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Manual Focus @ Infinity not working

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Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #90 on: 13 / November / 2014, 06:29:33 »
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Sorry !
Idea was not to give additional work than provide feedback.

Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #91 on: 13 / November / 2014, 08:22:31 »
Sorry !
Idea was not to give additional work than provide feedback.
It's not really extra work - I'm still looking for data about why some cameras just work for some people while the same model for other people does not.
Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #92 on: 13 / November / 2014, 09:54:47 »
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I'm still looking for data about why some cameras just work for some people while the same model for other people does not.
from my experience - and intuition :P - , I don't think it is camera related: I've got 3 of these S100 camera, in different fw version, and none of them is working perfectly for MF. When using canon UI (camera in hands) I cannot reproduce this MF error. (even if I'm zooming in and out while keeping focus unchanged)
and when kapping, I cannot find some good and reliable results with MF scripts, although the error is not permanent, and I can sometimes get some good pictures in MF.
one strange thing also is the fact that I use most of the time a AF script to avoid this error. in this script if focus is not made at infinity, the camera is immediately shooting another pic with MF at infinity (this is made for situation when the kite line is in the pic and influence the AF) I never noticed that the second pic is blurred ! so calling MF just before shooting is OK ! but then you loose the benefit of quick shoot !
see the :shoot part (line 180) of joined script if interest.
One of the things i didn't experience so far is using a kap script for commands except MF and set up MF in the canon inferface. I will experiment this when i have appropriate weather.
I don't  know how to do this, but I would also like to track / monitor the mechanical position of focus while doing a full kap session.
« Last Edit: 13 / November / 2014, 09:58:24 by Michel2e »

Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #93 on: 13 / November / 2014, 18:13:21 »
see the :shoot part (line 180) of joined script if interest.
That's still an SDM uBASIC script.  The quick look I had at the SDM focus code in the last two most recent  release leads me to believe it is quite different than any CHDK implementation.  I don't know whether that's better or worse and may depend on the camera model.  But I'm not going to try to reach any conclusions about CHDK MF functionality based on testing data from SDM.

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One of the things i didn't experience so far is using a kap script for commands except MF and set up MF in the canon inferface. I will experiment this when i have appropriate weather.
That's probably the easy way out of all these KAP issues for cameras that support MF natively.

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I don't  know how to do this, but I would also like to track / monitor the mechanical position of focus while doing a full kap session.
You are going to need a Lua version to do that.
Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16


Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #94 on: 14 / November / 2014, 12:41:09 »
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That's still an SDM uBASIC script.  The quick look I had at the SDM focus code in the last two most recent  release leads me to believe it is quite different than any CHDK implementation.  I don't know whether that's better or worse and may depend on the camera model.  But I'm not going to try to reach any conclusions about CHDK MF functionality based on testing data from SDM.
Agree. This was just to illustrate that I don't have any issue when manually focussing immediately after an AF shot made with SD < infinity.

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You are going to need a Lua version to do that.
Unless winter weather is really bad and nothing else to do, I'm afraid lua will be too complex for me ;-) It took me so long to get there with mbasic !

had a test session in canon MF mode this afternoon. results summary hereunder.
for this test 81 pics were taken.
camera was set up manually in MF and focus made at infinity with the jogwheel.
camera set in TV mode with speed at 1/800 to limit move blur. (wind was not strong, quite steady but pull on the line was not very strong)
script used is joined. unless I'm wrong it does not include any command for focus.
the first 3 pics are acceptable, then starting on pic4 the blur is important for the next 45 pics. I would say 2-3 would be seen as acceptable.
unless I'm wrong all these pics have been taken on regular basis to avoid the camera to enter playback mode, on shorter zomm pos.
during this phase the focus bar was visible and stayed full.
here is a link to a pic where the line is present. It shows clearly that focus  is not made at infinity.
http://micheldehaye.perso.sfr.fr///perso/temp/Meuven-14112014-6119.jpg
after pic 48 I've waited more than a minute, in order to have the camera entering playback mode, to check wether this has an impact.
then started shooting again.
the focus bar disappeared.
most of the pics are acceptable. I used zoom in and out, without visible impact on focus.
a good pic.
http://micheldehaye.perso.sfr.fr///perso/temp/Meuven-14112014-6144.jpg
last 4 pics are not so good and apparently focus has shifted again
this is visible in this pic, on the kite line: focus seems to be done at the lower part of the line
http://micheldehaye.perso.sfr.fr///perso/temp/Meuven-14112014-6159.jpg
As a summary, I would say the first part is not OK, for unknown reasons,
and for also unknown reasons the second part could be considered as OK, until another change in focus at the end.
This confirm what I previously experiment with other MF scripts (although in SDM).
« Last Edit: 14 / November / 2014, 15:23:52 by Michel2e »

Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #95 on: 14 / November / 2014, 15:38:33 »
had a test session in canon MF mode this afternoon. results summary hereunder.
for this test 81 pics were taken.  camera was set up manually in MF and focus made at infinity with the jogwheel.
This seems to imply that the lens focus mechanism is mechanically drifting from the position you set it to?  If your script is not making any focus changes (or zoom lens position changes) then there is no other reason that I can think of for the focus to change.  Vibration and movement while hanging on the kite string may be shifting the lens mechanism and with MF locked (or AFL) the camera does not try to correct it ?

