Hi Jose. You can either download and print the calibration target from the files supplied with the FoCal download, or you can purchase a hard plastic target from the FoCal store (go to reikanfocal.com/ and click the Store link)
The Z6/Z7 cameras run in what we call "User Assisted Mode", which means you will have change a few settings during the test. However, using the voice prompts and camera hotkey each change takes around 10 seconds, and for a calibration you typically have to do it about 5 or 6 times, so it's not a huge issue. We'll have a video soon explaining exactly how User Assisted Mode cameras work, hot to use the voice prompts and hotkey and just how easy it is to calibrate. The full list of cameras and what features they support is on the website here: reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html
Interesting update, now for a person as myself who just recently purchased the present software will there be any discounts for those folks like myself to update?
Hi Howard. A licence for FoCal gives you 12 months of free updates, so as long as you’ve bought within the last 12 months you can use FoCal 2020. There’s more info here: support.fo-cal.co.uk/article/19-pay-for-updates
Hi Joaquim We've released a beta version of FoCal 2021 which contains early support for the Z6ii and Z7ii, but we're still working on finalising this. If you're happy to use beta versions of the software, send us a message through the support page (blog.reikanfocal.com/contact-support/) and we can send you early releases for testing with the Z6ii, otherwise we expect to have the final version available in a few weeks.
Hi Wayne. If you've got FoCal, then going to Help > Target Distance will open the interactive tool which lets you see the recommended testing distance. For 500mm, this works out at 10 metres ideally. There's information about the target and reasoning behind the distance at this help page also: www.reikanfocal.com/help2/0052.html
Hi Dave. Sadly not - the D850 only allows a single calibration value to be set. That’s a feature that’s dependant on the camera and the D780 was the first Nikon camera that allowed wide/telephoto settings.
The 5D Mark III runs in what we call "User Assisted Mode", which means you will have change a few settings during the test. However, using the voice prompts and camera hotkey each change takes around 10 seconds, and for a calibration you typically have to do it about 5 or 6 times, so it's not a huge issue. We'll have a video soon explaining exactly how User Assisted Mode cameras work, hot to use the voice prompts and hotkey and just how easy it is to calibrate. The full list of cameras and what features they support is on the website here: reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html
Will or how can it work on my sigma 150-600 sport with usb dock.. And the Sigma software? Does i have to do the calibration on this software and just write the value, your software give me, on all the Distance etc. according the sigma software..! 150-250-400-600mm and 2,6 - 6- 15- 30 meters And then later connect my sigma docking and type the values . Will that be the way for my Sigma 150-600 or the software have and option to go into the firmware of the Sigma and do its job there..?? Thanks
You should automatically be directed to the USD store if you’re buying from the US. If you follow the Store link at www.reikanfocal.com it should take you to the right store.
Hi David. There's nothing that would stop you running any of the FoCal tests on an IR converted camera. I've not had much experience with IR converted cameras, but my assumption is they remove the blocking filter from the image sensor, but don't make any adjustments to the AF sensor. If that's the case, then when you run a calibration, the autofocus sensor will behave as it always has done (with no concept of the IR conversion), but the sharpness of the captured image may depend on how much IR there is in the illumination you're using, and that could affect the overall result. I guess the best thing to do would be to try out the calibration and then use the camera for some real-world shooting and see if you're happy with the results. I'd make sure the lighting is as similar to how you're going to shoot with the camera - i.e. calibrate under nautral daylight if you're shooting outdoors. The Autofocus Consistency tool in FoCal 2020 lets you run with either the AF sensor (PDAF) or the image sensor (Live View) - it would be worth trying both of those to see the difference and get an idea of whether the image sensor AF performance has been affected by the conversion. Also, MultiTest might reveal some interesting results, you might find the sharpness profile and re-focus performance (manual focus vs autofocus) a little different after the conversion. Let us know how you get on!
