How to Use LUMIX Tether: Beginner Guide (2026)

If you just downloaded LUMIX Tether v2.12 and don't know where to start, this is the 10-minute walkthrough. We'll go from "camera in the box" to "first tethered RAW landing on your laptop" — no studio gear, no Capture One, just the free Panasonic app, a USB-C cable, and any supported LUMIX body.

What you need

A supported Panasonic LUMIX camera (S1/S5/S9 series, GH5 or newer, G9/G9II, BGH1/BS1H).
A USB 3.2 Gen 1 or Gen 2 USB-C cable (the one in the camera box works — generic "charging" cables do not).
Windows 10/11 or macOS 12–15.
LUMIX Tether installed — get it from the main download page.

Step 1 — Camera side: switch to PC (Tether) mode

Charge the battery or attach a dummy battery / USB-PD.
Power on the camera.
Menu → Setup → IN/OUT → USB Mode → PC (Tether). On older bodies it's Setup → USB Mode → PC.
Leave the camera on. Don't connect the cable yet.

Step 2 — Computer side: launch LUMIX Tether

Open LUMIX Tether. The first screen shows an empty camera list with a spinning "searching" indicator. Now connect the USB-C cable from the camera to a USB-A or USB-C port on the laptop. The camera appears within 3–5 seconds.

Click the camera tile to enter the live view. If nothing appears, swap the cable for the one Panasonic shipped in the box — 9 out of 10 first-time tether problems are bad cables.

Step 3 — Take your first shot

Make sure the camera is in M, A, S or P (not iA — iA disables most remote controls). The right-hand panel lets you change shutter, aperture and ISO. The big white circle at the bottom is the shutter. Click it. The frame appears in the centre review pane in about 1 second.

Step 4 — Enable Direct Save

By default, frames go to the SD card only. To pull them into a watched folder for Capture One / Lightroom auto-import:

Top menu: Setup → Direct Save.
Tick Save to PC.
Choose a folder — create a new one per session.
Pick file types: tick both RAW and JPEG until you know which one your downstream tool wants.

Next shot, you'll see the RW2 and JPG appear in that folder as the shutter closes.

Step 5 — Set up the focus point from the laptop

The live view has a movable AF box — click anywhere in the preview to drop it. The AF Mode dropdown (top-right) switches between Face/Eye, Tracking, 1-Area, etc. On S5II / S5IIX / S9 / GH7 / G9II, the same Subject Detection menu (Human, Animal, Vehicle) is exposed.

What to learn next

Product photography studio setup — Direct Save → Capture One pipeline.
Multicam over Ethernet — up to 12 cameras.
Streaming mode — clean HDMI for OBS / vMix.
"Camera not detected" — 12-step fix.

Common first-time questions

Can I tether wirelessly? Yes, over 5 GHz Wi-Fi or wired LAN. USB-C is more reliable for stills, especially with RAW files.
Why doesn't iAuto mode work? LUMIX Tether disables remote shutter in iA because iA owns the exposure. Switch to P, A, S or M.
Can I update camera firmware from Tether? No — firmware updates go via LUMIX Sync (mobile) or SD card. See the firmware guide.