Troubleshoot tethered capture

If Lightroom Classic doesn't capture photos consistently during tethered shooting, the application could have lost the connection to the camera. To get tethered shooting working again, perform the following steps in the order presented.

In Lightroom Classic, choose Help > Check For Updates:

• Keep Lightroom up to date

2. Make sure that your camera is supported. 

See Tethered camera support in Lightroom for a list of cameras that Lightroom Classic supports for tethered shooting. Make sure that your camera is supported both in the version of Lightroom Classic that you're using, and on the operating system that you're running.

3. Turn the camera off and on.

After you know that you're running the latest version of Lightroom Classic and that it supports your camera, turn off the camera. Then, turn it back on and retry tethered shooting.

4. Turn off the camera and the computer.

If turning the camera off and on doesn't work, try completely disconnecting the camera from the computer. Then, turn the computer off and on, and try tethered shooting again:

1. Turn off the camera.
2. Disconnect the camera from the computer.
3. Quit Lightroom Classic and restart the computer.
4. Open Lightroom Classic.
5. Reconnect the camera.
6. Turn on the camera and try tethered shooting.

5. Put an empty memory card in the camera, especially if you're using a Nikon camera.

6. Try a different USB cable and USB port.

If you're using a long USB cable or a USB extension, try using a shorter USB cable, removing the USB extension, or using a powered USB hub.

Note: Adobe recommends using USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 SuperSpeed cable tethered capture.

7. Check your hard disk.

Make sure that there is enough available space on the hard disk to hold all your imported photos.

8. Reset Lightroom Classic preferences.

Close Lightroom Classic and delete your Lightroom Classic preferences file. Then restart Lightroom Classic, connect the camera, turn it on, and retry tethered shooting.

1. Navigate to one of the following locations, depending on your operating system:

• Windows: Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Preferences\
• macOS: /Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/

NOTE:

• Windows: The AppData folder is hidden by default. For instructions on making it visible, see Show hidden files and folders in Windows.
• macOS: The user Library folder is hidden by default in macOS. If you don't see it in the Finder, press Option, click the Go menu, and choose Library from the drop-down list.

        Lightroom Classic

• Windows: Lightroom Classic CC 7 Preferences.agprefs
• macOS: com.adobe.LightroomClassicCC7.plist 

        Lightroom 6

• Windows:  Lightroom 6 Preferences.agprefs
• macOS: com.adobe.com.Lightroom6.plist

9. Make sure that your camera's firmware is up to date. 

Contact your camera manufacturer for more information.

10. Close applications that could be causing a conflict.

Make sure that your camera manufacturer's capture or editing software isn't open. It could be trying to control your camera. After closing, retry tethered shooting in Lightroom Classic.

11. Check that the transfer mode in the camera is set appropriately.

Check your camera's documentation for more information.

12. (Windows) Make sure that the AutoPlay Control Panel is not set to view or process files.

1. Open the Control Panel in Windows.
2. Choose AutoPlay.
3. In the Camera Storage section, choose Take no action in the Memory card pop-up menu.
4. Click Save and close the Control Panel.

There have been issues with Nikon cameras when this Control Panel setting is set to view files or process images.

13. Search Adobe Community Help for a support document on your camera.

In the Adobe Community Help Search box at the top of this page, enter your camera's make and model, then press Enter (Windows) or Return (macOS) to see if there are any known issues or bugs with your particular camera and tethered capture. Follow any instructions provided in that document or that community members recommend.

14. Try tethered shooting with another application.

If possible, try another application, such as your camera manufacturer's software, to capture photos from the tethered camera. If using another application works, contact Adobe tech support with the following information:

• Your operating system information. To find it, in Lightroom Classic, choose Help > System Info. See: How do I verify which version of Lightroom I have?
• The camera's make and model.
• The camera's firmware version.
• The location on your hard disk where Lightroom Classic, your catalog, and the images you're importing via tethered shooting are stored.