Did you making any zoom changes during this process?  I don't know about the SDM code but in some configurations,  CHDK will try to refocus when the zoom lens position is changed under CHDK control.

Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

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Offline philmoz

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Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #96 on: 14 / November / 2014, 17:50:30 »
Quote
I'm still looking for data about why some cameras just work for some people while the same model for other people does not.
from my experience - and intuition :P - , I don't think it is camera related: I've got 3 of these S100 camera, in different fw version, and none of them is working perfectly for MF. When using canon UI (camera in hands) I cannot reproduce this MF error. (even if I'm zooming in and out while keeping focus unchanged)
and when kapping, I cannot find some good and reliable results with MF scripts, although the error is not permanent, and I can sometimes get some good pictures in MF.

In case there's some affect being introduced by using scripts, I'd like to try some tests without any scripting if you have the time.

The attached zip file contains a modified version of CHDK 1.3 for each of the S100 firmware versions (I didn't know which versions you have). You'll need to unpack it then find the zip for your firmware, then unpack that.

This version will display three numbers at the top of the screen (focus distance from sensor, focus distance from lens and lens position).

Can you try the following tests please - keep the same framing as much as possible so the images can be compared:
- Set camera to wide end of zoom range, AF mode. Half press the shutter to focus on a very distant object so that the first two values are both -1, record the third number and take a photo.
- Set the camera to MF and focus to infinity, first two numbers should both be -1, record the third number and take a photo.
- Set the CHDK subject distance override to infinity (Inf.), set the camera to AF, half press to focus, again first two numbers should be -1, record third number and take photo.
- With CHDK subject distance override still on infinity, set the camera to MF and set focus distance to close to the camera. Half press to focus, camera should refocus to infinity and first two numbers should go to -1, record the third number and take the photo.

Repeat all of the above at maximum optical zoom.

Please post the photos and recorded lens position numbers each photo.

Phil.
CHDK ports:
  sx30is (1.00c, 1.00h, 1.00l, 1.00n & 1.00p)
  g12 (1.00c, 1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
  sx130is (1.01d & 1.01f)
  ixus310hs (1.00a & 1.01a)
  sx40hs (1.00d, 1.00g & 1.00i)
  g1x (1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
  g5x (1.00c, 1.01a, 1.01b)
  g7x2 (1.01a, 1.01b, 1.10b)

Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #97 on: 14 / November / 2014, 18:08:22 »
Quote
Did you making any zoom changes during this process?  I don't know about the SDM code but in some configurations,  CHDK will try to refocus when the zoom lens position is changed under CHDK control.
All the first lot of 40 pics were made with same zoom position.
I didn't notice neither any change in the focus bar.

I don't think this is a shift made "by accident".
I cannot understand the reason but my feeling is that focus is changed by the camera under certain circonstances;
* in past sessions, I've got few blurred pics in zomm position higher than 50 mm equiv. issue is more seen at 28-40 equivalent
* usually when the focus shifts, it keeps unfocussed for a full lot of pics
* the distance is approximately always about few meters: the kite line appears sharp in the upper part.

I'll try to do the testing tomorrow (night is there now)


Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #98 on: 14 / November / 2014, 19:22:43 »
I don't think this is a shift made "by accident".
The apparent random nature of this whole thing makes it particularly frustrating.

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I'll try to do the testing tomorrow (night is there now)
If you can come up with a repeatable test that demonstrates the problem on your S100s (and that does not require a KAP rig) then I'd love to try it on my S100.  Not being able to repeat the problem is part of what makes this so difficult to work on.

Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

Re: Manual Focus @ Infinity not working
« Reply #99 on: 14 / November / 2014, 19:29:50 »
The attached zip file contains a modified version of CHDK 1.3 for each of the S100 firmware versions (I didn't know which versions you have). You'll need to unpack it then find the zip for your firmware, then unpack that.
@philmoz :  please post a patch file as well?  I'll test on my S100 and maybe some of my other cameras for comparison.
Ported :   A1200    SD940   G10    Powershot N    G16

 

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