The first thing you will need to do is download the latest version of Sony Remote capture. Note the only supported cameras are A700, A850,A900,A99 (I don’t know about the A77). Your camera will need to be set to “USB connection : Remote PC”
http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/product/SLT-A99/downloads/sids_win
The Auto Import feature automatically imports photos into a Lightroom catalogue by monitoring a watched folder for photos and then importing them into a destination folder in the catalogue. After you specify auto-import settings, you can simply drag photos into the watched folder, and Lightroom imports them automatically, allowing you to bypass the import window.
Auto Import is useful if Lightroom doesn’t support your camera for tethered import: You can use third-party software to download photos from your camera to a watched folder.
Enable automatically importing photos
Specify Auto Import settings
- Choose File > Auto Import > Auto Import Settings.
- In the Auto Import Settings dialogue box, specify any of the following:
- Watched Folder
- Chooses or creates the watched folder where Lightroom detects photos to auto import. The folder you specify must be empty. Auto Import does not monitor sub-folders in a watched folder.
- Destination
- Chooses or creates a folder where the auto-imported photos are moved into.
- File Naming
- Names the auto-imported photo. See Naming options.
- Information
- Applies Develop settings, meta-data, or keywords to auto-imported photos.
- Select Standard from the Initial Previews menu to have Lightroom render previews of the imported photos rather than only using the embedded previews in the photo files. See Specify initial previews when importing.
Set up watched folders
- In the Auto Import Settings dialogue box, click the Choose button next to Watched Folder.
- Navigate to the location you want and do any of the following:
- To create a watched folder, click Make New Folder and then overwrite New Folder to give the folder a name (Windows), or click New Folder (Mac OS), give the folder a name, and click Create.
- To select an existing watched folder, select the folder.
Note: You cannot choose an existing folder that contains photos as a watched folder. - Click OK (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS).
Select a destination folder for auto-imported photos
When Lightroom detects photos added to a watched folder, the photos are moved into a destination folder and automatically imported into the library.
- In the Destination area of the Auto Import Settings dialogue box, click the Choose button beside Move To.
- In the Browse For Folders (Windows) or Open (Mac OS) dialogue box, navigate to the location you want, and do any of the following:
- To create a destination folder, click Make New Folder and then overwrite New Folder to give the folder a name (Windows), or click New Folder, give the folder a name, and click Create (Mac OS).
- To select an existing destination folder, select the folder.
- Click OK (Windows) or Choose (Mac OS).
- (Optional) Type a name for the destination folder in the Sub-folder Name text box.
Apply Develop settings and Meta-data to auto-imported photos
In the Information area of the Auto Import Settings dialogue box, do any of the following:
- To apply Develop settings to auto-imported photos, choose a pre-set from the Develop Settings menu. See Create and apply Develop pre-sets.
- To apply meta-data to auto-imported photos, choose a pre-set from the Meta-data menu. See Create a meta-data pre-set.
- To apply keywords to auto-imported photos, type in the Keywords text box. Use commas to separate the keywords.
- To have Lightroom render previews of the imported photos rather than only using the embedded previews in the photo files, choose Initial Previews > Standard.
Sony Raw Driver
Another great tool for windows users is the Sony Camera RAW driver
http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/product/SLT-A99/downloads/raw_drvr
Sony RAW Driver is a program to display Sony RAW data (ARW/SR2/SRF files) on Windows Vista / Windows 7.
By installing this program, you can display the RAW data on Explorer or Photo Gallery in Windows Vista / Windows 7 in the same way as JPEG files.
Note: Images may look rough when enlarged on Photo Gallery, but they can be displayed properly on the supplied software or other supported software.
next I need to get an A99 and an eye-fi card and test this all wireless 🙂
Hi Scott, thanks for this description for setting up tethered shooting having tried it via your description with my a700.
I can confirm that, at this time, it does not work with the a77.
One little issue I seemed to have was that the folder did not refresh with the shots taken unless I came out of that folder and then back in! Any suggestions?
p.s. the A77 should work with an eye-fi card then you dont need the sony softwear just the hotwatched folder
what version of lightroom are you using?
Lightroom V4.2 64 bit
I’m using the same and they take a few seconds to show up (vis slow usb) but it works perfect …. I’ll look through the settings and see what I can find
Any update on this Scott? I’ve not had chance to have another try at it as yet.
I just added an a99 to my line up and i had to upgrade my sony remote control software. here is a link to the latest version
http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/swu-download.pl?mdl=SLTA99V&upd_id=8561&os_group_id=24
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!