Hi Manish. If you purchase FoCal, you're entitled to any updates for 12 months after this, after which you need to buy an extension at a reduced cost. There's more details about the cameras/computers you can use it on here: support.fo-cal.co.uk/article/18-what-does-reikan-focal-license-cover
On Mac, you can install it alongside (just choose to copy alongside when you drag to the Applications folder). On Windows, for this Alpha you cannot install alongside, but this was a mistake on our part and we'll fix it in the next version. However, you can just uninstall the Alpha and reinstall your 2.x version and it should start up as it was before (no need to re-enter license details and no settings will be lost).
We've just release FoCal 2020 Beta which you now *can* install side-by-side with FoCal 2.x on both Windows and Mac. More info is on the blog here: blog.reikanfocal.com/2020/08/focal-2020-beta-1/
Does it calibrate different focal ranges and make all of them sharp Like i have 70-200 And when i calibrated at 200 mm i still have some issue with the 70mm
Hi Ahmed. Each calibration works at a single focal length, but on quite a few modern cameras (from the Canon EOS 5D Mark III onwards, and the Nikon D780, D6, Z6mk2, Z7mk2) you can enter values into the camera for Wide and Telephoto ends of the zoom range and the camera will pick an appropriate value for the mid-zoom focal lengths. To do this, you run a calibration at either end of the zoom range and the camera will do the rest. If your camera does *not* support calibration at both ends of the zoom range, we generally recommend calibrating at the telephoto end as this usually gives the best overall results. But there's nothing to stop you calibrating at, say, 70mm, 135mm and 200mm and seeing what the results look like, then you can make a judgement on the best value to use in you camera.
(I've copied a response from another question about this here): The D810 runs in what we call "User Assisted Mode", which means you will have change a few settings during the test. However, using the voice prompts and camera hotkey each change takes around 10 seconds, and for a calibration you typically have to do it about 5 or 6 times, so it's not a huge issue. We'll have a video soon explaining exactly how User Assisted Mode cameras work, hot to use the voice prompts and hotkey and just how easy it is to calibrate. The full list of cameras and what features they support is on the website here: reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html
Hi Andrew. Your get 12 months of updates with a purchase of FoCal so this should be free of charge for you - see more here: support.fo-cal.co.uk/article/19-pay-for-updates
It's coming...! We get asked this a lot and have recently started the development to integrate Sony support into FoCal. There are some significant limitations with cameras more than a year or two old as the interface with the computer is very limited, but we will implement whatever we can to get as many features working on as many Sony cameras as possible. Watch this space, and we should have good news for you early in the New Year.
Sorry to hear you've had problems with FoCal. If you get in touch with support (blog.reikanfocal.com/contact-support/) they can usually help through any issues.
We've made a few fixes in the new Beta of FoCal 2020 (blog.reikanfocal.com/2020/08/focal-2020-beta-1/) to support manual lenses for the Aperture Sharpness test.
Thank you for the update, looking for to some calibration checking and updating soon . . .
You're very welcome Jerry. Let us know how you get on!
Much better tutorial than what I have seen would be much if you coupled these clips with an explanation on how ro transfer the data to the g2 console
Really great, informative video. Thank you Focal, awesome piece of kit.
Is the FoCal program at all useful for MANUAL focus lenses? I'd really like to see the performance of my complete set of lenses. Thanks so much!!! Tom
That cart that is used for calibration process, is something I print from the software?
Hi Jose. You can either download and print the calibration target from the files supplied with the FoCal download, or you can purchase a hard plastic target from the FoCal store (go to reikanfocal.com/ and click the Store link)
Are Nikon cameras supported automatically or do they require user intervention as in the past? Specifically, the Z7 and Z6 camera bodies.
The Z6/Z7 cameras run in what we call "User Assisted Mode", which means you will have change a few settings during the test. However, using the voice prompts and camera hotkey each change takes around 10 seconds, and for a calibration you typically have to do it about 5 or 6 times, so it's not a huge issue.
