The JerkStopper from Tether Tools has been a staple amongst many photographers who shoot tethered in the studio. It’s been around for well over a decade now and it’s seen several iterations during that time. For those not familiar, it stops your cables from being jerked and pulled out of the sockets of your camera. This prevents both the inconvenience of having to restart cameras and software in the middle of a shoot and also potential damage to the sockets on your camera.
Now, its latest iteration also comes with a new name, in the form of Tether Tools’ new TetherGuard cable management system. Tether Tools describes it as a “magnetic breakaway cable management system” and comes with a new “Lock & Dock” system to ensure every cable stays connected and your ports are safe from damage.
The new system is similar to the old one in principle. Instead of a clasp that snaps onto your cable, however, the TetherGuard features a screw mechanism to hold the cable with a magnetic attachment to secure it to your camera or… well, whatever you want, really. The new attachment mechanism gives the option of both a Magnetic Breakaway Quick Release for quick setup as well as a locking mechanism for maximum security.
The “Lock & Dock” system allows you to attach it into the 1/4-20″ socket underneath your camera or into the 1/4-20″ sockets on a cage – ideal for video shooters that may have to deal with long and potentially heavy HDMI cables. You can also attach it to just about any flat surface using the included 3M VHB (Very High Bond) adhesive so that if you’re tethered over USB in the studio (or anywhere, really), it’s not going to damage or fall out of your laptop’s USB port, either.
Of course, like the JerkStopper, you can thread it through the camera strap eyelets of your camera, too. It’s a nice upgrade over the old system that offers a lot of great versatility. Being able to swap cables from one device or system to another through the magnetic mount or swap out different cables entirely with a threaded lock sounds much easier than the old system!
The TetherGuard system starts at $18.99 for the base kit with accessories costing extra. You can find out more on the Tether Tools website.
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