FoCal MA Tool

Home · Register · Search · Software · Hosting · Software · Join Upload & Sell

FM Forum Rules
Canon SLRs, primes, and zooms lenses reviews

FM Forums \| Canon-mount SLRs \| Join Upload & Sell
1 2 3 … 13 14 end

Archive 2011 · FoCal MA Tool

Gavin Gilmour
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #1 · FoCal MA Tool

I apologies if this has already been mentioned.

An automated MA tool for the 5D-MkII & 7D other models to be added soon.

Still in beta at the moment but due out soon.

I intend to give it ago any one else think it is worth ago?

FoCal

Edited on Mar 10, 2012 at 06:59 PM · View previous versions

Dec 12, 2011 at 09:48 PM

Ernie Aubert
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #2 · FoCal MA Tool

That looks rather promising. I don't think I'll try, because my impression is that it would be somewhat time-consuming and tedious. But it looks like it could potentially be the definitive technique for doing AF micro-adjustment.

Dec 12, 2011 at 10:14 PM

Gavin Gilmour
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #3 · FoCal MA Tool

I did try an earlier version and it wasn't that time consuming unlike the Lens align.

I down loaded the software & installed

Read the PDF how to

Printed the target

Connected the camera to the computer clicked a few times and it dose it all

Dec 12, 2011 at 10:28 PM

jcolwell
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #4 · FoCal MA Tool

I think Lens Align II is a very good product. I recently performed 36 AF microadjust combinations (10 lenses, 2 cameras, many with 2 Extenders), and it only took a few hours. I prefer the 'hands on' approach, as I not only get it done, I understand exactly what happened, and I can appreciate the shortcomings of the process.

Dec 12, 2011 at 10:38 PM

TrojanHorse
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #5 · FoCal MA Tool

Yeah, it's neat if you have a 5d2 or 7D. It didn't work on my 1d3 when I tried a few versions ago. It also bricked a bunch of 7D bodies during development, so if you think it's polished and ready to go - fire it up!

Of course, it's not available yet and they have more beta testing scheduled for later this month.

I'm really keen on the idea though, I hope it works.

Dec 12, 2011 at 10:56 PM

Andrew J
Online
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #6 · FoCal MA Tool

Thanks a lot for posting about this.

Dec 13, 2011 at 12:09 AM

John_T
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #7 · FoCal MA Tool

Been following its development. The guy who is doing it appears dedicated and responsible, and the bricking was reversible. The whole MA process is automated and the results are tested and confirmed multiple times. He's gathering fifty final beta testers and if they all give a thumbs up it may give us something that Canon might have, could have, should have given us along with the MA bodies. If the product turns out as good as it promises, Canon ought to buy him out and package the tool along with the cameras.

Dec 13, 2011 at 12:33 AM

erikburd
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #8 · FoCal MA Tool

John_T wrote:
<snip>
If the product turns out as good as it promises, Canon ought to buy him out and package the tool along with the cameras.

Knowing Canon, they will figure out a way to to milk a ton of money out of our pockets and probably ruin a perfectly good program that would otherwise benefit many people.

Dec 13, 2011 at 01:21 AM

EB-1
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #9 · FoCal MA Tool

John_T wrote:
Been following its development. The guy who is doing it appears dedicated and responsible, and the bricking was reversible. The whole MA process is automated and the results are tested and confirmed multiple times. He's gathering fifty final beta testers and if they all give a thumbs up it may give us something that Canon might have, could have, should have given us along with the MA bodies. If the product turns out as good as it promises, Canon ought to buy him out and package the tool along with the cameras.

I hope that Canon can implement such a feature internally. I'd not risk using third-party hackware on a $5-8K body.

EBH

Dec 13, 2011 at 01:33 AM

TrojanHorse
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #10 · FoCal MA Tool

It blows my mind that they put it in their cameras, dedicate about 15 words on how to use it and that's it.

It would be even better if it was something you could use without that printed target (you *are* supposed to MA the lens at your place of intended use), so go to your site, stick your camera on a tripod and have the Auto-MA fine tune your lens calibration in the light and at the distance that you'll be using it. Sounds like something you could implement in firmware.

I wonder how he determines what's sharpest? Most detail in the file (i.e. file size?)

Dec 13, 2011 at 03:32 AM

tonyhart
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #11 · FoCal MA Tool

I know the developer "personally" (that is to say I consider him a friend) via twitter. We did a running challenge in January during which we ran every day of the month. He's a great guy and extremely dedicated, I'd certainly have faith in him. Shame it's PC only for now, but I look forward to trying it out!