We'll have a video soon explaining exactly how User Assisted Mode cameras work, hot to use the voice prompts and hotkey and just how easy it is to calibrate. The full list of cameras and what features they support is on the website here: reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html
Interesting update, now for a person as myself who just recently purchased the present software will there be any discounts for those folks like myself to update?
Hi Howard. A licence for FoCal gives you 12 months of free updates, so as long as you’ve bought within the last 12 months you can use FoCal 2020. There’s more info here: support.fo-cal.co.uk/article/19-pay-for-updates
Hello, when will an update by Reikan Focal 2020 for the new Nikon Z6ii ?
Hi Joaquim
We've released a beta version of FoCal 2021 which contains early support for the Z6ii and Z7ii, but we're still working on finalising this.
If you're happy to use beta versions of the software, send us a message through the support page (blog.reikanfocal.com/contact-support/) and we can send you early releases for testing with the Z6ii, otherwise we expect to have the final version available in a few weeks.
Hi..How do i find out the distance required to test? In my case, the first one to be tested is a 500mm prime.Thanks...
Hi Wayne. If you've got FoCal, then going to Help > Target Distance will open the interactive tool which lets you see the recommended testing distance. For 500mm, this works out at 10 metres ideally.
There's information about the target and reasoning behind the distance at this help page also: www.reikanfocal.com/help2/0052.html
Does the Nikon d850 allow for more than one focal range setting on zoom lenses?
Hi Dave. Sadly not - the D850 only allows a single calibration value to be set. That’s a feature that’s dependant on the camera and the D780 was the first Nikon camera that allowed wide/telephoto settings.
I can´t connect my Nikon D750 altough it is shown up on the window; there is a message "failed to open session with camera" :-/
Will Focal 2020 test automatically on a Canon 5D Mark 3, or is a lot of manual intervention required?
The 5D Mark III runs in what we call "User Assisted Mode", which means you will have change a few settings during the test. However, using the voice prompts and camera hotkey each change takes around 10 seconds, and for a calibration you typically have to do it about 5 or 6 times, so it's not a huge issue.
We'll have a video soon explaining exactly how User Assisted Mode cameras work, hot to use the voice prompts and hotkey and just how easy it is to calibrate. The full list of cameras and what features they support is on the website here: reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html
Will or how can it work on my sigma 150-600 sport with usb dock.. And the Sigma software? Does i have to do the calibration on this software and just write the value, your software give me, on all the Distance etc. according the sigma software..! 150-250-400-600mm and 2,6 - 6- 15- 30 meters And then later connect my sigma docking and type the values . Will that be the way for my Sigma 150-600 or the software have and option to go into the firmware of the Sigma and do its job there..?? Thanks
Have you open up USA payment port for PayPal?
You should automatically be directed to the USD store if you’re buying from the US. If you follow the Store link at www.reikanfocal.com it should take you to the right store.
I have a couple of cameras converted to infrared. Can I use FoCal to test these cameras, with various lenses?
Hi David.
There's nothing that would stop you running any of the FoCal tests on an IR converted camera.
I've not had much experience with IR converted cameras, but my assumption is they remove the blocking filter from the image sensor, but don't make any adjustments to the AF sensor.
If that's the case, then when you run a calibration, the autofocus sensor will behave as it always has done (with no concept of the IR conversion), but the sharpness of the captured image may depend on how much IR there is in the illumination you're using, and that could affect the overall result.
I guess the best thing to do would be to try out the calibration and then use the camera for some real-world shooting and see if you're happy with the results. I'd make sure the lighting is as similar to how you're going to shoot with the camera - i.e. calibrate under nautral daylight if you're shooting outdoors.
The Autofocus Consistency tool in FoCal 2020 lets you run with either the AF sensor (PDAF) or the image sensor (Live View) - it would be worth trying both of those to see the difference and get an idea of whether the image sensor AF performance has been affected by the conversion.
