Help with software control of camera lens focussing please.

[michaelmorris]

I like using APT software for image capture, but when using my portable set up (Astrotrac, DSLR and camera lens) I find APT doesn't seem to provide the facility to manually control the camera lens's focuser I want.  For this I use an android tablet running the excellent DSLR controller software. 

I use DSLR controller in the following way.
1 - Turn on camera with camera lens set to AF
2 - Connect camera to tablet
3 - Load DSLR controller
4 - start focus function in DSLR controller
5 - take a test shot
6 - shot displayed on screen
7 - Alter focus position of camera lens using on screen buttons in DSLR controller
8 - Take another test shot
9 - shot displayed on screen
10 - Alter focus position of camera lens using on screen buttons in DSLR controller
11 - Take another test shot
12 - shot displayed on screen ...
... repeat until satisfied with focus

However, DSLR controller is an Android app so this means taking hardware for both android and windows software, which is a pain.  What I'd really love is a piece of Windows software that provided the manual control of a camera lens focus facility that DSLRcontroller has.  Any ideas?
 

[StuartJPP]

APT can certainly control focus on a Canon EOS compatible lens and the paid for version can also do an auto-focus (which takes a while).

To be honest I prefer to use live-view on the back of the LCD, zoom in 10x and watch faint stars appear/disappear when focus is spot on (preferably at the intersection of the 3rds). Doesn't help the neck on the 6D but the articulating display on the 650D makes things easier.

I have been testing DSLR Controller on the 6D via WiFi, not bad. No wires and full .CR2 support...hopefully it will allow me to not have to crane my neck to see the LCD as I haven't tried it under the stars yet.

Forgot to add, if you set your camera up to do "back-button focus", you can leave your lens on AF so that when activating the shutter button it won't attempt to refocus...back-button focus is awesome . If you do use back-button focus DSLR Controller will give a warning when starting up...just ignore it. I have asked Chainfire (the author) to remove the warning but so far he hasn't.

[Psychobilly]

Both APT and BYEOS allow "remote manual focusing"... you can also do it using Eos utils...  here's a guide I prepared earlier http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/116670-canon-1000d-remote-manual-focus/?p=1153411 IIRC all these methods rely on you using  liveview...

Peter...

[michaelmorris]

Both APT and BYEOS allow "remote manual focusing"... you can also do it using Eos utils...  here's a guide I prepared earlier http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/116670-canon-1000d-remote-manual-focus/?p=1153411 IIRC all these methods rely on you using  liveview...

Peter...

APT and EOS utils are definitely 'liveview only' features.  I'm not sure about BackyardEOS.  As DSLR controller doesn't rely on being in liveview, this ability clearly possible.

My suspicion is that this feature may have been omitted more to do with people not seeing the need for the feature, more than it being possible.

[Psychobilly]

If your focusing on the screen of the remote device with the image being displayed as you make the changes  you are focusing with the camera in "liveview"  the same is true if you are using the display on the back of the camera.... 

Unless I am missing something the only difference is  after making the adjustments your taking a still and then reviewing the resulting image.

Even for terrestrial photography if the subject is stationary I will often use liveview AF to achieve critical focus as  the same sensor is being used for focus and capture then rather than the separate AF and Imaging sensors...

In the days before "liveview"  and  long exposure weren't possible over USB there was an app IIRC  DSLR Focus that you used for looping exposure...

Just found this http://www.fastforwardtime.co.uk/aputure-vg1-usb-follow-focus-aperture-handle-hand-grip?language=en&currency=GBP&gclid=CL-CtqKJwccCFQ3jGwodIPoLCA... Intended for video use so again works in "liveview"...

Peter...

[michaelmorris]

In DSLR controller it doesn't invoke live view to allow controlling lens focus. That's what I'm after.

[Psychobilly]

Interesting... I like the idea of "blind focusing"... It's like we used to do it in the old days

[michaelmorris]

Just heard back from Guylain at BackyardEOS.  BYEOS doesn't support this feature either.  It looks as though the sdk doesn't support this feature.

Either Android interfaces with the camera differently; the authors of DSLR controller have developed their own interface with the camera; or DSLR controller somehow fools the camera into thinking it's in Liveview even though it isn't.

It looks as though If I want to use this feature and only use one device I'll have use liveview and switch between liveview and image preview.

[StuartJPP]

I am not quite understanding this all...

When I use DSLR Controller on my Canon 6D it is certainly in "live view" mode, the mirror locks up as soon as communication has been established. This live view is piped via WiFi to DSLR Controller. When I focus (by first pressing the AF button) I can see the image being focused on my phone each time I press the << >> buttons. The LCD on the camera is off during this.

I can press the top left hand button (B or M for instance) which turns live view on/off.

[michaelmorris]

I am not quite understanding this all...

When I use DSLR Controller on my Canon 6D it is certainly in "live view" mode, the mirror locks up as soon as communication has been established. This live view is piped via WiFi to DSLR Controller. When I focus (by first pressing the AF button) I can see the image being focused on my phone each time I press the << >> buttons. The LCD on the camera is off during this.

I can press the top left hand button (B or M for instance) which turns live view on/off.

Hi Stuart

Looking at DSLR controller again you are of course perfectly correct and I am a numpty!  Perhaps next time I should check that piece of software actually does (not what I recall it does) before posting.

[Psychobilly]

Guess I must have been right about it being a liveview thing after all then

[michaelmorris]

Guess I must have been right about it being a liveview thing after all then

Yep.

[StuartJPP]

No problem...thought I was doing something wrong or not using the SW properly

I haven't used DSLR Controller under dark skies yet. I find anything to do with WiFi "iffy". WiFi has got to be the most useless radio technology out there. It is nothing short of pathetic. One minute it will connect 1st time, next time it doesn't, 3rd time it drops etc. Totally inconsistent. Almost as bad as Bluetooth...Though once finally connected they appear to work okay.

Out of interest, enabling WiFi on the Canon 6D consumes about ~50mA, so not an extreme amount but enough to help kill the battery. I'd like to be able to check focus, refocus etc. without touching the mount...

[michaelmorris]

No problem...thought I was doing something wrong or not using the SW properly

I haven't used DSLR Controller under dark skies yet. I find anything to do with WiFi "iffy". WiFi has got to be the most useless radio technology out there. It is nothing short of pathetic. One minute it will connect 1st time, next time it doesn't, 3rd time it drops etc. Totally inconsistent. Almost as bad as Bluetooth...Though once finally connected they appear to work okay.

Out of interest, enabling WiFi on the Canon 6D consumes about ~50mA, so not an extreme amount but enough to help kill the battery. I'd like to be able to check focus, refocus etc. without touching the mount...

Just use DSLR controller, using a USB cable with an OTG adaptor to link it to the phone/tablet.

[StuartJPP]

My Google Nexus 4 phone doesn't have OTG functionality unfortunately so I have to control it via WiFi...