1. Huge Instant Preview

Having your image almost instantly appear as a 16x20" preview on a 30" monitor is infinitely more satisfying than a 2" or 3" preview on the back of the camera.

2. True Feedback on Focus, Exposure, and Color

Cameras have gotten much better at allowing us to review our images on the fly, but nothing compares to working with the final image in Photoshop, seconds after shooting.  Its almost like working with a final print.

3. Faster Shooting Speed and More Storage

In some situations, shooting tethered allows you to shoot just a little bit faster than shooting to card, as well as eliminating the need to swap those cards all the time.

4. Instant Backups

As a company we have made backups a priority, and you can too.  Once the image its received on the computer it can be instantly backed up in as many places as you would like. Shooting tethered is often times far safer than waiting until to end of the shoot to download and back everything up.

5. Instant Processing

Images can be retouched or delivered to the client immediately after shooting. No more having to wait while each card downloads and gets ingested.

While shooting tethered make the photographer's life easier, it also makes the clients happier.  Being able to the see the images as they are made allows clients to start collaborating more than ever, and being able to take those images home instantly really makes them squeal.

Photography is a competitive field and shooting tethered provides that little extra "something" that can often mean wowing the client or getting left at home.  The next time a job comes up, who do you think the client is going to pick? The photographer who brings the "big rig" with a 30" monitor and full tower, or the photographer who "chimps" their way through the shoot with the back of their camera?

This is the reason that as Image Mechanics capture specialists, we roll in with a customized capture cart loaded with a kitted out MacPro, 30" Cinema Display, battery backup etc.  The photographer and client experience is definitely worth the extra baggage.  We bring CF cards and laptops as backups but the experience is so different shooting to card or to portable that we rarely do a full shoot with them.  Believe me, if we could get away with VR goggles and a mac-mini in our back pocket we would be tempted to leave the cart full of equipment at home.  But a great experience provides that extra edge needed in a competitive field like photography.