DotTune AFMA (dot_tune.mo)

[Jockerl]

I tested DotTune on my Mark III 1.2.3 (Bleeding Edge Build 17. March 2014) and used the mode "linear -20...+20". It additionaly performed the -40...+40 and -100...+100 tests. Is this a supposed behavior or did i make something wrong? Can anyone please look into it. I can give you more information and settings if you need it.

[ayshih]

Nope, that's a bug!  It looks to be an easy fix, and I just submitted a pull request for review.  Incidentally, if you didn't know, you can do a half-shutter press to cancel a scan.

[Jockerl]

Thanks for your fast feedback and the fix When i cancel the scan it saves the wrong value, so your fix is the cleaner and better solution. I will test it, when its merged.

[poromaa]

I have tried two lenses with mars 15 build.
Both goes on, putting random dots all over the line up to +- 100 (until I cancel).
My lenses are: Tamron 24-70 2.8 vc & Canon 50 1.4

Same behaviour on both lenses.
Camera: 5d mark ii
build:mars 14

[yiliangliu]

I tried the dottune on my 5D mark III and I did not see wide/tele option on the screen. I registered the lens, and it shows wide/tele on the regular Canon menu, but not in ML. How should I do to solve this problem? I used the latest version of ML firmware.

[Audionut]

Both goes on, putting random dots all over the line up to +- 100 (until I cancel).

Make sure you have critical focus on your target.

I tried the dottune on my 5D mark III and I did not see wide/tele option on the screen. I registered the lens, and it shows wide/tele on the regular Canon menu, but not in ML. How should I do to solve this problem? I used the latest version of ML firmware.

The module currently does not set these values.

Set the lens to wide, run DotTune, note down the adjustment.
Repeat at tele.
Manually input values through Canon menu.

[VisualPursuit]

Not sure if I'm doing anything wrong.

DotTune gives me the spirits level tool blinking 3 times and then says
"Press INFO and try again".

EF 1.2/85mm L MkI on 5D Mk3 with 1.2.3. bleeding edge from March 31st.

Switched global draw off, C.Fn.4 off, manually focussed on target in
approx 4m distance in live view 10x zoom, then started the module.

Levels tool appears blinking three times, then it exits with the message above.

Any obvious user error?

Thanks, Michael

[a1ex]

Enable the info screen from Canon menu (or reset Canon settings to defaults).

[Audionut]

C.Fn4 isn't an on/off option.  That is clear custom settings.
Is it actually level?

Here, the module enables the info screen.

[VisualPursuit]

Enabling info screen didn't do it alone.
So I reset all camera settings and now it works perfect.

Thank you very much!

Lens ends up at -10 constantly.


Edit: Yes, I cleared custom functions for C.Fn4.

[Blaster]

I tried DotTune on my 6D (Tragic Lantern 4th of April 2014 version). I get focus confirmation for all the tests from -100 to +100 until i cancel.
I have tried:
resetting my 6D to default settings, I'm focusing wide open from LV, "Display shooting functions" is enabled, turn off lcd on halfshutter is disabled, All my lenses behave the same and I'm focusnig from 50*focal length.

Am I doing anything wrong? I really hope someone can help me

[Marsu42]

Am I doing anything wrong? I really hope someone can help me

I know this might not be very helpful right now, but I can confirm dot_tune does work on 6d, so the issue is on your side :-o

[Blaster]

I know this might not be very helpful right now, but I can confirm dot_tune does work on 6d, so the issue is on your side :-o

that gives me hope

it turns out that it works correctly when I set AFMA mode to "all lenses", but not when it is set to "this lens" :S

[tjaja]

Did you choose one focus point first?

[Blaster]

Did you choose one focus point first?

Yes, but it works on "all lenses" so I can just note down the results and apply them manually for each lens, no problem.

[VisualPursuit]

Okay, looks like there might be a problem.

Obviously DotTune works different for some lenses.
I ran through all my lenses, and with these reports
above in mind I remember that only two lenses completed
very fast and with a result other than zero.

I will check again tomorrow some of the lenses with
the "all lenses" setting.

[tacticole]

Just did this test today with the current bleeding edge build (April 10th, 2PM)

Shot on the 5D Mark 3, with the 85mm 1.2 L Canon.

ISO 100, F1.8, Shutter at 1/200, using a printable focus chart about 1 meter away from the camera.

I ran the module after focusing manually with live view at 10x magnification, and it just runs to the +/-100 with a confirmation at each point. Is that because of the distance? Aperture? I use the flaat_10 picture style if that makes any difference in how the camera meters/focuses. New to the micro adjustment game, just figured I'd throw some information out to see if it's a user error or whatever. Thanks for the help!

Also, planning on doing this with the 35mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4, 16-35mm2.8, and 70-200mm 2.8 (all canon) and was curious if anybody has had positive result for any of those lenses.

[tacticole]

Just did this test today with the current bleeding edge build (April 10th, 2PM)

Shot on the 5D Mark 3, with the 85mm 1.2 L Canon.

ISO 100, F1.8, Shutter at 1/200, using a printable focus chart about 1 meter away from the camera.

I ran the module after focusing manually with live view at 10x magnification, and it just runs to the +/-100 with a confirmation at each point. Is that because of the distance? Aperture? I use the flaat_10 picture style if that makes any difference in how the camera meters/focuses. New to the micro adjustment game, just figured I'd throw some information out to see if it's a user error or whatever. Thanks for the help!

