FoCal

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Frequently Asked Questions



Why do I need FoCal?

When a camera or lens leaves the factory, it has been set up to work as accurately as possible, but there is always some variation in the calibration.  Modern DSLRs have a feature which allows adjustment of the autofocus to compensate for these variations, but it can be difficult to get right.  That is where FoCal comes in - to help you get the best out of your camera.

For more information about how the camera autofocus works and why you need micro adjustment, see here.

How does FoCal work?

To use FoCal, you connect your camera to your PC, and run FoCal on the PC.  FoCal then takes control of the camera (in much the same way as the Canon supplied EOS Utility software for Canon cameras, or other automated camera software), configuring it in the best way to determine the adjustments required.  The camera captures images of a special target (supplied with the software).

In Target Setup and Semi-Automatic mode, FoCal uses the LiveView feature of the camera to get images of the target, and in Fully Automatic mode it captures full resolution shots.

The images are checked in a number of ways to determine whether your setup is correct (and FoCal assists you in any changes that might need to be made).  Complex image analysis is performed, and an innovative prediction algorithm based on our analysis of camera and lens performance across a great deal of samples is used to determine the best result for your camera and lens combination quickly and without hundreds of shutter actuations.

Does FoCal change my camera firmware?

Absolutely not! FoCal simply communicates using the manufacturers protocol from a PC. It's much the same as tethered shooting from software like Adobe Lightroom - just dedicated to a particular task.

Does FoCal change my camera settings?

FoCal changes a number of settings on the camera while running the test (e.g. aperture, ISO, metering etc.).  Before each test is run, the current settings of the camera are stored on the computer.  When the test completes, the settings are restored so your camera is back exactly as you had it before running the test.

Should anything go wrong (e.g. a power cut, the camera battery running out, the cable being unplugged etc.), the next time FoCal is run with the camera connected it will offer to restore the settings exactly as they were.

Do I need any drivers or other special software on my computer?

Your computer will need the Camera drivers installed.  On Windows XP, you will need to install the Canon EOS utility from the CD that was supplied with your camera, or the Nikon drivers as supplied.  On Windows 7, the drivers are automatically downloaded and installed when you connect the camera for the first time.

If you have any problems, you should install the Canon EOS Utility or Nikon equivalent and check that this communicates with the camera correctly.  If the manufacturer utility works for tethered shooting and Live View capture, FoCal should work. 

How much testing has FoCal had?

FoCal has taken thousands of hours of development, during which time hundreds of thousands of shots have been taken and analysed at Reikan (add on the worldwide beta testing and I wouldn't be surprised if several million shots have been analysed since this project started!), and a number of cameras and lenses have been profiled all to get the best possible results from the software.

Is it reliable?

AF microadjustment, whilst appearing to be fairly simple, requires quite a lot of detailed understanding of how the camera works and how to perform tests to determine the best results.

FoCal tries to get all this knowledge packaged into a utility for you.  Setup assistance helps you align the target and avoid erroneous results due to an incorrect setup.  Light levels and changes in environment are monitored and feedback is given if anything that might affect the test is detected.

With good light levels and a solid setup, the Fully Automatic test in FoCal is very reliable.  Almost every situation that can cause an issue is detected by the software and you are informed, along with ideas on how to correct it.  If there are any issues, using the Semi-Automatic test can help reveal the problems.  During testing, problems have generally been due to wildly inconsistent AF performance of the camera or in several cases lenses which were found to be broken!

What does my camera need to work with FoCal?

You camera will need to support AutoFocus Microadjustment.  For the Semi-Automatic mode and Target Setup, your camera will also need to support LiveView.  It is believed that all modern DSLRs that support AF microadjustment also support LiveView.

You will also need the drivers installed to allow communication with the camera.

Which cameras are supported?

As of April 2012, the software supports all Canon cameras currently released that support AF Microadjustment, and all Nikon cameras except the D3, D3X and D4 which will be added shortly

This page shows the currently supported cameras.

Which lenses are supported?

FoCal has been tested with a wide variety of lenses, from ultra wide angle primes to huge telephotos.  The software should work with all lenses that are capable of being used in autofocus mode with the camera - irrespective of manufacturer.  The software works as well with Canon lenses as with Sigma, Tamron, Tokina etc.

At present, FoCal is not designed to work with Manual Focus lenses, but this feature is being developed for future release

Lenses which show high levels of chromatic abberation or other chromatic distortion (generally cheaper or very wide aperture lenses) can affect the results of the analysis so may be better suited to calibration using the visual tools available in the Semi Automatic mode. 

How do you calibrate zoom lenses?

Most cameras only support a single micro-adjustment setting for the whole lens at all zoom positions, which is not ideal. What you tend to find is that the ideal microadjustment values are different at each ends of the zoom range.

Whilst FoCal cannot address the lack of support in a camera for multiple microadjustment values, you can still calibrate a zoom lens and get a better result than uncalibrated. It's easiest to explain this with a quick example...

Suppose you have a 24-70mm lens. If you calibrate at 24mm and get a result of +10 and at 70mm and get a result of +15, then any value between +1 and about +17 will almost certainly make your lens better at any focal length than it would have been at the default setting of 0.

So which value is best? Well, focus errors have a greater effect at the telephoto end of a zoom lens as the depth-of-field is shallower, so it's better to shift slightly towards the telephoto end. In the example above, the recommended value would probably be +13 or +14 - in real shooting you probably wouldn't notice a difference between the two so either would work. What you would notice is a huge improvement over the images compared to an uncalibrated setup!

Incidentally, Canon have acknowledged the need for multiple microadjustment points on a zoom lens by allowing you to calibrate at both ends of the zoom range on the new EOS 1D-X camera

Will FoCal support Sony and other manufacturers?

Our eventual aim is to support as many cameras as possible... as long as the necessary features are available in the manufacturers Software Development Kits.

Most of the work in creating FoCal has been related to the image analysis and prediction algorithm, which is independent of the camera. 

What are the required computer specifications?

FoCal uses some quite intensive image analysis calculations, so it is best to run with a fairly powerful computer.  The suggested minimum is around a 2GHz Dual Core machine with at least 3GB of memory.

With a slower machine, everything will work but the image analysis during LiveView operations will slow the update rate down significantly and make it more difficult to use (though not impossible by any means).

See here for more information.

How do I print the Target?

The target is an important component of the FoCal software as the image analysis routine uses properties of the target to help with setup and determining the best autofocus microadjustment value.

The target image is supplied with the software, scaled to print at 300dpi on a full page of standard A4 or US Letter.

During the development, a lot of different printing methods and media were tested.  For best results, you should print with an inkjet printer on matte heavyweight paper.

Can I use another target?

Yes, you can.  Early versions of the beta software were tied to the target supplied by the software, but now you can use any target.

However, you should be aware that the Target Setup features (including the validation during Semi-Automatic and Fully Automatic testing) will not be available when using a different target.

You should also bear in mind that the development and all the testing has been performed with the FoCal target.  Should you choose to use a different target, the results cannot be guaranteed.

Do I need a tripod?

Ideally, yes.  In order to get good, consistent and accurate results, it is very important that the camera or target does not move during the test.  If you have the Target Validation option enabled, the test will stop if any significant movement is detected.

What is the difference between FoCal Standard, Plus and Pro versions?
You can click these links to see information about Standard, Plus, and Pro.

If you are interested in using FoCal in a commercial environment (e.g. Camera Shop or Studio) please contact Reikan.

Can I upgrade?

Of course.  There is no upgrade fee other than the price difference between the versions.  So, for example, if you purchase a license for the Standard version, and after using it you decide you would like to upgrade to the Pro version, you simply pay the difference and Reikan will supply you with a new license enabling the Pro version features.

You can do this from our License Management System.

Will I have to pay for updates?

Not within a major version revision.  For example, all updates to version 1.0 (e.g. version 1.1, version 1.2 etc as they are released) will be free.

A major update (from version 1.x to version 2.0) will be chargeable, but at a reduced rate for an upgrade from version 1.x.