Helicon Soft Forum

First off, this is a fantastic time saver, certainly beats sitting in EOS remote utility advancing focus increments and pressing the take photo button. Well done.

After using it for a while (some 3,000+ shots later) I have a few suggestions for features that would make life and the product even better.

1) Custom white balance selection via dropper tool. This is in EOS remote so I'm guessing it'd be easy to incorporate. I know I can apply a white balance to RAW files in DPP however being able to compose lighting etc with more accurate colours is very important to me.

2) Lock mirror option. This is not in EOS remote so I don't know how difficult it is. Live view from my understanding creates heat build up in the sensor thus increasing sensor noise and subsequently image degradation. You can disable live view whilst shooting but there is no 'lock mirror' option. I believe it is definitely required for studio type greater than 1:1 macro work.

3) A larger focus increment advancment button. If you are using small increments you have to sit there at the computer and wait for each increment selected to finish before clicking again as keystrokes are not queued, which is quite tedious since there is no click or key stroke queuing. I've reduced all delays to the bare minimum and it is still not great. I would greatly appreciate the ability to select 100 focal increment steps for where you know from experience you will need to do so. I'd be happy to have the additional button on either end of the scale only enabled when small increments is selected. I tried selecting my start point with normal increments and then advancing to about where I wanted to set a stop point then tried to switch to small increments for fine tuning but it cleared my start point and vice versa.

Generally I'm using a Canon 50D with EF100mm f2.8 macro with optional diopters and extension tubes.

Thanks for the great suggestions. Eyedropper tool should be easy to implement. As to MLU, Helicon Remote supports this mode, you need to activate it in the camera settings first. The only problem is that camera makes focusing steps only if Live View is on. so we need to flip mirror more than we would like to. As to focus increment, we plan to allow use defined number of steps for >> and >>> buttons. This should solve your problem.

Thank you for your very prompt response.

Excellent news about the eyedropper and definable focus step buttons. I did doubt the mirror lock as I wasn't sure how the mechanics behaved without live view and i was unable determine how to properly test it myself.

I have myself wondered about the potential for doing a firmware hack utilising the microAF adjustments as a way of permitting in camera focus bracketting to a degree. I don't have a laptop and if I did I wouldn't always think to take it with me. Hmmm, something to get thinking about again.

Cheers!

If you want to hack your camera, search for Magic Lantern firmware.

Thanks for the reference to Magic Lantern.

The 50D is soon to be released so I will wait to see an initial working release before playing with anything. I already have too many things and too little time

Thanks again!