Also, planning on doing this with the 35mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4, 16-35mm2.8, and 70-200mm 2.8 (all canon) and was curious if anybody has had positive result for any of those lenses.

Also for the record, the chart in question is here: http://www.testcams.com/DotTune/CrossHatch_Target.png

If I don't have luck with the 85mm, I'll try to other primes and see what I get.

[ayshih]

I'm not currently near my camera to do any testing, but when the module runs to +/-100 with a confirmation at each point, that likely means that the module is not actually managing to change the AFMA setting.  The most likely reason is that you are adjusting the AFMA by lens, but the particular lens is not yet registered with the camera.  All you should need to do is to use the Canon menu to first manually specify an AFMA setting, any setting, and then the lens will be registered.  After that, the module should work.

Alternatively, you can switch the AFMA mode to all lenses, and then the registration step isn't necessary.

Finally, I would encourage anyone who has difficulties with the module to make clear whether or not he/she can successfully use the DotTune approach in the manual fashion (i.e., not using the module).  That will help distinguish between issues with the module and issues with the setup.

[tacticole]

I'm not currently near my camera to do any testing, but when the module runs to +/-100 with a confirmation at each point, that likely means that the module is not actually managing to change the AFMA setting.  The most likely reason is that you are adjusting the AFMA by lens, but the particular lens is not yet registered with the camera.  All you should need to do is to use the Canon menu to first manually specify an AFMA setting, any setting, and then the lens will be registered.  After that, the module should work.

Alternatively, you can switch the AFMA mode to all lenses, and then the registration step isn't necessary.

Finally, I would encourage anyone who has difficulties with the module to make clear whether or not he/she can successfully use the DotTune approach in the manual fashion (i.e., not using the module).  That will help distinguish between issues with the module and issues with the setup.

Yes! Thank you, this solved my issue. To clarify for anybody else, I went into the canon menu, accessed the AFMA settings and made sure to click 'Register' when dealing with a specific lens. I changed the value to -1, set it, then went back in and changed it to zero again, just to make sure it saved a value of some sort specifically for the lens. Ran the module and it no longer gave me the +/-100 issue. Thanks for helping ayshih.

[l_d_allan]

ISO 100, F1.8, Shutter at 1/200, using a printable focus chart about 1 meter away from the camera.

That seems to be too close. Canon recommends 50x focal length, which would be about 12' away with the 85mm ... ~ 4 meters, if I did the math correctly.

I suppose if your primary use for the 85mm is head+shoulders portraits, that might justify doing the AF-MA at that specific distance.

It appears from your later post that you got the 85mm AF-MA to work. Great! For those who are struggling to get Auto-Dot-Tune to behave, it would probably be a good thing to start at 50x distance. Once it is working, then and only then use something other than 50x.

The 85mm f1.2L would certainly be a lens that would benefit from AF-MA, with its very shallow DOF.

It would be interesting to see what the setting for it would be at 1', 3', 8', 12', 50', and infinity.

FWIW: My speculation is that the newer Sigma lenses with their "Dock" allow AF-MA at different distances. I am unclear how that would integrate with a Canon body however.

[Audionut]

FWIW: My speculation is that the newer Sigma lenses with their "Dock" allow AF-MA at different distances. I am unclear how that would integrate with a Canon body however.

With (some Sigma) fixed focal length, you can program the AFMA at 4 different focal distances.  I used the camera, setup at each focal distance, and ran dot_tune, then made note of each setting and used the dock to program the lens.  Then the camera set back to 0 AFMA value.

With (some Sigma) zoom lenses, you can also program different focal lengths, as well as focal distance at each focal length.

[l_d_allan]

Alternatively, you can switch the AFMA mode to all lenses, and then the registration step isn't necessary.

I've wondered if there would be a scenario where this option makes sense. My impression is that you'd be making the assumption that the setting for one lens is better, or even optimal for other lenses.

I suppose if you only have time to AF-MA one lens, it's not completely unrealistic to "cross your fingers" and proceed with the assumption that your other lenses could use the same adjustment. Seems flawed, as I'd think you'd be better off the leave the other lenses at 0.

Suppose you did AF-MA on your most used 85mm f1.8L, and found it was very far away from the default zero, such as +18 or even +45. That would seem to suggest that the manufacturing tolerances of the body and/or lens was borderline. (and also the value of having a body with AF-MA).

[l_d_allan]

With (some Sigma) fixed focal length, you can program the AFMA at 4 different focal distances.  I used the camera, setup at each focal distance, and ran dot_tune, then made note of each setting and used the dock to program the lens.  Then the camera set back to 0 AFMA value.

With (some Sigma) zoom lenses, you can also program different focal lengths, as well as focal distance at each focal length.

Interesting. Thanks for the reply. I'm curious if you noticed much difference between subject distances, and also with different focal lengths.

[l_d_allan]

Also for the record, the chart in question is here: http://www.testcams.com/DotTune/CrossHatch_Target.png

Thanks. Looks like a nice target, except I'd think you would want some or many diagonals in both directions (slanted up and slanted down).

I made up a target from large and small fonts, then put in cross-hatches and diagonals. For a while, Auto-Dot-Tune was always reporting "Bad Target", but I think that was a minor s/w bug with a "dangling if", IIRC. I'd make up what I thought was a better target, it still kept being reject. That's been fixed.

Also, I believe A1ex wrote that the quality of the target didn't have to be all that great / precise / complicated, like you'd use for ImaTest. The main thing is to have plenty of contrast. Or not?