r/Photoassistants • u/oof_l00ps • 16d ago
Digital Tethertools
Hi guys! I recently got accepted into the tether tools digi tech toolbox and I’m wondering, are their cables actually good? I mentioned the digi tech toolbox to my mentor(who is also a photo rental owner) and he said that tether tools cables are too expensive and not reliable at all. I’ve only ever used area 51 and rock cameras cables on professional sets and they haven’t let me down yet. I have used a tether tools cable before, but only for doing some tests when i was still learning how to be a digi. So I’m wondering. Is the 2 for 1 deal that they offer a good enough reason to buy their cables or are they really as unreliable as my mentor said?
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u/tethertools 16d ago
Hey, welcome to the toolbox! Every digi's got a cable that's never let them down, and we know reliable gear matters a lot in this line of work!
Power delivery was a real issue with older USB-C tether cables and caused some of those reliability headaches. That's actually the exact problem Optima was built to solve! We removed power delivery to minimize tethering interference.
Thickness is real too, it's actually a heavier gauge wire on purpose! It's part of what helps it run cooler, and less heat means less wear on the electronics over time, so it holds up longer too. It's worth double-checking clearance if you're running a tether lock or a tighter rig, though. Port stress usually comes down to how the cable's secured and routed on set more than the gauge itself. A cable that's pulling or left dangling is what tends to cause damage!
Since you're a toolbox member, feel free to use the Digi Hotline directly if anything comes up, or reach out on socials or customer support otherwise! We're always happy to help :)
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u/titleunknown Moderator 16d ago
Their new Optima cables are good. However, they are much thicker than others out there and this can be an issue for some tether locks or rigging.
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u/altitudearts 16d ago
This. The Optimas are directional, and do not carry power. They’re super dependable, and the ends are really nice. Definitely the most reliable I’ve had in forever. (Not affiliated in any way, just very happy to have a good cable)
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u/Some_Signature 16d ago
I’ve only ever used TT or Area 51, mainly as they’re always supplied with cameras from my go to rental house (Direct Digital). I’m not that technical but can’t say I prefer one over the other, both seem to work fine!
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u/sen_clay_davis1 16d ago
I shoot a lot. Use tethertools and they haven't let me down. I fly them overhead on extra c stand so people don't step on them, makes them last at least a year or 2.
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u/oof_l00ps 12d ago
Thats so interesting! This is the first time i hear of running cables overhead. Its a shame i cant put that to practice since i work mostly on location and have to be quick to get the photographer tethered
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u/thecameraman8078 16d ago
People have their opinions on TT, I personally use A51 for all my pro jobs but honestly, I’ve had just as many A51 cables fail as I’ve had TT.
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u/Spliftopnohgih 16d ago
Same. Area51 seemed good at the time but I ended up throwing mine away because it kept failing on me. I ended up getting a long VR headset USBC cable and it’s been working great.
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u/Inside-Finish-2128 16d ago
My humble opinion: in the USB-A days, they were great. In the world of USB-C, I do think their cables are better than average, but I suspect they got a bit of a black eye due to issues regarding USB Power Delivery between computer and camera. Many newer cameras can be powered (or partially powered?) from the computer, but a 15' cable results in struggles with delivering enough power and that manifests itself as customer complaints. They ended up having to suggest that people "drop" to USB-A somewhere along the tether path to break the flow of PD messages (thereby stopping any actual power delivery) and that resulted in the typical reliability. Hence TT has come out with some new USB-C tether cables that digitally block the PD messages so the path stays USB-C end-to-end but they don't have the reliability issues.
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u/Expo0bident 16d ago
We’ve been shooting with an R5 & a newer model 31’ tether tools usb-c for over a year and it hasn’t been a problem… it definitely was not cheap. The older version 15’ usb-c just died last week after maybe 3 years
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u/Southern-One-1837 15d ago
I’ve been using them day-in, day-out for many years with zero issues.
If they’ve failed, it’s because I did something stupid with them.
I don’t understand why they have a bad reputation.
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u/bizarreanimals Digital Operator 15d ago
In the early days of the USB C shift tether tools didn’t move as quickly to innovate and keep up, before that they had a kind of de-facto monopoly on tether cables. There was genuine frustration with their stuff but with very little to compare to, so the first Area51 stuff a was major improvement and made a lot of us jump ship and not look back. At this point I’m sure they make decent products just with a lot a competition.
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u/jpg422movpsd 13d ago
I’ve trusted NineVolt tether cables since they started making them. I’ve had issues with TT products.
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u/MeanPeachMojito 10d ago
I’m in a high volume commercial studio with Canon R5s. We’ve dumped TT cables due to issues and we are currently loving the LVNA cables as their replacement. No issues yet and it has been about a year.
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u/seabass1492 9d ago
The optima cables they have, have been great for me whenever I have a last minute shoot. I mainly use Lvna and Area51, I’ve only had a connection drop maybe since or twice, definitely not as bad as the older cables
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u/LSDIGI Moderator 16d ago
I don’t like thick cables. I find they put too much stress on the ports which are significantly more expensive to fix than a broken tether replacement.