Also, MultiTest might reveal some interesting results, you might find the sharpness profile and re-focus performance (manual focus vs autofocus) a little different after the conversion.
Let us know how you get on!
If i purchase focal then is there any validity of the software and how many bodies i can calibrate? Is there any limitation
Hi Manish. If you purchase FoCal, you're entitled to any updates for 12 months after this, after which you need to buy an extension at a reduced cost.
There's more details about the cameras/computers you can use it on here: support.fo-cal.co.uk/article/18-what-does-reikan-focal-license-cover
Does this install alongside my current version, or will it overwrite that version?
On Mac, you can install it alongside (just choose to copy alongside when you drag to the Applications folder).
On Windows, for this Alpha you cannot install alongside, but this was a mistake on our part and we'll fix it in the next version.
However, you can just uninstall the Alpha and reinstall your 2.x version and it should start up as it was before (no need to re-enter license details and no settings will be lost).
We've just release FoCal 2020 Beta which you now *can* install side-by-side with FoCal 2.x on both Windows and Mac. More info is on the blog here: blog.reikanfocal.com/2020/08/focal-2020-beta-1/
Does it calibrate different focal ranges and make all of them sharp
Like i have 70-200
And when i calibrated at 200 mm i still have some issue with the 70mm
Hi Ahmed.
Each calibration works at a single focal length, but on quite a few modern cameras (from the Canon EOS 5D Mark III onwards, and the Nikon D780, D6, Z6mk2, Z7mk2) you can enter values into the camera for Wide and Telephoto ends of the zoom range and the camera will pick an appropriate value for the mid-zoom focal lengths.
To do this, you run a calibration at either end of the zoom range and the camera will do the rest.
If your camera does *not* support calibration at both ends of the zoom range, we generally recommend calibrating at the telephoto end as this usually gives the best overall results. But there's nothing to stop you calibrating at, say, 70mm, 135mm and 200mm and seeing what the results look like, then you can make a judgement on the best value to use in you camera.
Will FoCal 2020 do the automatic tests on a Nikon D810 without the manual intervention?
(I've copied a response from another question about this here):
The D810 runs in what we call "User Assisted Mode", which means you will have change a few settings during the test. However, using the voice prompts and camera hotkey each change takes around 10 seconds, and for a calibration you typically have to do it about 5 or 6 times, so it's not a huge issue.
We'll have a video soon explaining exactly how User Assisted Mode cameras work, hot to use the voice prompts and hotkey and just how easy it is to calibrate. The full list of cameras and what features they support is on the website here: reikanfocal.com/supported-cameras.html
Can I update my current focal software purchased several months ago or do I need to subscribe again?
Hi Andrew. Your get 12 months of updates with a purchase of FoCal so this should be free of charge for you - see more here: support.fo-cal.co.uk/article/19-pay-for-updates
Hai.. I just purchased the Pro version.. Now the software can't detect my camera..
Could you get in touch with the support team and they'll take a look at this for you: blog.reikanfocal.com/contact-support/
I just purchased this and it's been running for 2 hrs and still not set up . They need to refund me my funds .
What about Sony??
It's coming...! We get asked this a lot and have recently started the development to integrate Sony support into FoCal. There are some significant limitations with cameras more than a year or two old as the interface with the computer is very limited, but we will implement whatever we can to get as many features working on as many Sony cameras as possible.
Watch this space, and we should have good news for you early in the New Year.
This software is not user friendly. I have never been able to successfully use it; too frustrating.
Sorry to hear you've had problems with FoCal. If you get in touch with support (blog.reikanfocal.com/contact-support/) they can usually help through any issues.
Can this be used to test manual focus lenses or only autofocus lenses?
We've made a few fixes in the new Beta of FoCal 2020 (blog.reikanfocal.com/2020/08/focal-2020-beta-1/) to support manual lenses for the Aperture Sharpness test.