Reikan "FoCal" Automated Focus Calibration Software

[Krs_2007]

I hate reading posts like this. I should give BackdoorHippie a infraction for costing me $112. Next is printing the targets. Heavyweight matte paper it is. Any suggestions for lighting the targets? Also did the ones who are using this print on their home printers or go somewhere.

Which version did you get?

i hope Jake chimes in as well.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Which version did you get?

i hope Jake chimes in as well.

I got the Pro version. Just printing out the charts now. Had to go get Matte photo paper. It really does make the prints Pop on that paper. Going to mount the prints on cardboard so they are nice and flat

 

[Krs_2007]

I got the Pro version. Just printing out the charts now. Had to go get Matte photo paper. It really does make the prints Pop on that paper. Going to mount the prints on cardboard so they are nice and flat

Thanks, that's a good idea in the mounting. I plan to order it tomorrow and I think I have matte photo paper, have to check.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Thanks, that's a good idea in the mounting. I plan to order it tomorrow and I think I have matte photo paper, have to check.

I actually had some Foam Core here that has one side that is sticky once you pull the film off of it. You can get it where you get school supplies. I just pull the film off and placed the print down and smoothed them out. Then I took a metal ruler and a box cutter razor and trimmed it to size. Ended up with a perfectly flat print the will last.

 

[BackdoorArts]

It hasn't cost me money, but my brother swears by it - though it does seem to behave better with Canon cameras. I have been planning on revisiting it to see if it can do the D750. If and when it does I'll likely spring for it.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Finally got around to using Focal today. The first problem was finding a USB cable for the D7100. I knew I had one at one point for the D7000 but all the cables I had in the house were not the correct one. I ended up having to go to Radio Shack and buying one. For your info there are two different Mini USB-B cable ends. The one for the D7100 is a 8 pin . Not sure what the other Mini USB-B is but the ends are different.

Setup is easy once you follow the directions. With Nikon you do have to change the AF Fine Tune many times during the tests since the software can not change it for you but this is just a minor thing. IT is interesting how it does it. It shoots how it is now and shows in in one window. Then if has you set the AF Fine Tune at -20, -10 0 +10 +20 and then it will have you set at different points based on what the curve shows. IT will finally give yoiu a number to set in the camera and show you the results in a side by side comparison.

I tested 2 cameras (Out of 15 that you can test on the 1 license) On the D7100 I was dead on with the 18-140. The 70-300 was off by a few points so will see how it looks in the field in a few minutes when I go out shooting downtown. The D7000 only shoots with a 18-200 and it was off by several points so we will see how it looks after my wife shoots it this weekend when we go to the beach.

My final verdict is that I think it is worth the money and effort for fine tuning your lenses.

If you have fellow shooters in the area and you don't have 15 cameras you might offer to fine tune there for them.

 

[Krs_2007]

Thanks Don

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

$100+ Well spent

I still blame BackdoorHippie for making me buy it. I am going to have to stop reading his posts.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

For those that might be interested here is the report that is created when the lens is calibrated.

70-300
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xikxlqjps...kkor 70-300mm f_4.5-5.6G IF-ED_300mm.PDF?dl=0


18-140
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uzo81uqot...kkor 18-140mm f_3.5-5.6G ED VR_140mm.PDF?dl=0

Thought some might like to see the differences in the two lenses.


It is a PDF file so could not figure out how to post it here other than my dropbox.

 

[Krs_2007]

Detailed report.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Well, the process is pretty detailed. It talke about 10 minutes to run the test and set up the lens.

 

[TedG954]

Don,

I picked up the Basic Program and tuned my 24/1.4

I ended up with a -10, which surprises me. I did some research and found that +/- 10 is not that far off. What have you been finding?

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Don,

I picked up the Basic Program and tuned my 24/1.4

I ended up with a -10, which surprises me. I did some research and found that +/- 10 is not that far off. What have you been finding?

none of mine were that far off. I would have to check but I think most were less the 4+-

How did the -10 look?

 

[RocketCowboy]

Downloading those reports put me over the edge. Thanks Don!

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

This is one from my 70-300 on Saturday. Cloudy day fast action

 

[Bob Rules]

Don,

I picked up the Basic Program and tuned my 24/1.4

I ended up with a -10, which surprises me. I did some research and found that +/- 10 is not that far off. What have you been finding?

Thanks Ted... I was starting to feel like a tightwad. lol
Photography for me is an expensive hobby. I couldn't see shelling out $100 for the software.

 

[Blade Canyon]

Thanks Ted... I was starting to feel like a tightwad. lol
Photography for me is an expensive hobby. I couldn't see shelling out $100 for the software.

There are a lot of online tutorials about how to manuall adjust your AF for each lens, but this is the system that is easiest and makes the most sense to me. And I say this as someone who did buy the Reikan software:

http://nikonites.com/tutorials/2782...-dslrs-adjustable-settings.html#axzz3WjTwv0f7

 

[Bob Rules]

Thanks Blade... I plan on buying the software but only the standard version.

 

[Bob Rules]

I ended up doing the simple auto focus calibration on my tamron 70-200. I ended up with an adjustment of +5. Is that good?

I also learned that my Targus tripod was a piece of crap. I never understood what everyone meant by sturdy until my rig kept drifting off the target. Needless to say, I will be in the market for a new tripod. I think I have my eye on the mefoto globetrotter.