Four days in Paris during Fashion Week: cobblestones, narrow streets, café terraces, shifting crowds. We darted across boulevards, slipped through alleys, paused at hotel doorways, model walking in and out of direct sunlight. With the client needing selection-ready files by day’s end, there was zero margin for slowdowns. As in Milan, the equation was simple: weight + speed = survival on the streets.

The client demanded live preview, tethered capture, and real-time selection while we shot from the street. But the bulk of classic tether rigs kills mobility. You’re sacrificing agility for control—and in Paris, the streets are hectic. I needed a setup that felt like a full station but traveled as a field rig.

Just like Milan, I mounted an iPad Air 11" alongside the xLamina Pro 11 base (could use the 11 or 13). I ran Capture One via Sidecar (or direct tether if needed), with floating tools for histogram, focus, and camera controls. Underneath, a medium Stream Deck sat in a 3D-printed cradle (available as a free STL) for macros and instant commands.  

Tether Cable

We tethered using our own Pantera 10 Gbit USB-C cable with the Canon R5 — fast, reliable, and excellent for live focus tracking.
Unlike thinner, softer cables, the Pantera is built for the street: heavy-duty sheathing, reinforced strain relief, and connectors designed to survive being dragged across rough pavement day after day.

A small but crucial detail is the rounded signal repeater with a plastic end cap — it slides over obstacles instead of snagging or denting, and it takes the knocks that would destroy most square repeaters.

This one’s been through Milan and now Paris, still running perfectly — proof that durability matters as much as speed.

With this setup I could:

• Switch between Follow Capture and Follow Selected modes instantly

• Adjust exposure, white balance, and minor tweaks mid-review

• Keep the laptop free for the stylist’s selects, without slowing workflow

Result: a lightweight, mobile tethering rig behaving like a full tether station, ideal for on-street fashion in Paris.

Why xLamina Pro + Side Mounting works

• Ultra-light but rigid — holds the iPad steady when in motion

• NATO rail compatibility — fast mounting and repositioning

• Cable management — keeps things minimal in tight movement

• Adaptability — can reconfigure and packed down quickly for company moves.

• Clean, modular design — no dangling bits to snag on railings or signs

Paris Setup Notes / Tips

• Use Sidecar over USB-C or WiFi, depending on location and stability

• Load a shortcut pack / icon set for your Stream Deck (custom macros)

• Mount the xLamina on your digiplate via NATO rail + magic arm

• Keep cables short, snug, and labeled

• Scout thresholds, doorways, corners ahead — Paris has hidden frame pockets

• Where possible, use awnings or café canopies to flag harsh sun

• At end of day: backup to SSD, sync to cloud if possible

Final Thoughts

Paris threw new variables—soft light shifts (clouds in and out), under bridges, architectural texture. But the same principle held: side-mount a light command rig so the street becomes your studio and you can adjust the camera settings on the go.  The xLamina + iPad + Stream Deck combination gave us the freedom to roam without sacrificing control. The result? Four days of client-ready tethered frames, captured in motion across a city that refuses to pause.