Import photos from a tethered camera

When selected Canon, Nikon, or Leica digital cameras are connected to the computer, you can import photos directly into a Lightroom catalog. You can bypass the camera’s capture software and camera card.

Important: For a list of cameras that can be tethered to Lightroom 3, see Tethered camera support in Lightroom 3 (cpsid_84221). If you’re having problems with tethered import, see Troubleshoot tethered capture | Lightroom 3 (cpsid_89486).

    Configure tethered capture settings

    1. Choose File > Tethered Capture > Start Tethered Capture.
    2. In the Tethered Capture Settings dialog box, specify how you want to import the photos:
      Session
      The session is the name of the folder that stores the captured photos. Select Segment Photos By Shots to create subfolders within the session. You can name the subfolders after clicking OK.

      Naming
      Choose a filenaming convention for the photos. Session Name - Sequence uses the name entered in Session. For any naming convention that uses a numerical sequence, specify the Start Number. See Naming options and The Filename Template Editor and Text Template Editor.

      Destination
      Choose a location for the session folder.

      Information
      Add metadata and keywords to the imported photos, if desired. See Apply metadata to photos when importing.

    3. Click OK to start the capture settings.

    Capture photos from a tethered camera

    The tethered capture window reads the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and white balance from the camera’s settings. By default, Lightroom selects and displays the most recently captured photo.

    • Choose a camera from the camera name pop-up menu.
    • Choose a preset to apply on import from the Develop Settings pop-up menu. See Apply Develop settings to photos when importing.
    • Click the Settings button in the lower-right corner of the window to edit capture settings.
    • Press Ctrl+T (Windows) or Command+T (Mac OS) to show/hide the tethered capture window.
    • If you are segmenting photos by shots, press Ctrl+Shift+T (Windows) or Command+Shift+T (Mac OS) to create a new shot.
    • Click the shutter release button in the tethered capture window to capture a photo. Or, press the camera’s shutter release button.
    • Choose File > Tethered Capture and deselect Auto Advance Selection if you do not want Lightroom to automatically select the most recently captured photo.
    • Close the tethered capture window or choose File > Tethered Capture > Stop Tethered Capture to end the session.

    To learn more about using tethered capture in Lightroom, see these tutorials: