Helicon Soft Forum

I'm evaluating HR for use in macro mode with an 1100D.

All works when well when I use the camera's "big" steps - typically I need no more than thirty focus steps to go from front to back of my target (minerals and rocks).

When I switch to the camera's small steps things get a bit silly! I've no idea how many times smaller a small-step is than a big-step on an 1100D (anybody?), but after some 8000 small steps (compared to 30 big steps) I got bored! What I'd like to do at that point is just focus somewhere (using big-steps), switch to small steps (via Preferences) and then start taking images without having to set either an A or B-point - I just want to say, take this many images ("Shots") and move the camera this many steps ("Interval") in between the shots. Auto is unticked, obviously. But HR won't let me - if I change the Shots then Interval resets to 1, and if I change Interval the Shots resets to 1!

Is this a feature or a bug (or am I missing something)? If the former can you add an option/button/whatever that allows the user full control without the need for start/finish points? It's the only way I think I can make HR work on my 1100D with small steps.


Brendan

Please make sure that points A and B are not defined when you are using manual mode. When A and B are defined, the program knows distance and autocalculates third variable of the equation Distance = (NSteps-1)*StepSize

When only one point is defined, the program behaves as though distance =1. This is a bug and will be fixed.

Small points: please make sure that your lens is actually able to correctly handle them. One big step should be about 5 small steps but this depends on lens. Some lens ignore all or some small steps presumably because of mechanical issues / slack.

To check this, define A and B point and go back and forth several times. Make sure the lens returns to the same points every time.

Stas Yatsenko wrote:Please make sure that points A and B are not defined when you are using manual mode. When A and B are defined, the program knows distance and autocalculates third variable of the equation Distance = (NSteps-1)*StepSize

Ah, right, with you now, obvious when it's pointed out.

Stas Yatsenko wrote: Small points: please make sure that your lens is actually able to correctly handle them. One big step should be about 5 small steps but this depends on lens. Some lens ignore all or some small steps presumably because of mechanical issues / slack.

I'm beginning to think the camera's not doing it right, though it does make what seems like a "stepping noise" when I use small steps, it's just that it takes forever to get anywhere. It seems like one big step equals several hundred, if not thousand, small steps!

I'll experiment once I've got a version of the latest HR that works with my 1100D (the latest HR get an internal error on a command when trying to enter LiveView mode so I can only use the older HR at the moment, I've reported the problem to Alex).


Brendan

Thanks for the update. I would also recommend to test small steps pointing camer upwards and downwards, this may change lens behaviour. Please also try to increase time between steps, it may also help if your lens is too slow.