Epson adding tethering feature to photo viewers

Owners of Epson’s P-6000 or P-7000 multimedia photo viewers will soon be able to tether the device to a compatible Canon or Nikon SLR and instantly view and save photos as they shoot, thanks to a firmware update slated for later this month.

Once the camera is connected to the viewer via USB and switched to tethered mode, the photographer can immediately view shots on the viewer’s 4-inch high-resolution screen. Tethering also provides instant backup as images are saved to the viewer’s hard-drive as well as the camera’s media card. The firmware update also includes a remote shutter release function.

Epson’s P-6000 photo viewer costs $600 and includes 80GB of space. The P-7000 viewer offers 160GB for $700. The tethering feature will be available as a free download in late October 2009.