Focusing an EOS 300D?

[Polmear (Tim)]

For the lucky few Live View has made focusing a DSLR relatively easy, but I have an aging Canon EOS 300D and the viewfinder view is impossible at night and there's no Live View.

I'm thinking that doing a series of test shots remotely triggered by the camera control software and tweaked by examining the test images on the computer would be one way to achieve a reasonable focus.

Any thoughts?

[stardust steve (Steve)]

Hi Tim. I have had some problems too as i guess have many people. That is a good way if you have EOS Utility or similar program, you can view the images after they transfer over. I found i did quite a few test shots at about 5 sec eposure then zoomed in after to try and get good focus. I also found the focus ring to move after i had set it in MF on my 50mm f1.8 nifty.
I found with my lens, good focus was all the way anti clockwise (from looking through viewfinder) then back just a tad.
Apart from that i cant think of anything else, hopefully others will have ideas. Good luck

[mplanet62 (Michael)]

Yes, that's the way. All will be much quicker with Bahtinov mask.

[leon]

Another option is an Canon Angle finder, they do work a treat.

Leon

[sgazer (Lee)]

I went through the same thing with a 300d. Best to get a bahtinov and focus it on a very bright star using the view finder. Other way is to get it as close as possible, then keep taking an image, view and zoom into it and keep adjusting the focus until it's spot on.

[2stroke (Jay)]

what about apt or backyardEOS and the focus tool there?

edit: sorry digi I unsupported

EOS utils looks like your best shot, maybe you can use pencil/scribe marks to make the ease of next setup faster be it scope or lens.

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

I go with Leon, initially I used the angle view finder an awful lot- Seagull brand are cheap on ebay.
Cheers
Graz