Hacking Peak Design's Anchor as JerkStopper when Shooting Tethered

I really like shooting tethered directly to a computer whenever I have a chance because it's very easy to see on a big screen what needs to be corrected and which light needs to be moved. Unfortunately, tethering has its drawbacks and there are at least 3 nightmare scenarios that can happen when you pull the tethering cable by coincidence: (1) the camera will be pulled as well causing it to fall on the floor (the worst sound ever!); (2) the cable will get disconnected from the camera; (3) the tension caused by the cable and the connection will cause the socket/terminal in the camera to malfunction. There are 2 ways to fix the first problem: either get a really stable tripod or get a wifi connection for your camera. The other 2 problems can be easily fixed either with DIY twist ties as jerkstoppers (check out the video I posted long time ago here) or if you already use one of Peak Design products, their anchors.

I love Peak Design products and I have their anchors almost on every camera I own. I was recently shooting tethered and I was about to take the anchors off the camera when I realized that I can use the loop in the anchor for securely attaching my tethering cable, just like the jerkstopper products do. This will prevent the cable from being accidentally pulled out of the camera's terminal and it will reduce the tension put on the in-camera terminal. Here is a short video where I explain how you can make use of Peak Design's anchor for tethering.


Konrad Makes Photos Tips & Tricks on Knightwise Podcast

We are all caught up in Christmas and holiday preparations so I just have a quick announcement. I'm very proud and honoured to feature regularly on Knightwise's podcast (knightwise.com) where I share tips & tricks on photography.

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Knightwise is, simply put, an awesome geek from Belgium. But what really makes his podcast, videos and blog special is that he's not only about gear but about making "technology work for you". 

DIY JerkStopper with Twist Ties to Prevent USB Tether Cable from Disconnecting from Camera

Shooting tethered (when your camera is connected to a computer with a USB cable) is great because you see photos immediately on a big screen. However, the tether cable can often get unplugged during a shoot. There are JerkStopper tools you can buy to securely attach a USB tether cable to your camera to prevent dislodging. However, I found a very easy DIY and free way to securing USB tether cable to a camera, using an item that is in every household - plastic twist ties.