Problems with Remote and a software change request

[+Tom+]

I have downloaded the Helicon Focus trial software (Ver. 2.3.14.w)Beta.
So far I have experimented mostly with the Remote software.
I have a Nikon D5000 with two lenses a Tamron 17-50 and a Nikon 55-200.
I started with my Tamron lens. I saved the near and the far focus planes. But then as I was attempting to use the 'go to focal point' buttons I found that the lens would not return to the same focusing point.
The lens was not executing all the focusing steps commanded by the software.
I switched to my Nikon lens and found that the lens worked much better. A couple of times it missed a couple of focusing steps but overall it functioned was much better.
Back to the Tamron lens for some tests:
I set up the camera to view an object close to the near focusing limit of the lens. Then I moved the focus ring to infinity. I selected Auto-focus in the software and clicked on the object to make the lens move thru its focus range and focus the lens on the object. While the lens moved thru its focus range I observed the focus ring of the lens. I saved the new found focus point and moved the lens to infinity again. This time I used the 'go to focus point' button and observed the focus ring of my lens again. Compared to the Auto-focus move the lens was moving faster and the focus motor was noticeably louder. The move was not as nice and smooth as it was when using Auto-focus!
My observations have me concerned about using your software. I know that today’s lenses use a lot of plastic parts and driving the focus mechanism as hard as Remote seems to could damage the lens.

I thinks you MUST make changes to your software to slow the focusing speed down. (adding a time delay between commanding the steps to the stepping motor). The best thing would be if your had an option to allow the the user to slow the speed of stepping down to best fit the need of the lens.

I think your software has good potential but I’m hesitating to use it until changes are made.

[+Tom+]

In my initial post I forgot to mention another test I made with my Tamron lens. Using the single stepping buttons (< and >) I was moving the lens 100 steps one way and then 100 steps the other way.
I did so three times and the focus of the lens ended up at the same spot every time. Then I was using the fast stepping buttons (<<< and >>>), the one that is commanding 25 steps at the time, just 3 steps one way and then 3 steps back and then lens would loose its position and not get back to the starting point.

[Stas Yatsenko]

Thanks for testing. Please use the latest 2.3.16 version with contains many enhancements. Helicon Remote allows you to control speed of movement, please set Pause between steps to higher value. Most probably this will help you to avoid loosing steps.

[+Tom+]

I have upgraded to version 2.3.16.w, but I do not see any changes! At least not for a Nikon user.
I see that the preferences for Canon have setting options, but that doesn't solve my problem with my Nikon!

[Stas Yatsenko]

First let me give ou some information how it works internally, I hope this will make your tests more efficient.

There is only one command for Nikon cameras which sound like "move XX microsteps forwards/backwards". We found that some lens have kind of dead spot where focus is stopped during long movements. In our case this was somewhere between macro range and normal focusing range.

So I would like you to test if the lost steps are connected with this dead spot or not. Please define A and B points first in the first half of the focusing range and test how camera moves between A and B. Then define point in the second half and repeat the test.

Please check if there is any difference in behavior of the lens that depends where A and B are defined.

We also have suspicion that big and small steps are handed differently by the lens. Please increase Size of focusing step in the Preferences by 2 and see if moving back and forth with with < and > buttons results in lost position. Then increase step once again and repeat the test. It is possible that you find the value of step size which causes problems.