How good is Reikan FoCal?

[rdalrt]

I have had excellent results with FoCal Pro on all my bodies and lenses.

[redhead65]

Has anyone successfully used the Reikan Focal Fully Automatic AFMA with a 50D and Windows 7 (64 or 32 bit versions)?

I've tried Focal versions 1.70W, 1.80W and 1.81W with my 50D and 50/1.4 and just after starting the Fully Automatic AFMA the following message is displayed "An error occurred trying to get analysis information: Out of memory.". Given that my desktop PC has 8GB RAM the issue is not with a lack of memory!

I opened a support ticket with Reikan in early January but have not had any feedback other than a form reply stating that the problem is assigned to the developer.

[RGF]

Has anyone tried Focal Tune?

As I understand Focal Tune, you shoot a target multiple times (refocusing each time) and then make large AFMA adjustments (5 steps).  FT analyzes your shots, discards outliers, and plots curve to show sharpness vs AFMA.  Repeat the process, with smaller steps and narrower range, to get setting.

I have not tried it, software was $29 recently.  Manual procedure, not sure how zooms are handled

[Hydrogen]

Also on the 5D3, it unfortunately goes to semi-automatic mode where I have to manually change the AFMA settings because Canon for some strange reason left that out of the official SDK. Works for the 6D, but not 5D3/1DX. Every time I've put in a support request saying "it's not there, fix it!" I get a response saying "the SDK is what it is, we'll take it under advisement". Which more or less, to me, says screw you, we don't give a crap.

As a software architect for a Fortune-sized corporation, I would like to come to FoCal's defense.  I have my own peeves about their product, but actually it *is* the Canon SDK's deficit...

When Canon added the combination of Wide and Telephoto AFMA adjustments new to the 1DX and 5D3, this would require them to expose a new set of routines within the SDK that would enable setting the respective setting for either Wide or Tele.

Canon has not done so.  I have a copy of the SDK.  It's not there.

I think it would be great if people on this forum would start writing Canon and/or posting in their forums asking Canon to bring their SDK up-to-snuff with their camera bodies which are now a year old!

[Rienzphotoz]

I just bought the FoCal Pro version today and am having horrendous time ... not blaming Reikan ... need some help with some of you experts. I am using MacBook Pro 13inch (2.9 GHZ Intel Core i7, 2.9 GHZ, 16GB Ram, mid 2012 model), hooked up 5D MK III + EF 50mm f/1.4
First Time:
Tried the "Fully Automatic" mode ... heard a couple of shots being taken and in the info section it said "Defocusing Lens" then I got this error "LiveViewStae: Action timeout"

Second Time:
Tried the "Semi Automatic" mode ... heard a couple of shots being taken and a few seconds later, I get an error message 'DoPhaseDetectAF: Action timeout'

I repeated the test 3 times each (Fully auto mode and Semi auto mode) and every single time I got the same above-mentioned error messages.

Am I missing something? ... can't seem to get much out of Reikan's troubleshoot section and Google search did not yield any assistance ... just sent a message to Reikan ... meanwhile I thought of asking some of you experienced folk ... any suggestions?
My very limited experience tells me that FoCal is meant for advanced users (i.e. not really for people like me).

[neuroanatomist]

hooked up 5D MK III + EF 50mm f/1.4
First Time:
Tried the "Fully Automatic" mode ...

Full auto isn't supported for the 5DIII - you need to be in MSC mode.

[Rienzphotoz]

hooked up 5D MK III + EF 50mm f/1.4
First Time:
Tried the "Fully Automatic" mode ...

Full auto isn't supported for the 5DIII - you need to be in MSC mode.

I see that Reikan's website ( http://www.reikan.co.uk/focalweb/index.php/why/requirements/#msc) mentions "MSC Mode" & "Manual Mode" ... but my FoCal software only shows the following 4 modes:
1. Fully Automatic
2. TurboCal
3. Semi Automatic
4. Manual Mode
There is no MSC (Manual Settings Mode) ... the 4th mode (Manual Mode), according to Raikan, is for 'Offline Image Analysis' ("images captured by you and then supplied to the software")
I'm confused ... unfortunately, by the time I sent a message to Reikan it was past 5pm GMT yesterday, (they are closed for the weekend) so I'll have to wait till Monday.
Meanwhile any help from CR members would be most appreciated (please understand that I've never done AFMA before, so everything looks confusing  ... Google wasn't much help ... Youtube got me a video (by Bob Keenan) but it is for a one year old version of FoCal and the interface looks totally different from the version I currently have (1.8.1M ... couple of hours after I bought that version they released the 1.9, which I have not yet updated).

[Viggo]

hooked up 5D MK III + EF 50mm f/1.4
First Time:
Tried the "Fully Automatic" mode ...

Full auto isn't supported for the 5DIII - you need to be in MSC mode.

I see that Reikan's website ( http://www.reikan.co.uk/focalweb/index.php/why/requirements/#msc) mentions "MSC Mode" & "Manual Mode" ... but my FoCal software only shows the following 4 modes:
1. Fully Automatic
2. TurboCal
3. Semi Automatic
4. Manual Mode
There is no MSC (Manual Settings Mode) ... the 4th mode (Manual Mode), according to Raikan, is for 'Offline Image Analysis' ("images captured by you and then supplied to the software")
I'm confused ... unfortunately, by the time I sent a message to Reikan it was past 5pm GMT yesterday, (they are closed for the weekend) so I'll have to wait till Monday.
Meanwhile any help from CR members would be most appreciated (please understand that I've never done AFMA before, so everything looks confusing  ... Google wasn't much help ... Youtube got me a video (by Bob Keenan) but it is for a one year old version of FoCal and the interface looks totally different from the version I currently have (1.8.1M ... couple of hours after I bought that version they released the 1.9, which I have not yet updated).

