Cobra Tether has recently released its new shorter tether cables (0.3m, 0.5m, and 1.2m). These new cables come with upgraded technical features, including 20G transfer speed, power delivery, and a video display port.
We thought it was the perfect time to review and summarize all the tether cables available from Cobra Tether. We will cover the key features of each cable, including transfer speed, charging capability, connectors, and whether or not they support video transfer. Additionally, we’ll provide some use cases to help you choose the best cable for your needs.
Data transfer speed
Tether cables were originally designed for transferring image files from a camera. The file sizes can vary depending on the camera’s sensor, whether it’s medium format (like the Fujifilm GFX) or full-frame (like Canon’s EOS R series).
Tether cables can also be used for data transfers, such as transferring files from an external hard drive or backup drive.
Below are the different cable speeds available, along with the corresponding file transfer rates:
5 Gbit/s:
- Medium format cameras: Approx. 4 RAW images per second
- Full frame cameras: Approx. 10 RAW images per second
10 Gbit/s:
- Medium format cameras: Approx. 8 RAW images per second
- Full frame cameras: Approx. 25 to 41 RAW images per second
20 Gbit/s:
- 10GB File: Approx. 4 seconds
- 100GB File: Approx. 40 seconds
Power delivery
Power delivery is useful for charging your camera while shooting, allowing you to avoid battery management. It’s also beneficial for charging your MacBook, shooting station, and even for recharging your smartphone or iPhone while on the go.
Here are the theoretical charging power levels for the following devices:
- Cameras: 15W to 18W
- iPhone: Up to 27W
- Laptop like MacBook Pro: 96W to 140W
Video transfer
Some Cobra Tether cables support video transfer have a capacity of 4K at 60Hz. This is more than sufficient for displays like the for example Apple Pro Display XDR and Eizo 4K monitors, both of which have a refresh rate of 60Hz.
Comparison of all Cobra Tether cables
| Data transfer speed | Power delivery | Video transfer | Data direction | Color | |
| USB-C to USB-C 0.3M | Up to 20Gbit/s | Up to 100W | 4K 60Hz | Bidirectionnal | Black Cotton Braiding |
| USB-C to USB-C 0.5M | Up to 20Gbit/s | Up to 100W | 4K 60Hz | Bidirectionnal | Black Cotton Braiding |
| USB-C to USB-C 1.2M | Up to 20Gbit/s | Up to 100W | 4K 60Hz | Bidirectionnal | Black Cotton Braiding |
| USB-C to USB-C 5M (straight or 90° angle version) | Up to 10Gbits/s | Up to 100W | 4K 60Hz | Bidirectionnal | Black or yellow |
| USB-C to USB-C 10M 5G (straight or 90° angle version) | Up to 5Gbits/s | No | No | Unidirectional | Black or yellow |
| USB-C to USB-C 10M 10G (straight or 90° angle version) | Up to 10Gbits/s | No | No | Unidirectional | Black or yellow |
| USB-C Extension 5M | Up to 5Gbits/s | No | No | Unidirectional | Black or yellow |
| USB-C Extension 10M | Up to 5Gbits/s | No | No | Unidirectional | Black or yellow |
| USB-C to Micro-B 5M | Up to 5Gbits/s | No | No | Unidirectional | Yellow |
| USB-C to Micro-B 10M | Up to 5Gbits/s | No | No | Unidirectional | Yellow |
