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Monday, November 29, 2010

Tethering Software for the K-x (3rd Party Freeware)

I have received an email from a Pentaxian, Mr Tomasz Kos, who is also an electronic engineer as well as a software programmer, that he has successfully developed a tethering software that can work with the K-x (and partially with the K-7 and maybe also for some other newer Pentax DSLRs). I have exchanged a few more emails with him and with his permission to me, I quote some of contents in his emails, as follows:-

"I want to control my camera from PC, but as I know doesn't exist any
software for this I start develop my program. I based on Pentax Remote Assistant and PKRemote. And now I shared beta version on my site. It allow control k-x from PC - change settings, save photo directly on HDD, shoot periodically. Additional I ported PKRemote to Windows and added support for k-x."

"My site is: https://sites.google.com/a/pentax.org.pl/tomaszkos/

But so far it is in Polish language, in future I will prepare English version.

So direct links to programs:

PK_Tether: https://sites.google.com/a/pentax.org.pl/tomaszkos/home/pktether/PK_Tether_0_1.zip?attredirects=0

PKRemote: https://sites.google.com/a/pentax.org.pl/tomaszkos/home/pkremote-for-windows/PKRemote_Executable_0_1.zip?attredirects=0

I informed about this program on Polish Pentax forum pentax.org.pl -
tread http://pentax.org.pl/viewtopic.php?t=33702"

"PKRemote as original is on GNU licence so it is free, and also source
code is available on my site. PK_Tether is freeware and will be. Maybe in future I will add button for donation on my site, but now when software is with bugs, and not
all functional is working I will even don't do this."

Hence, this software is free, but it is still under the beta testing stage. So, if you just want tethering with your K-x (which I don't need so far anyway), try the software and give your feedback(s) to the author so that improvements to the software could be made.

"Today I got information that PK_Tether is detected and shutter can be
released , but data from camera aren't displayed.
So it looks like, the communication with K7 it is similar to k-x but
status data is something different.
I think in near future K7 will be work like k-x."

So, the current version only work partially with the K-7, and possibly may not or may not work with the latest K-5 or K-r, as even the author has no idea himself up till now. But if you are just a K-x user, it should work (putting aside any bug that may exist). Anyway, if you have a K-5 or K-r, you can see if it works or how many things it will or will not do for you. If you've really tried, please drop a comment in reply to this post so that we shall know more.

Last but not least, if you don't read Polish (me neither, but it cannot be machine-translated by Google owing to some technical issues), here is a concise English version of all of Tom's Polish pages in one page, that he has just compiled:-

https://sites.google.com/a/pentax.org.pl/tomaszkos/en

Under which you can download the zipped version of the "PK_Tether".

As a final disclaimer, I just wish to tell that I have not tried the software myself (as I do not need it so far, as mentioned above). If you try, you're the one who agrees to install and use the software and should bear all the responsibilities at your own for what you do, as it always to be (true) for anything.


Related:-

Pentax K-5 Firmware 1.01 (w/ Hacks! And Upcoming New 645D Software for Tethering Support)

Tethering the Current Pentax DSLRs?

Comments (7)

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So do you call this "仆街 Tether" in Hong Kong? ;-)
1 reply · active 745 weeks ago
Huh? My Pardon? ;-D
Thanks for sharing!
FANTASTIC!!!!

a little program what PENTAX.JAP (orrible!!!) DON'T WANT MAKE (assitent remote is dead!)
, is just makeit of a normal guy !!!

LEARN PENTAX JAP!!! and think..about...

THANKS TOMASZ !!!
a really NEED program dor pentax k7 users !!!
breeze make of years for any canon models..only pentax.jap SLEEP!
many thanks too , Tomasz
was time also kx&k7 users have a little tethering software.
Is true...pentax.jap give always nothing , really bad politcy.
Why have never update Remote assitent for who spend many money (k7 anmd now k5) users? to much work ? not...no interessting..thats'All! and for the firmwares ? thesame... first money, second GOODBYE.

So now, you....
I try on my k7 , and work fine. Sure lot to do (white,exp,liveview,ecc... and a little gfx interface also) but the first important steps are just made !
If you need help, beta tester and anithing, you can ofcourse contact me , I'm happy to give my little help.

really thanks again
Stefano
panard@interfree.it
It works fine with my kx. I just hope in the future that it would have a live view mode before taking the shot... Thanks and more power.

caloy
Pentax K-x user's avatar

Pentax K-x user · 678 weeks ago

With my Pentax K-x the timer does not work. The cam stops taking pictures and most probably just crashes. I think it is due to buffering problems. Sometimes the pictures are read out with big failures wit yellow, blue, green areas on the picture.

It could be a timing problem because this failure moves across the picture from one shot to the other.

Please fixe this bug, the timer funktion is the only reason why I want to remotely access my cam.

Thanks

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