Long Distance Tethering in Aperture
I do enjoy the near instant feedback that photographing when tethered provides. However, it is not always convenient to have your camera right next to your computer. During my current build of a DIY light tent (you will have to wait for a few more days for that article), I found the ideal place to set up the light tent was a few meters away from my computer (iMac rather than a laptop so not that portable.) Rather than shoot to the CF card and then process the photos later in Aperture, I decided to tether the camera with the help of a 5 meter USB (16.4 feet) extension cable. I found a cable that was compatible with USB 2 that gave nearly 6 meters extension when the Nikon cable was included.
The photo above (of a toy pencil sharpener) was taken with 2 desk lamps (100 Watts each) on a blue card background. The setup is shown below. No prizes for the lighting, but I am still in the process of building my DIY light tent (letting the glue dry!)
I have not noticed any slowdown or any other issues when using the longer cable. It should be noted that 5 meters is the maximum specified length for USB, but this should be more than enough to allow you to shoot anywhere in the same room as your computer.
