A list of every USB-C camera tether cable color
A comprehensive list of USB-C tether cable colors.
I’m a digital tech by profession and over the years one of the hardest items to reliably procure in my setup is a USB-C camera tether cable.
Many people often confuse USB-C as a connection protocol rather than a connector type because initially manufacturers were advertising their “new” USB-C cables with the fastest speeds available at the time of its launch. However, as the USB protocol matured, cable makers started flooding the market with USB-C cables that were sometimes transferring at USB 2.0 speeds. These cables were identical to all other USB-C cables on the market except on price (but the reason wasn’t always clearly labeled). See the bottom of the chart here on how the USB-C connector could potentially cover USB 2.0 speeds.
Today, the USB-C connector covers everything from display protocols like HDMI and DisplayPort to Thunderbolt, and a plethora of power delivery speeds ranging from 5W to 240W. All of this on top of what most people need primarily which is maximum transfer speed.
In the photography world where the bare minimum requirements for cables are 10M/32ft reach, USB-C cables are only available from a select few makers. Here’s the definitive list (so far) of all of the different colors you can get that will work on set.
ORANGE
The most well-known USB-C tether cable comes from one of the oldest makers, Tether Tools.
They are not my preferred cable by any means, but they seem to do the job if budget is higher on the list than reliability or if your setup stays in a studio all the time. Their USB-C cable comes in black as well, but it’s iconic orange is hard to miss on BTS videos.
HYPER BLUE
LVNA Cables based out of Los Angeles make a Hyper Blue cable in limited quantities. Their options are limited so choice should be rather simple once you narrow down your needs (basically, are you shooting on the GFX 100 II?).
I use their cables, I like them as a company, and they generally ship fast with great customer service.
Their cables come with additional options in all-black as well.
PRICE: $149 for the Hyper Blue
PINK (FLAMINGO)
The 10M Pink/Flamingo USB-C cable from ROCK CAMERAS is available locally for those of you who are in London. They are the only company I’ve seen so far that also makes a Lemo to USB-C cable at 10M.
They also make an active extension at 10M if you prefer to use pigtails.
All of their cables come in standard black as well but the pink is where they stand out.
PRICE: £100.00
YELLOW
Cobra Tether is based in Germany and supplies reliable tether cables out of Europe. If you see a yellow cable on set, chances are you are working with a crew member out of Europe. Their tether cables come in 10M lengths and they also have 10M active extensions, all in yellow.
If you prefer the classic black, they have that option as well.
PRICE: $150 USD for the 10M cable and $130 USD for the active extension
RED
Area51 Tether Co is based in the US and supplies USB-C tether cables in a variety of configurations. As far as I know, they have the largest cable options available at the sacrifice of quite possibly the most confusing naming convention ever.
As they were one of the first companies to mass-market USB-C tethers, they command a premium price: The 10M cable is $185. I use them, I can vouch for their reliability, but if all other cables are also available and in stock ready to ship, I will sometimes steer away from Area51 on price alone.
Interestingly, they DO NOT make cables in all black.
PRICE: $185
BLACK
While most of the USB-C cable manufacturers on this list also make a black option, Nine Volt seems to only make their IQ Wire cables in black. They are however the only maker on this list that makes a single 15M cable, priced at $189.
These cables are no-frills-do-the-job-right kind and are not flashy at all with a very reasonable price to boot.
PRICE: $129 for 10M
ARCTIC BLUE & MAGENTA
I’m including the Mathorn cables in this list because they are technically tether cables but they currently only come at maximum lengths of 5M/16ft (not ideal for commercial shooting applications in my opinion).
The company is based in Poland so if you’re in that region and want to save on some shipping costs this is one place to look.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen anybody use this cable in a commercial setting.
PRICE: $40 USD (???)
PURPLE
Kondor Blue and YouTuber Gerald Undone are coming out with this 15ft purple USB-C cable that delivers 10Gb/s transfer speeds, 4K display support, and 65W power delivery.
