Fire your camera from your phone with CloudTether's remote shutter
New in CloudTether 1.1: a remote shutter for Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras. Open the connected camera's sheet, tap Remote, and take a single frame, start a 2, 5 or 10-second timer, fire a burst of 3, 5 or 10, or run an interval sequence every 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds — with hold to focus on bodies that support it. Every frame you fire from the phone goes through the same capture and delivery pipeline as a shot taken on the camera, so it arrives on the phone at full resolution and goes on to your destinations within seconds. It's a shutter, not a full camera controller: there's no exposure control, so ISO, shutter speed and aperture stay on the camera.
- Single, timer, burst and interval
- Hold to focus on Canon, Sony and supporting Nikon bodies
- Shots from the remote are delivered like any other
- Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm
What the remote shutter does
Remote lives in the camera sheet — tap the connected camera on Home to open it. There are four modes. Single takes one picture each time you press Shoot. Timer waits 2, 5 or 10 seconds first, which is enough to step into a group photo or let a tripod settle. Burst fires 3, 5 or 10 frames in a row. Interval takes a frame every 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds until you stop it — handy for a slow-changing scene, a set being built or a simple sequence, though it isn't a full timelapse tool.
On bodies that support it, press and hold Shoot to focus first (the same as half-pressing the camera's own button), then let go to take the picture. The last frame shows on the remote screen, along with how many shots came from the remote and where they're going. Pair it with live view to frame the shot on the phone and fire from the same screen.
Which cameras, and what each one needs
Canon EOS: works over USB and over Wi-Fi (the camera's Remote control (EOS Utility) Wi-Fi function), with hold to focus. Nikon: Nikon bodies get the remote too, with hold to focus where the body supports it. Sony: the camera's USB Connection must be set to PC Remote (called Remote Shooting on newer menus) — the same setting a tether already needs; hold to focus works. If a Sony won't connect, see Sony PC Remote not working over USB. Fujifilm: the remote shutter works over USB with the camera in tether shooting mode, not over Wi-Fi, and there's no hold to focus. GoPro cameras connected through the app's GoPro option get a shutter button as well.
Other cameras that connect as standard PTP devices — a Panasonic Lumix, an OM System body, a Leica — don't get a Remote tool. They still tether and deliver every frame you take on the camera. The per-model settings are on each camera page: start from Canon, Nikon, Sony or Fujifilm. As with anything new, try it on your own body before a paid job.
What it doesn't do
There's no exposure or camera-settings control: you can't change ISO, shutter speed, aperture, drive mode or white balance from the app, so set those on the camera before you step away. There's no bracketing or focus stacking either. If you need to change settings from the phone or a laptop, the camera maker's app, Cascable, CamRanger or desktop software such as Capture One and Lightroom Classic's tethered capture are built for that — our tethering apps comparison sets them side by side. Only one app can control the camera at a time, so close the maker's app before you use CloudTether's remote.
What CloudTether adds is that the shot doesn't stop at the phone. A frame fired from the remote is copied off at full resolution and sent to the shoot's destinations — a client gallery, a shared Dropbox folder, an FTP server — with the same JPEG only and rated send rules as every other frame.
How to fire your camera from your phone with CloudTether
Connect the camera
Plug in over USB or connect over Wi-Fi as usual. On a Sony, set USB Connection to PC Remote; on a Fujifilm, use USB in tether shooting mode.
Open Remote
On Home, tap the connected camera to open its sheet, then tap Remote.
Choose a mode
Pick Single, Timer (2, 5 or 10 s), Burst (3, 5 or 10 frames) or Interval (every 5, 10, 30 or 60 s).
Shoot
Tap Shoot — or, where it's offered, press and hold to focus first and let go to take the picture. Each frame is delivered like any other.
FAQ
Can I trigger my camera's shutter from my phone with CloudTether?
Yes, since CloudTether 1.1.1. Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras get a Remote tool in the camera sheet with single, timer, burst and interval modes.
Does the remote shutter work over Wi-Fi?
On Canon, yes — over USB and Wi-Fi. On Fujifilm it works over USB in tether shooting mode, not over Wi-Fi. Sony needs its USB connection set to PC Remote.
Can I change ISO, shutter speed or aperture from the app?
No. CloudTether has no exposure control; set the camera before you start. For settings from the phone, use the maker's app, Cascable or CamRanger.
Are shots from the remote uploaded automatically?
Yes. They go through the normal capture and delivery pipeline, so they reach the phone at full resolution and go on to the shoot's destinations.
Does it work with Lumix or OM System cameras?
No. Cameras that connect as standard PTP devices don't get the Remote tool, though they still tether and deliver what you shoot on the camera.
Remote shutter is part of the one CloudTether plan
Every feature and every destination is included. Download CloudTether for iPhone, iPad or Android; the price for your country is shown in the app before you subscribe.