DSLR Focus

AdrianF (Adrian) · #1 21-11-2009, 05:29 PM

I have just bought and registered DSLR Focus V3.3.
I cannot get it to work properly. Anyone else using this software? Any problems?
I cannot get any images to the hard drive (Save image(s) to PC) if I try to setup an automated sequence the software crashes after the first exposure and I have to restart the software.
I cannot find the "Start Monitoring" button I cannot do "Manual Focus" because I havent been able to transfer photo to DSLR Focus.

Adrian

[1ponders] (Paul) · #2 21-11-2009, 05:41 PM

Few more details Adrian. What OS? What camera

AdrianF (Adrian) · #3 21-11-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Few more details Adrian. What OS? What camera

I have tried it on desktop running Win7 and a laptop running WinXP with a canon 350D.
I have read the instruction manual but is very hard to follow when it says do "this" but I cant find the command anywhere to do "this".

Adrian

[1ponders] (Paul) · #4 21-11-2009, 07:24 PM

I don't think it will work with Win7, but works fine with my xp and 300D and 20D.

I don't download to pc, but save to card, but this is my procedure.

1. connect camera with USB cable and turn camera on. Make sure camera is set to M (manual). It won't like it if it isn't. Also if you are doing widefield with lenses make sure your lens is set to manual as well.
2. Open DSLR Focus
3. Click menu item Application>connect to camera.

A dialogue box opens with 'Connect' active in the top left corner

4. Click 'Connect'> another dialogue opens with recognized cameras. I select 20D
5. Original dialogue box switches to Capture Mode. Click on Focus Mode and set the camera parameters to ISO800, Tv 4 sec, (Av is only available if you are using a camera lens), and Quality to "medium fine"

You should be right to start focusing now. Just his the space bar and the camera will fire. Once I find a moderately bright star I use the magnifier set on about 6. I don't use the inbuilt focusing aids anymore. In fact i don't even use the focuser anymore. I use my BT Mask and find the brightest star near where I want to shoot and focus on that.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #5 21-11-2009, 07:25 PM

You won't be able to do exposures longer than 30sec if you only have the usb cable. You will need a serial to 2.5mm audio pin to do long exposure captures. I rarely use DSLR Focus to control capture, I prefer the hand held timer.

TrevorW · #6 21-11-2009, 07:31 PM

I use it for focusing and capture works fine but as Paul pointed out you'll need a USB to serial cable etc for long exposure captures

AdrianF (Adrian) · #7 21-11-2009, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

You won't be able to do exposures longer than 30sec if you only have the usb cable. You will need a serial to 2.5mm audio pin to do long exposure captures. I rarely use DSLR Focus to control capture, I prefer the hand held timer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevorW

I use it for focusing and capture works fine but as Paul pointed out you'll need a USB to serial cable etc for long exposure captures

I made up a serial cable and bought a USB-Serial converter, both working with no problems.
The problems I am having are to do with the software itself, the ribbon at the top of the screen are mainly greyed out no matter what I do and commands that are in the manual dont exist on the screen as I mentioned in my previous post.
I can take single exposures as long as I save to camera not to PC but if I automate the exposures the software will lockup after the first exposure.

Adrian

rogerg (Roger) · #8 21-11-2009, 07:40 PM

It doesn't work with Vista, I'm not sure if it does with Win7. It does work with XP. I used to use it all the time with XP and my 350D with few problems. I used a Serial 9 pin to camera cable first and then a GPUSB to camera cable second (for long exposures).

There's a Yahoo group for the product that might help you.
I used to always save the pictures to the PC. It would work 99% of the time but if the USB cable was too long I would get drop-outs. Make sure you don't have more than 5m between PC and camera or powered hubs. Also make sure you don't have any other software (such as canon's) connected to the camera at the same time.

It's been a long time since I used it now. It's quite out of date, and not software I would recommend now. Having said that, with XP and 350D you should still be able to get it to run no problems.

Robbie · #9 25-11-2009, 04:13 PM

not helpful I know but I struggled with dslr focus software in one form or another for ages, In the end I got better results by using live view and a bahtinov mask; way simpler less pc intensive and IMHO more accurate

AdrianF (Adrian) · #10 25-11-2009, 06:06 PM

Would be nice if the camera had live view maybe my next birthday.
I have given up on DSLR Focus as a waste of time, money and no tech support. I have discovered ImagePlus and have a demo version that I will register soon.
I think I need better glasses because I have a lot of difficulty focusing stars etc thru the view finder on the 350D and just trying to make it easier for myself. I have a bahtinov mask I use but the only way I can get focus is set the camera to 15 sec exposure focus the best I can without the mask put the mask on and take the exposure. Using the LCD on the 350D I zoom in and see how I went and then make adjustments and do it all over again until I get it right, usualy about 5 to 10 tries. I think it's easier if I get the picture on the computer screen and analyse and if I can automate the download the picture to the screen all the better.

Adrian

cventer · #11 25-11-2009, 06:53 PM

Hi Adrian,

Sent you a refund for your purchase. No point paying for somethign that does not work. I don't support it any more other than answering direct email questions, issuing lost kets etc.... There are many 100's of people using it just fine with 350D's on XP so not sure why you are having trouble.

All the best
Chris

TrevorW · #12 04-12-2009, 03:02 PM

I wonder if he set the Comm port correctly

cfranks (Charles) · #13 23-12-2009, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cventer

Hi Adrian,

Sent you a refund for your purchase. No point paying for somethign that does not work. I don't support it any more other than answering direct email questions, issuing lost kets etc....
All the best
Chris

Perhaps you could refund my money too. I paid for it, found it wouldn't work at all with my 40D and was told 'Version 4 will fix that'. Since then, no-one (on the Yahoo Group) has heard from you.

Charles

CoolhandJo (Paul) · #14 23-12-2009, 03:29 PM

I use DSLR Focus with my 350D no issues (XP). But, I only use it for capture now as I use a B mask - find it quicker.

alan meehan (Alan) · #15 23-12-2009, 06:11 PM

Hi Adrian not sure how you are going with your focusing i have used dslr focus and its not so good ,if you google a program Focus Assist this is free and works a treat on XP Iuse it on 350d,400d 20d and works better than live view imho.just set your camera to manual and select pc and dont set you camera to raw and i think this will solve your focus problems
cable is just your cannon cable connected to a usb cable .
ALAN