Wireless Tether for Sony Alpha Cameras

In my experience, the most effective method for wirelessly connecting a Sony camera to a MacBook is via Wi-Fi with an FTP server. If you create an ad-hoc network on the MacBook, there’s no need for additional equipment.

Create the ad-hoc network

Run these commands in the terminal to create the “AdHoc” network service. You only need to do this once, though macOS updates occasionally wipe the service, so re-run them if AdHoc disappears from the Sharing settings:sudo networksetup -createnetworkservice AdHoc lo0 sudo networksetup -setmanual AdHoc 192.168.1.88 255.255.255.255 Note: -setmanual replaces the service’s IP configuration each time it runs, so the service holds only one address. The address itself doesn’t matter; it just needs to exist so Internet Sharing has something to share from.
Configure Internet Sharing:
- Open System Settings > General > Sharing
- Click the (i) next to Internet Sharing
- Set “Share your connection from” to “AdHoc” (quit and reopen System Settings if it doesn’t appear)
- Under “To devices using,” enable “Wi-Fi”
In Wi-Fi Options, name the network and pick a channel:
- Channels 1, 6, or 11 for 2.4 GHz (channels 12-14 aren’t usable in the US)
- Channels 36 or 149 for 5 GHz, noticeably faster if your camera body supports it
- Security is optional. I leave it open for speed and simplicity, but anyone in range can join an open network, so add a WPA2 password if you’re shooting somewhere crowded.
Turn on Internet Sharing. The AdHoc network is now visible to the camera.

Set up the FTP server on the Mac

With the network running, set up an FTP server using the Transfer app. I opted for an unsecured FTP connection because it’s slightly faster, and I don’t need to type a username and password on the back of my camera.

One detail that matters: once Internet Sharing is on, the Mac’s address on the shared network is 192.168.2.1. That is the address the camera needs, not the 192.168.1.88 from the terminal commands.

Connect the camera

On the Sony camera, under the green networking section:

Turn on Wi-Fi and connect to the AdHoc network
Configure the FTP transfer settings: server address 192.168.2.1, port 21, plus your destination folder
Connect to the FTP server and take your first shots

Ingest photos

On the Mac I use Photo Mechanic’s “Live Ingest” feature to watch the FTP server’s folder and show the ingested images.

Keeping an internet connection

Internet Sharing occupies the Wi-Fi radio, but every other interface still routes normally. Plug an iPhone in over USB-C, turn on Personal Hotspot, and the Mac gets internet through “iPhone USB” while the camera connection stays local. The phone can come and go without affecting the camera link.

Tips

When I arrive on set for a client I want to set up this system as quickly as possible and allow them to monitor the photos while I’m shooting. So I created a new user called “Tether” that isn’t connected to iCloud and is locked down with just Photoshop, Photo Mechanic, and the Transfer app. I created a Shortcut that sets up the computer:

Sets up Photo Mechanic for Live Ingest mode
Launches necessary apps
Logs out other users
Prevents the Mac from sleeping (a sleeping Mac kills the FTP server and the network mid-shoot; note that Macs on power won’t sleep while Internet Sharing is on)
Re-runs the networksetup commands so the AdHoc service self-heals after macOS updates

Test the whole rig after every macOS update, not on set. Internet Sharing has a history of breaking between releases.

Former post about how to create a network with a wifi router.

I’ve done the hard work of testing countless setups on assignments and at home, and I think I’ve found the fastest way to wirelessly transfer photos from your Sony Alpha to your computer. More importantly, it’s a stable connection that I can set up and forget, allowing me to get quick feedback from clients and review images on a big screen.

I use the Sony A7rV’s built in FTPI use the Sony A7rV’s built-in FTP client to send photos through a wireless access point directly to an FTP server on my computer.

Here is the equipment

Sony A7rV – I use the Sony’s ability to connect to a Wifi Access point and built in FTP Client. Uses 5Ghz 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi, 1.2 Gbps.
GL.iNet GL-MT3000 (Beryl AX) – Also has 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi to 2.5Gbps LAN port
Cat 6e Ethernet cable – 10 Gbps
Anker USB C to 2.5 Gbps Ethernet Adapter – 2.5 Gbps
Macbook Pro – 10Gbps USB-C

With everything connected, I achieve 30MB/s (0.24 Gbps) when sending a single image and 50MB/s (0.4 Gbps) when transmitting two or more simultaneously. This means a 75MB compressed RAW image transfers in about 2-3 seconds per image.

I wish it was faster, but the photo is often ready to view on my computer by the time I turn to look at it.

MacOS used to have a built-in FTP server, but it seems that support has been dropped in recent years. So I use the Transfer app by IntuitBits. I tried using the free FileZilla FTP Server, but only got half the speed.

Why use the FTP client method?

This setup is complex to configure initially, but afterward, it simply connects by plugging in the router and starting the Transfer app. It also automatically reconnects if I turn the camera off and on.

Historically, the best option was a USB-C Tether by TetherTools. It is fast and stable but really limits movement. A physical tether works well for static shoots like company portraits or product photography, but is unwieldy for dynamic shoots.

Sony promotes their Imaging Edge connection and Capture One has another wireless tether option. These software solutions allow a wireless connection without the hardware, and it is easier to set up. But, I’ve found Capture One’s connection to be unstable, dropping every 20 minutes or so during a day long shoot. That breaks the flow when I’m working alone because it requires a few clicks on the computer and camera to reconnect.

Imaging Edge is also getting more hostile as they try to force us into a cloud subscription.

Setup Details

Setting this up requires some knowledge of networking and client/server relationships. There are many good videos already on Youtube. I’d suggest this one:

But while setting up mine there are a few specific settings that helped.

On the router, assign a static IP address to your computer. Mine is set to 168.192.8.100. This makes it easier to connect the router, turn on the camera, and establish the connection to the same address each time.
The Beryl AX has two Ethernet ports. The 2.5Gbps port is faster, but it’s a LAN connection by default. In the control panel, you can switch it to WAN and use that port to connect to your computer.
This travel router can be powered by a USB-C cable connected to the laptop.
I couldn’t get the camera to work with SFTP, even though it should. I don’t really need it because this is a closed-loop network, not connected to any WAN or the internet.
The Transfer app FTP server allows for an anonymous user called “ftp” without a password. I used this because typing in a password on the back of the camera is difficult.
Explore the GUI of the Transfer app; it’s good at displaying the information you’ll need to troubleshoot your connection.
I turn off my laptop’s Wi-Fi for network simplicity, so it no longer has a WAN internet connection. I don’t want distractions while shooting anyway.
I use Photo Mechanic’s Live Ingest feature to display incoming photos. Check out their newest Apple Silicon Beta.It’s much snappier and uses an Apple Silicon optimized RAW renderer. I prefer their “Adobe DNG Converter” option because it’s a little faster, but remember that you have to manually upgrade it.

Things to keep in mind

You can probably go with a cheaper travel router like the Cudy AC1200 without much loss in speed.

The theoretical limit of all of this equipment is well above the transfer speeds that I am seeing. I am guessing that the bottleneck here is the camera’s processing speed.

Is the Sony A7rV transfer speed limit 50MB/s? I’d love to hear from anyone that can get higher.