I’ve not used this cable (it’s only on pre-order right now) but I know Kondor Blue makes decent cables and on paper the specs of this cable should work with USB-C active extensions to create a hybrid-colored cable length at 10M. Of course, your mileage may vary but I thought I’d include it here anyway.
Kondor Blue makes a number of shorter USB-C cables in different colors (pink, blue, red, black).
PRICE: $40
ASPECT (short film)
A short film about aspect ratios.
I randomly came across this short film called ASPECT by bykody on YouTube. It’s an interesting view on the aspect ratio where the aspect ratio itself takes center stage as it attacks the protagonist throughout the film.
What’s more enjoyable however to me is the fact that there is an accompanying behind the scenes video by bykody on how this short was made on a budget. Lots of interesting tidbits here from practical filming tips to editing on a shoestring budget. Check out that video below.
Only NY x MTA Table Lamp
My favorite household item I got in 2024.
I have been fan and customer of ONLY NY for years and there is no product that excited me more lately than this MTA Table Lamp. The lamp is modeled after the station lights of yesteryear that can still be found in select stations across the system, showing the iconic dual-tone “M” above a green square indicating the station entrance.
It is wonderfully crafted and the perfect size for a table or shelf lamp. The braided cable with integrated dimmer is perfect and very high quality. My only complaint (if I had to really find one) is that the “M” looks like it is printed onto the exterior rather than screen printed (there are some banding lines that Only NY tells me in email is an unfortunate after-effect of the production). Anyway, I really love this thing in my house.
Over The Hill: An overlanding video game
A new overlanding video game from the makers of Art of Rally.
The makers of the video game Art of Rally have released this teaser video of an upcoming game called Over The Hill which looks mostly like a fun and relaxing overlanding drive set in the 60’s-80’s era. It looks like a beautiful game of landscapes and vistas and one that I hope its developers will also release for the Mac.
Check out some early screengrabs below and the official reveal trailer.
McDonald’s releases special edition mahjong set in Hong Kong
McDonald’s in Hong Kong has released a limited edition mahjong set!
Asia always gets the best stuff! McDonald’s in Hong Kong has announced a very special limited mahjong set featuring their iconic mascots! This set comes on the heels of other celebrations and special collaborations that McDonald’s is doing in Hong Kong as they celebrate a historic 50-year anniversary in the country.
I’m not sure if the 1850 release number signifies anything but I can pretty much bet that small number of sets has already been bought. Looks like it’ll be eBay from here on out!
A couple of shots from Santa Barbara
Spent the last 9 days in Santa Barbara, CA. Here are a few flicks!
I spent the last 9 days out in Santa Barbara, CA with some incredible company. I was on a shoot that was originally planned for the Los Angeles and Malibu area but was moved due to the ongoing wildfires that continue to devastate that region.
Despite the relative close proximity to Los Angeles, this was actually my first time ever in Santa Barbara and while I didn’t get to have a ton of time out on my own, I can definitely leave knowing that Santa Barbara is a nice little “sleepy” coast city with a really great vibe.
I can’t show more photos due to work limitations, but here are a couple of places of note for me during this trip:
Arigato Sushi @ 1225 State St.
Los Agaves Restaurant @ 600 N. Milpas St.
Lucky Penny Pizza @ 127 Anacapa St
Dart Coffee @ 121 E Yanonali St
The Wall of Kindness on Essex St.
The Wall of Kindness encourages people to donate their old coats.
I was walking around Chinatown and the Lower East Side yesterday when I came across this “Wall of Kindness” located adjacent to a construction site. I nearly passed it entirely since it blended in with the construction office trailer.
I’ve never seen one of these “Wall of Kindness” things before but a quick search looks like its an on-going worldwide project to help those who are less fortunate. This one encourages people to recycle their coats on the hooks for other people to pick up if they need. Visit or donate on Essex St across from Seward Park.
The convoy scene from Sicario with TENET music
What if the music from TENET was used in Sicario?
I love this. Two incredible separate pieces of art — music from TENET and the convoy scene from Sicario — all coming together to still get across the stress of the situation.