Reikan FoCal - Automatic AF Micro adjustment software

[neuroanatomist]

I am using a 7D with the latest firmware....My Canon EF 400mm f/4.0 DO IS USM lens and Canon EF 2x III Extender do not calibrate properly together...

David is correct, and the only puzzling thing is why Rich @ FoCal didn't pick up on this immediately...

As Canon states, "With most EOS cameras, the maximum aperture of the compatible EF lens/EF extender combination must be f/5.6 or larger to support autofocus. With EOS-1 class digital SLRs, autofocus with the center focusing point is supported for compatible EF lens/EF extender combinations with maximum apertures of f/8 or larger."

Your 7D is 'most EOS cameras' and since an f/4 lens with a 2x Extender becomes f/8, phase detect AF is disabled (and that's what AFMA adjusts, so the calibration fails). Contrast-detect AF (what Live View uses) is not affected by the aperture limitation.

[MeHoo]

I know about the f8 limitation, but I didn't know if foCal used liveview's AF or not because it does have to be in liveview in order to work for my setup. That told me that maybe it was using that combination, and thus, might still work. Now I know.

Makes me wonder if when the camera is on a tripod and I'm using liveview to focus, that it's actually a really bad idea and less accurate.

[neuroanatomist]

Makes me wonder if when the camera is on a tripod and I'm using liveview to focus, that it's actually a really bad idea and less accurate.

Live View (contrast-detect) AF is very accurate, it's just a lot slower than phase-detect AF. Phase detect measures the difference between the separated contrast peaks from the incoming light, and calculates the magnitude and direction of change, then tells the lens to move X amount in Y direction, and that's it. Contrast detect essentially checks contrast, moves lens, checks contrast, moves lens, etc., until maximum contrast is achieved (which isn't known until contrast peaks than starts to go back down).

[apsphoto]

Hi all,

I have been running the software now and I have done most of my autofocus lenses, I still have the 500mm f4L to do as well as the 100-400mm at 400mm when I get some time to setup for a long distance. I used approx 50x the focal length for all the testing and this was done using the Pro version of the software. One thing that is critical to getting good calibration, or at least for me, is to have a well lit target. I ended up setting up with led video lights to illuminate the target, this helped a lot, and also it really needs a place that is out of the wind, etc. running was pretty straightforward and I am overall happy with the results. Here are some of the numbers I got, all lenses are Canon EF lenses unless noted, the quality is the quality of the curve fit.

1DMarkIV 5DMarkII
Lens AFMA quality AFMA quality
50mm f1.4 6 ex 5 ex
100mm f2.8L macro 2 ex 2 ex
180mm f3.5L macro 3 ex 1 ex
85mm f1.8 -8 acc 13 gd
100-400mmf4.5-5.6L @100mm 0 ex 0 gd
70-200mmf4L @70mm 5 ex -4 ex
70-200mm f4L @200mm 4 ex -5 ex
17-40mm f4L @17mm -4 ex -7 gd
17-40mm f4L @28mm -4 ex -7 gd
17-40mm f4L @35mm 0 gd -1 gd
17-40mm f4L @40mm -3 ex 3 gd
24-105mm f4L @24mm -7 gd 6 ex
24-105mm f4L @105mm 3 gd 5 ex
Tokina 16-28mm f2.8 @16mm 3 ex 1 ex
Tokina 16-28mm f2.8 @28mm 11 ex 7 ex
300mm f2.8 L IS 3 ex 7 ex
35mm f2 -4 pr 0 pr
50mm f1.8 II 7 gd 11 ex

At least I am getting repeatable results, I have a lensalign that I never got real repeatable results with so I never trusted it, but overall I am very happy with this software solution.

Alan

[DavidEccleston]

Welcome MeHoo.

I wouldn't expect that combination to work. An f/4 lens with a 2x extender will act as an f/8 lens, which won't autofocus on your body. Microadjust only adjusts values used in phase-detection AF (non live view, or live view Quick mode), so the contrast detect AF used by the regular live view mode can't be adjusted by the software.

[apsphoto]

Oh well when I entered the message above the data was all in columns, when I edit it, it is all nicely formatted and readable but as soon as it posts it is all messed up, so sorry I could not get more of a table.

Alan

[anotherguy]

I purchased FoCal Plus this evening and have been unable to get it to install. I am running Windows XP SP3 on Parallels 7. When I go to install FoCal it tells me I need to install .NET Framework 4.0 and presents me the option to do that. I hit the "Yes" button and ran through the installation process for that and restarted the VM. When I went to install FoCal it gives me the same dialog box asking me to install .NET 4.0. Anyone else have this problem and find a solution? I have emailed Reikan but didn't know if there was an easy fix anyone else had encountered.

ETA: Figured it out. FoCal was directing me to a Client Profile subset of .NET 4.0. When I installed the full framework I was able to install FoCal without a problem.

[neuroanatomist]

IIRC, I downloaded the .NET framework directly from Microsoft. I'm also running it on a Parallels XP SP3 VM.

[anotherguy]

I also downloaded it from microsoft. It just sent me to the .NET 4.0 client profile instead of the full thing. Not really sure what the difference is but installing the full framework fixed it right up.

[neuroanatomist]

FYI, v1.6 is now available, which offers support for the 1D X (in MSC mode like the 5DIII), and a few other enhancements.