The first thing people think about when they hear “Tether Tools” is those bright orange tether cables. While those are awesome, they are only part of the Tether Tools story.
Tether Tools offers some very powerful battery and power solutions for photographers. These aren’t just for location work (they work incredibly well on location) but come in very handy in studio to reduce the number of cables to one – your orange tether cable.
ONsite D-Tap batteries with V-Mount are high-capacity 150Wh/14.8V lithium battery packs. Pair this with ONsite D-Tap to AC Power Supply and you can keep your laptop charged plus power a monitor via the two AC plugs, or plug in a Hahnel ProCube2 battery charger or LED lights. The four USB-A ports charge phones and tablets as well as Case Relay Camera Power systems.
I use two ONsite Aero V-Mounts to attach the D-Tap to AC Power Supply and the V-mount D-Tap battery to my Tether Table Aero. This keeps both devices handy and out of my way. My Tether Table comes with me on all my shoots – my laptop sits on top with my ProCube2. Since I shoot tethered to CaptureOne, I have to have my laptop handy and always powered, plus I always need camera batteries charged. ONsite power ensures my laptop will run all day and keeps those camera batteries full.
Another great use of ONsite power is for photo booths – you can keep your camera, computer and lights attached to a Rock Solid Low Boy Roller with a Tether Table Aero with V-Mount batteries and D-Tap to AC adapters to keep your photo booth rocking all reception long! One of the biggest bonuses is there are no cables on the floor for guests to trip over.
On location, ONsite power keeps my camera running overnight for long timelapses. I plug my Case Relay Camera Power system into the ONsite D-Tap to USB-C PD 90w Adapter. Now I can rely on the higher capacity D-Tap battery to power my camera for hours instead of worrying about when the battery might run out. The D-Tap to USB-C PD Adapter will also charge the latest computers, phones and tablets directly from the D-Tap battery – it’s smaller than the D-Tap to AC Power Supply but only has one USB-A in addition to the USB-C PD port.
For those times where I may need to keep weight down, I have a selection of smaller batteries with both USB-C and USB-A ports. The ONsite 100W PD, 87W PD and 30W Battery packs deliver from 9,600mAh up to 26,800mAh to keep my devices powered all day long. The PD (or Power Delivery) USB-C ports are higher powered outlets for fast charging devices (up to 20V/2.25A or 15V/3A). I also like to keep my USB speaker charged so we have tunes on site.
All ONsite batteries are TSA approved for air travel, making them ideal in your carry-on to ensure you’ve got the power you need, where you need it.
To keep my batteries charged after use, the ONsite USB-C 61W Wall Charger delivers up 20V/3A for fast charging. It also comes with four interchangeable wall plug adapters – perfect for globetrotting photographers.
If you’re looking to reduce the number of cables in your studio and/or power all of your gear on location, Tether Tools ONsite power solutions are the answer. Robust, powerful and very practical, ONsite power is available from your local Tether Tools retailer or from tethertools.ca
Author : Will Prentice
A portrait, fine art and commercial photographer for 30 plus years, Will Prentice is not just a contributor to PHOTONews magazine, but also host of PHOTONewsTV, owner of Captura Photography+Imaging and Technical Support/Brand Manager for Amplis Foto, Canada’s largest distributor of photographic equipment.
Will teaches photographers of all skill levels how to improve their craft – from creative photo projects to picking the right gear for their needs to flattering lighting to getting the best expressions to creating final images for screen and print. His unique style of highly detailed images with perfect tonality, wide dynamic range and stunning colour is instantly recognizable. Commercial clients rely on Will’s creative eye and mastery of lighting.
When he’s not behind the camera or in front of a class, you’ll find Will outdoors in any weather – usually on one of his bikes or enjoying time with his grandchildren.
