First test
PRICE: £358
FLAGHEAD.CO.UK
Tether Tools Air Direct The Air Direct is a wireless tethering system that allows you to connect your This accessory lets photographers enjoy all the benefits of tethered shooting without a physical connection
SPECS
› What’s in the box Air Direct wireless transmitter, camera connection cables (USB 2.0Mini B 5 pin, USB 2.0Mini B 8 pin, USB 2.0Micro B 5 pin, USB 3.0Micro B, USBC), DC to USBApower cable,TT-LP-E6 battery, LP-E6 battery charger, USB 2.0Micro B 5 pin battery charger cable. › System requirements Air Direct Utility Software: MacOS High Sierra or later,Win 10 or later Air Remotemobile app: iOS 8 or later,Android 4.03 or later Wi-Fi 802.11AC transfer rates up to 443Mbps, 220Mbps throughout › Bandwidth 2.4 and 5GHz › Range up to 60m › Dimensions 39x92x68.6mm › Weight 170g › Power LP-E6 battery and DC Port › Contact flaghead.co.uk
camera to your desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Just like a wired system, it lets you control the camera, and transfer JPEGs and Raws. If you’ve not shot using a tethered connection before, the benefits are multiple. For starters you get to take advantage of a much larger screen, where you can check exposure, composition and critical sharpness, and make changes as necessary. You can also load up images without continually removing and re-inserting memory cards, and by triggering and making changes to settings remotely
you can spend less time hunched over the camera, or having to move around a cluttered studio. It can also be very useful if the camera is shooting from an awkward position (and is guaranteed to impress clients if you’ve got them in). These factors all lend a device like the Air Direct to controlled environments, like studio work, but it can be used on location, too. The Air Direct was, on the whole, very easy to set up. First you need to install the Tether Tools Air Remote app on your mobile device, or the Air Direct Utility (ADU) if you’re using a computer. The latter requires you to identify the device ID, which is written in very small type on the side of the unit and not that easy to read. You then connect the Air Direct to your camera, mounting it in the camera’s hotshoe, or using an L-bracket or cage with an appropriate connection for its 1/4in screw. It connects to the camera’s USB port via one of several included cables that cover USBMini, Micro, and USB C formats. Next you switch the Air Direct on, setting the latter to either Mobile or ADU using a switch on the side, depending on the device you’re communicating with. There’s also a switch to swap between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz signals. A connection is then created, and you need to switch your Wi-Fi to that. When a connection is made, the blue Wi-Fi light will stop flashing and remain lit. It’s then a simple matter of firing up the app on your mobile. If you’re working on a computer, you need to first run the ADU and then your tethering software. The ADU runs in the background, letting the two communicate. Finally, you turn the camera on. I tried it using both the iPhone app and Adobe Lightroom on my desktop, as well as Helicon Focus, which is a focus stacking program. In each
case, the Air Direct worked perfectly. It’s also spec’d to work with Capture One, Smart Shooter, EOS Utility, and almost any program that works with Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP). In terms of cameras, Fujifilm, Sony, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, plus other DSLRs, mirrorless and medium format cameras are supported. Control of shooting was faultless – though, as you’d expect, not immediate. The system isn’t designed for lightning fast control, but it works perfectly well if you’re shooting still life, products or macro. Transfer of images was pretty fast, too. Like any signal it depends on the file size you’re transferring, so JPEGs take around one second and Raws longer. On my Nikon D850, the 45.7-megapixel files took about seven seconds on average. Therefore, if you want immediate feedback on what you’ve been shooting, it makes sense to shoot Raw and JPEG, or the wait may be frustrating for some. In terms of range, the Air Direct creates its ownWi-Fi signal, so it doesn’t require a router and can therefore be used on location. I controlled the camera from about 15m off without problems, which was plenty, and it’s claimed to function at up to 60m, though the signal will inevitably be prone to disturbance. Its cable connections feel very secure, and there’s no dislodging them accidentally, even with a good shake. The Air Direct has a hard plastic shell, and makes no claims for ruggedness or weather sealing, so it’s best treated with some care. It’s small and doesn’t weigh much, either, so I didn’t really notice its weight when working handheld with it in the hotshoe. But you do need extra mountings if you want to keep the hotshoe free for a flash or trigger, as would be common in a commercial shoot. A first-party clamp to attach it to an Arca style L-bracket costs about £30.
It would be great to see a version with a pass-through connection, so you could piggyback a flash or trigger on it – as it stands, the battery is in the way. Power-wise, the Air Direct makes clever use of Canon-fit LP-E6 batteries, with one included in the sale. That means plenty of juice and a big section of the market who will find themselves able to swap in existing cells. There’s also a DC port, so you can run it off the mains if you want. KS
Verdict The usefulness of the Air Direct to you will depend entirely on your way of working. If the benefits of tethering make sense to the way you shoot, it does an excellent job. At £358, you’ll want tomake regular use of it to get value for money. It’s easy to install and use, and has a stable connection that can be used without existingWi-Fi. It’s small and light, and – barring the need tomount it away from the hotshoe if you need to use a flash or trigger – it handles well. PROS Simple, powerful and easy to use anywhere CONS Not cheap, needs additional clamps to free the hotshoe
ABOVE The Air Direct’s USB-C protocol and 802.11AC dual bandWi-Fi enables users to wirelessly transfer their images directly from camera to software, as reliably as when using a cable
50 Photography News | Issue 74
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