I always use Fully Automatic mode for the 1dX, the only thing is that I change the afma-values myself.

Never seen the error you're describing though. Not sure why the LV error message comes up though, you shouldn't be in LV at all, except for when setting up the target...

[dslrdummy]

Even with the 5Diii and 1DX you still select "Fully Automatic" but instead of it doing it all itself it prompts you when you have to change the AFMA values manually. Have just done all my lenses on FocalPro and no problems at all except for my 400 5.6 with 1.4xiii, presumably because I can't get sufficient distance between me and the target (8+ metres). Haven't had your error, sorry.

[neuroanatomist]

Even with the 5Diii and 1DX you still select "Fully Automatic" but instead of it doing it all itself it prompts you when you have to change the AFMA values manually.

Ahhh, thanks.  I've actually never done an automatic AFMA - when I got my 1D X, that wasn't supported so I needed to take the shots myself and use manual mode for analysis.  I've just kept doing it that way...

[Rienzphotoz]

Even with the 5Diii and 1DX you still select "Fully Automatic" but instead of it doing it all itself it prompts you when you have to change the AFMA values manually.

That's what I remember reading on Reikan website (use fully automatic mode with FoCal promting user input), but for some reason I am getting the "LiveViewState: Action timeout" error message (when I'm not even in the LV mode)... guess I'll just have to wait till Monday for Reikan to get back to me  ... to be fair their system was pretty quick in generating a ticket number for my problem so I'm pretty confident they'll get back to me.

[Rienzphotoz]

hooked up 5D MK III + EF 50mm f/1.4
First Time:
Tried the "Fully Automatic" mode ...

Full auto isn't supported for the 5DIII - you need to be in MSC mode.

I see that Reikan's website ( http://www.reikan.co.uk/focalweb/index.php/why/requirements/#msc) mentions "MSC Mode" & "Manual Mode" ... but my FoCal software only shows the following 4 modes:
1. Fully Automatic
2. TurboCal
3. Semi Automatic
4. Manual Mode
There is no MSC (Manual Settings Mode) ... the 4th mode (Manual Mode), according to Raikan, is for 'Offline Image Analysis' ("images captured by you and then supplied to the software")
I'm confused ... unfortunately, by the time I sent a message to Reikan it was past 5pm GMT yesterday, (they are closed for the weekend) so I'll have to wait till Monday.
Meanwhile any help from CR members would be most appreciated (please understand that I've never done AFMA before, so everything looks confusing  ... Google wasn't much help ... Youtube got me a video (by Bob Keenan) but it is for a one year old version of FoCal and the interface looks totally different from the version I currently have (1.8.1M ... couple of hours after I bought that version they released the 1.9, which I have not yet updated).

I always use Fully Automatic mode for the 1dX, the only thing is that I change the afma-values myself.

you shouldn't be in LV at all,

I am not even in the LV mode, yet I get that message ... driving me crazy

[TWI by Dustin Abbott]

I used the FoCal the first time about three months ago with middling results.  I ran it again a few weeks ago with improved lighting (I had used some of my studio Daylight CFL lights the first time, but but the chance of flicker plus a EV value that was a little too low reduced my effectiveness).  The second time I used my construction stand lights (each with two 500W bulbs) and had an EV value of right under 11.  Much better results.

I was dialing in two 6D bodies plus a fair number of lens combinations.  I try to run auto mode at least three times with each combination to assure that I am getting consistent results.  I also chart each run so that I have notes to refer to later.  I am really pleased with the results I got this time.

My tips for maximizing results:

1)  Make sure you have plenty of light
2)  Make sure you have a good tripod on a STABLE floor surface (some floors have quite a bit of flex, particularly if anyone is walking around).
3)  Setup the proper distance away.  FoCal provides a chart per focal length.
4)  Run it a few times and make sure you are getting a consistent result (within 1 value point, even better when you repeat the exact result).

My lenses have never been sharper.

[Rienzphotoz]

My tips for maximizing results:

1)  Make sure you have plenty of light
2)  Make sure you have a good tripod on a STABLE floor surface (some floors have quite a bit of flex, particularly if anyone is walking around).
3)  Setup the proper distance away.  FoCal provides a chart per focal length.
4)  Run it a few times and make sure you are getting a consistent result (within 1 value point, even better when you repeat the exact result).

Thanks for the response Dustin ... I was really careful with the way I had the setup, I read the manual over and over again to make sure everything was set properly:
1. I used a portable construction light (500W) on a tripod to light up the target chart.
2. Had my 5D MK III setup on Manfrotto 055CXPRO4+468MGRC2, to reduce any vibration I had the tripod on a carpet and asked my kids not to walk around the house until I completed my test
3. For my 50mm f/1.4 lens the sensor was 2.5 meters away from the target chart (I actually took a measuring tape and measured the distance from the wall to the camera sensor)
4. Ran the test 6 times (3 times on Fully Automatic mode & 3 times on Semi Automatic Mode), kept getting the same error messages every single time at about the same time.

[neuroanatomist]

When you installed the Mono framework, did you use Reikan's link to the correct version?