Capture One for iPad, Cascable & your IQ4-150 digital back
Edit 07/09/24: This article will remain in our searchable archives, but with the more recent release of and improvements to Capture One Mobile, there remains only specific need (if any) for use of Cascable with your IQ4-series digital back. – BK
The beta for the Capture One product aimed at iOS has finally released and with it, the hopes that our IQ4 clients would finally have a true mobile workflow for use with their best in the world digital back.
Happy to report, that that workflow is very nearly here.
While Capture One for iPad (really rolls off the tongue) does indeed support the IIQ raw files from the IQ4-150, there is currently no tethering support that would allow getting those images into the device directly from the digital back, nor any other camera currently within this beta release.
But wait! (you say… at least, that’s what I said) We don’t need to wait because the IQ4’s default remote iOS application, Cascable can do that for us! By default setup of that program and the IQ4 digital back, the launching and pairing of Cascable to your IQ4 automatically saves all shot IIQ files directly onto the iOS device.
!!! WARNING !!!
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TETHER YOUR IQ4 DIRECTLY TO YOUR IPAD PRO VIA USB-C
(You will likely grenade your firmware and you’ll need to perform a Factory Reset and then build firmware back up to current)
The only wired tether that is recommended for use with Cascable (as well as current C1-beta) and IQ4 is USB-C to Ethernet
Basic Setup & Workflow for Cascable & Capture One for iPad
Initial Setup is quite easy, just connect the USB-C adapter to your iPad, the Ethernet Cable into the adapter and into the IQ4. Upon connection of these items, swipe down from the top of your IQ4 home screen to display the Ethernet port address:
Launch Cascable, choose the IQ4, choose Network Enter IP Address, and type in the address that your IQ4 displays
Selection & Import Process within Capture One interface of images shot through Cascable
Workflow Tips:
- Live View refresh in Exposure Preview mode responds to shutter speed, so if you’re set to 1/8th exposure you’re only getting around 8 FPS to your Live View feed. If you are indeed shooting 1/8th or longer, best to switch to ‘Auto’ via the Live View swipe out panel on the IQ4 so that it will add gain in order to speed up the Live View frame rate, especially for manual focusing.
- When not actively focusing or composing, toggle the eyeball icon that looks like red-eye so that you revert down to ‘Tethering Mode’ so that Live View is disabled, saving IQ4 batteries, avoiding unnecessary heat gain and improving the transfer speed of the IIQ files across the Ethernet tether.
- If Cascable ever can’t find the IQ4, just force-close the program and then relaunch.
- The remote battery bank isn’t necessary, but the iPad can be power hungry when swapping between these apps, so it is recommended.
Epilogue
At present, the only way to move any corrected images from Capture One on your iPad to your desktop/laptop is to create an EIP (Capture One proprietary Enhanced Image Package) through the Export process within Capture One and the only way to export to your computer is by Air Dropping them there.
Not exactly a robustly supportive workflow if you’ve just shot and edited hundreds of 16-Bit raw files and need to move them to the next stage of your process.
I so want to avoid the need to have a laptop open in the field, but Capture One for iPad is more like a Capture One Lite version as the features available to the commercial photographer are quite limited. There are no Import Naming Conventions, no Lens Profiles, no Keystone Tool, etc.. so many of the organizational and refining tools that are part of my commercial workflow are not (yet) available.
The inability to work with LCC’s (Lens Cast Calibrations) disallow me from creating fully finished raw files of the architectural scenes I’m likely shooting, before backing them up as is my usual process before I strike my set or move my camera. I’m not an OCD sorta person, except with my shoot data. After backing up to external hard or jump drive, that media then goes in my pocket which is separate from my laptop case holding the files within which is separate from the media cards still in my camera… 3x or 4x copies of files as I’m leaving location, all separated physically. If I got jacked at this point of any of my gear, the most finished version of my shoot would still be in my pocket!)
That being said, Capture Pilot, which was our remote app for IQ2 and IQ3 series digital backs did nothing resembling any of this, other than having a remote screen to operate Live View from and for post-capture review of images, so there is great benefit to this potentially more full featured app.
Will there be times where I opt to jump through these hoops to not have a laptop open on location? Absolutely. But, likely only in the situations where bringing the laptop out is really difficult because of time or of adversely impactful environment, or in quick situations where I’d be shooting without a laptop but having external control and image review is still of benefit.
This is, of course, only the very first beta of a Capture One product on an iOS device, so we can look forward to greatly expanded functionality in the future, but as of this moment, it does not serve as the silver bullet to solve our IQ4 workflow woes for someone needing to work at a quick pace but does serve as a very desirable good start.
Known Issues for this workflow, up to and including beta 0.2.2:
- When attempting import of a freshly shot raw file, sometimes the thumbnail will not produce semi-temporarily and only a white box is displayed. These files cannot be added until the thumbnail generates.
I’ve found no rhyme or reason why this happens, but I’ve found that closing the Live View in Cascable before moving over to Capture One provides less instances of this happening.
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