See photos as I take them in the PC using a PowerShot A1200?

[Gerardo_G]

The picture varies slightly between the camera's LCD and PC screen. That's why I usually take a couple of pictures, then I move the photos to the PC, I look at them, and then I take them once more altering the settings. The problem is thatthis way it takes me too many hours to take just 20 photos.

That's why I'm looking for a way to see each photo directly on the PC screen as soon as I take them. I'm sure that that way I can save a couple of hours.

The camera's installation CD includes a program called ZoomBrowser EX. According to Canon U.S.A. : ZoomBrowser / ImageBrowser this program includes "a remote shooting function that lets you control the camera from your PC". Is that true? I installed it from the CD and then I installed the 6.9 update that provides the Canon website. However, I can't find that function in the program.

If it isn't true that this program allows you to control the camera from the PC, is there a program for my PowerShot A1200 that allows me to look at the pictures on the computer at the instant that you take them?

This is very important, please don't leave this message unanswered


Thank you very much in advance.

 

[SCraig]

Most photographers edit their photographs for that very reason. Not because it's different from what they saw on the LCD, that is ALWAYS going to be the case, but because it's different from what they saw with their EYES.

Have you calibrated your monitor? If not that is a big part of your problem. And by calibrate I don't mean matching colors by looking at color swatches on a web page I mean with a calibration device.

There is a lot of camera control software available, however in most cases it is for DSLR cameras. Whether there is any available for a bridge or point-and-shot I don't know. As to whether that specific software will work I don't know since I shoot Nikon.

 

[TCampbell]

Not necessary -- advanced shooters don't do this.

When you say the picture varies between the LCD and the PC screen, can you be more specific? What is it about the photo that varies?

I'm going to "guess" that it's the colors -- because that's the most common complaint.

1) The colors on the rear LCD screen are not reliable -- we fully expect the image to look different on the computer than it does on the camera LCD.

2) Color calibrate your monitor if you need/want accurate color. You would be amazed at how far out of whack the colors can be on a monitor and people don't notice it -- they get used to the way their monitor looks. Then you upload your photos to share to friends and they're asking why the people in your photos have skin the color of tangerines.

3) Your camera has lots of "picture style" choices (there's a menu for this). You can tell your camera to use subdued colors or heavily saturated colors or faithful natural colors, etc. etc. I've never used those features because I always adjust the color on the computer anyway.

The lighting character needs to be correct, but the light levels themselves have some wiggle room for adjustment on the computer. If you took a photo with harsh lighting, flat lighting, or had intense shadows with sharp separation between light and shadow (not a soft gradual transition) then there's not much you can do about that on the computer unless you're really talented at faking it all in Photoshop. But you can change the intensity of the highlights and shadows on the computer (well... to a point.)

Canon uses the term "remote shooting" (everyone else calls it "tethering"). I don't have an A1200 so I don't know about the support of the camera. On a Canon DSLR we use the "EOS Utility" (which comes on the software disk with the camera) to do this... it's not in the ZoomBrowser EX.

 

[Gerardo_G]

Thank you both for your answers. The images look a lot brighter in the LCD than the computer; that's the problem.

I do edit the photos in the computer, but I want to take better pictures each time so I can take less time both during photo shoots and photo edition.

 

[iolair]

I'm not familiar with the A1200, but it's likely possible to alter the brightness of the LCD from the camera's menus.

 

[radiorickm]

I have shot tethered several times, using the zoom-browser that comes along with the Canon stuff. The program that interfaces the camera to the computer, is called EOS Utility. It controls my xti, 40d and 50d fine.

Here's the question.......do they have a "control program" like this for your a1200.

 

[KmH]

The camera's installation CD includes a program called ZoomBrowser EX. According to Canon U.S.A. : ZoomBrowser / ImageBrowser this program includes "a remote shooting function that lets you control the camera from your PC". Is that true?

Of course it's true. Making false claims is a sure way to ruin a business.

 

[Gerardo_G]

Thank you for your answers.

I'm not familiar with the A1200, but it's likely possible to alter the brightness of the LCD from the camera's menus.

I just reduced the LCD's brightness . I still would like to see if I can make it work with the computer.

I have shot tethered several times, using the zoom-browser that comes along with the Canon stuff. The program that interfaces the camera to the computer, is called EOS Utility. It controls my xti, 40d and 50d fine.

Here's the question.......do they have a "control program" like this for your a1200.

How did you tethered using ZoomBrowser? What buttons did you press to do it? Thanks in advance!