Edited on Dec 13, 2011 at 04:17 AM · View previous versions

Dec 13, 2011 at 03:54 AM

EB-1
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #12 · FoCal MA Tool

TrojanHorse wrote:
It blows my mind that they put it in their cameras, dedicate about 15 words on how to use it and that's it.

It would be even better if it was something you could use without that printed target (you *are* supposed to MA the lens at your place of intended use), so go to your site, stick your camera on a tripod and have the Auto-MA fine tune your lens calibration in the light and at the distance that you'll be using it. Sounds like something you could implement in firmware.

Exactly. You should be able to select any subject, push a button, and have the camera adjust the focus offset appropriately. The Focal software seems to require far more CPU than I would like, but perhaps would be able to take advantage of the Digic capabilities.

EBH

Dec 13, 2011 at 04:02 AM

Gavin Gilmour
Offline
•
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #13 · FoCal MA Tool

EB-1 wrote:
John_T wrote:
Been following its development. The guy who is doing it appears dedicated and responsible, and the bricking was reversible. The whole MA process is automated and the results are tested and confirmed multiple times. He's gathering fifty final beta testers and if they all give a thumbs up it may give us something that Canon might have, could have, should have given us along with the MA bodies. If the product turns out as good as it promises, Canon ought to buy him out and package the tool along with the cameras.

I hope that Canon can implement such a feature internally. I'd not risk using third-party hackware on a $5-8K body.

EBH

I'm not sure if it is a hack as it uses a Canon package called EDSDK ( EOS Digital Camera Software Development Kit ) to implement what it does.

Dec 13, 2011 at 06:58 AM

John_T
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #14 · FoCal MA Tool

As I understand it, producers of products supply SDKs to developers to develop software for their products, so nothing strange about that.

Considering all the techniques and Voodoo we have been through for MA, a simple and straightforward application to perform MA on our cameras for consumers and professionals alike sounds like a boon to photographers and Canon as well, no?

Dec 13, 2011 at 08:46 AM

Invertalon
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #15 · FoCal MA Tool

This software is amazing... I have used the various versions he was developing and sold my Lens Align really quickly... I can't wait for the newest version.

It is fully automatic and the results are excellent. What took me about an hour to adjust with lens align, confirmed (and even improved) my values running this software. For example, my 70-200 was at +3 and the software chose +2... My 135L I tested at +7, the software tested at +6. My 24-105 is 0 on both ends (which was exact to my findings).

I love it...

Dec 13, 2011 at 07:36 PM

SloPhoto
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #16 · FoCal MA Tool

not a bad idea, I usually use liveview to MA, same principle here, just more repeatable.

Glad to see someone decided this was worth doing, the canon sdk is a pita to work with.

Dec 13, 2011 at 08:41 PM

trueimage
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #17 · FoCal MA Tool

cool I just registered on their forums

Dec 13, 2011 at 10:18 PM

seam4444
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off

p.1 #18 · FoCal MA Tool

Tag

Dec 16, 2011 at 07:25 PM

RCicala
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #19 · FoCal MA Tool

I've just started using the beta and it's very promising and very professional: not a hack at all. The manual is beta also, obviously, but it's already one of the better manuals I've run across: brief, clear and concise. Took me about 10 minutes to scan the manual and start playing with it, maybe 30 minutes before I felt comfortable using it for real.

The software gives you the choice of fully automated, just push the button and watch it work; or you can watch it calibrate your camera and it will tell you what MA to dial in. I've done microadjustment enough to be comfortable doing it by hand but this is far easier and quicker - from 3 to 5 minutes per camera / lens combination.

I've only done a few cameras and lenses so I won't comment on accuracy yet, but the product is NOT a hack or some firmware add on. It's a very nicely done piece of software.

Dec 16, 2011 at 11:32 PM

Andrew J
Online
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On

p.1 #20 · FoCal MA Tool

I just ran the program and it put my 600 lens and new body at +5 which is where I had it. I had been stumped by this new MKIII converter that had been +19 and I sent to Canon. Well this program puts it at +10! I probably didn't believe it could be out that much since it just came back from Canon. This program is slick. I know 20 people that should get it the day it starts to ship.

Many thanks to the OP or I never would have known about this.

Dec 22, 2011 at 10:02 PM

1 2 3 … 13 14 end
FM Forums \| Canon-mount SLRs \| Join Upload & Sell 1 2 3 … 13 14 end