The A1 II is Sony's flagship. Sports, fashion, campaigns. The people who buy it are often the people who tether all day.
USB tethering the A1 II
- Cable: USB-C to USB-C data cable, straight into the Mac. No charge-only cables.
- Connection mode: when the USB dialog pops up on the camera, tap Remote Shooting (PC Remote). Mass Storage and MTP won't tether.
- Full-size files: Menu → Network → Remote Shoot Setting → Save Image Size → Original. Sony ships this at 2MP, so skip it and your 50MP frames show up as thumbnails.
- Save destination: Still Img. Save Dest. → PC+Camera for a card backup, or PC Only for speed.
- Shoot: open TETHER STUDIO. The A1 II shows up in the header in a couple of seconds. Press Space.
The A1 II is a Mode 300 body. Software that doesn't support Mode 300 will see the camera and then refuse to fire. TETHER STUDIO handles it automatically.
WiFi tethering the A1 II
- Camera: Menu → Network → Ctrl w/ Smartphone → On.
- Mac: join the camera's network, DIRECT-xxxx:ILCE-1M2 or similar. The password is on the camera screen.
- TETHER STUDIO: click Connect in the footer, choose WiFi.
Expect about 4 to 6 seconds a frame over WiFi, and faster battery drain. Full exposure control from the Mac needs USB.
A1 II tips from set
On a fast fashion set, use USB. Every frame lands on the Mac with full exposure control from the computer. Use WiFi when the photographer needs to move and a digital tech is reviewing on a laptop off set. Set Still Img. Save Dest. to PC+Camera on paid jobs so there's always a card backup.
Does Lightroom tether the A1 II?
Adobe's published Sony tethering list (checked October 2026) includes the original Alpha 1 but not the A1 II. Check Adobe's list before a paid job if you plan to tether it in Lightroom Classic. Lightroom Classic also requires a Creative Cloud subscription, and the regular Lightroom app has no tethering at all. Capture One supports most current Sony bodies on a $216/year subscription. Sony's free Imaging Edge Desktop works but splits Remote, Viewer and Edit into separate apps. More on all of them in the Sony tethering on Mac guide.
Troubleshooting
- Not detected: check Remote Shooting, swap the cable, quit Image Capture and Photos, then run killall ptpcamerad in Terminal.
- 2MP images: Save Image Size → Original.
- Connects but won't fire (0x2002): update to the latest TETHER STUDIO.
- Error -105: unplug, power-cycle the camera, reconnect.
More fixes on the support page. Every supported body is on the cameras page.
Frequently asked
Can I tether the Sony A1 II to a Mac?
Yes. TETHER STUDIO tethers the Sony A1 II on macOS over USB and WiFi, including Mode 300 remote capture. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs and costs $99 once.
Can I tether the Sony A1 II over WiFi?
Yes. Turn on Ctrl w/ Smartphone, join the camera's DIRECT WiFi network from your Mac, and choose WiFi in TETHER STUDIO's Connection Manager. Use USB for the fastest transfers and full exposure control.
Why are my tethered A1 II images only 2MP?
Sony defaults its remote transfer size to 2MP. Go to Menu, Network, Remote Shoot Setting, Save Image Size, and set it to Original.
Do I need Capture One or Lightroom to tether the A1 II?
No. TETHER STUDIO tethers the A1 II on its own for a $99 one-time purchase. No Capture One or Creative Cloud subscription needed.