menu in the lower left to change which program opens when the camera is attached.)

When EOS Utility opens, click on Camera Settings/Remote Shooting. You can start remote shooting and you will get a window with full camera controls and a live view of what you would see through the viewfinder. Shots are saved to disk, usually. You can use Quicklook to see the shots in a larger size as you take them (click the file to select, hit space to preview, resize window if needed by dragging the corner).
posted by caution live frogs at 10:27 AM on February 8, 2011

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that Lightroom 3 includes tethered shooting. I've used it a few times from my 5D to my Macbook, and it works very well indeed. What's really handy is that you can preset crop and colour adjustments, so that you get a post-production preview as you go.
posted by Magnakai at 2:33 PM on February 10, 2011