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Author Topic: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?  (Read 4210 times)

Bob_B

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DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« on: July 26, 2016, 06:55:32 pm »

Before I completely remove DslrDashboard from my tablet, I thought I'd ask if anyone has had success using this Android app and a Canon camera for focus stacking? If you have, do you have any tips to share? I ask because I've attempted to use qDslrDashboard/DslrDashboard for about 4 years (through beta versions and now the for $$ app) for everything from simple one frame captures, to time lapse, to focus stacking, and the results have always been the same: not ready for prime time; never would use it for anything critical. Maybe it's my 7D, or my Nexus 10. I don't know, but despite reading and re-reading the manual, going to youtube, looking at tutorials, I cannot get this app to perform consistently or satisfactorily.

Sorry if this comes across as a rant. It wasn't meant to be, but I spent most of the afternoon trying to get a decent stack on a very simple subject without success.

Any who, if you've had success with DslrDashboard, please send pointers my way, and thanks!

Bob
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dwswager

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2016, 07:25:19 pm »

Any who, if you've had success with DslrDashboard, please send pointers my way, and thanks!

Bob

Gave up and went with Helicon remote on my android phone (Note IV and now Nexus 6P).
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Rory

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2016, 09:10:21 pm »

I think Helicon Remote is the best, but...  I gave up on remote stacking and do it manually now.  Manual is faster, way more convenient and I get great results for wildflower photography, where I have stacks from 15-80.  For any kind of landscape doing it manually is trivial.
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2016, 05:03:58 am »

Before I completely remove DslrDashboard from my tablet, I thought I'd ask if anyone has had success using this Android app and a Canon camera for focus stacking? If you have, do you have any tips to share?

Hi Bob,

No solution, but I've tried it in the past, and it wasn't stable enough to continue using it. Don't know about it's current state.

I use DSLR Controller, and Helicon Remote, the latter mostly for focus stacking.

Cheers,
Bart
« Last Edit: July 27, 2016, 07:39:32 am by BartvanderWolf »
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Bob_B

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2016, 08:13:32 am »

Thanks for all your replies. I've not tried either DSLR Controller or Helicon, but will see what they can do. Goodbye DslrDashboard.
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dwswager

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2016, 10:33:37 am »

Thanks for all your replies. I've not tried either DSLR Controller or Helicon, but will see what they can do. Goodbye DslrDashboard.

I like Helicon Remote, but will say it is easy to tell it was designed for macro work.  Left to it's own devices it wants to take an inordinate number of shots that are necessary when DOF is miniscule and the focus transitions somewhat abrupt.  With farther out subjects and more subtle transitions you can back off some.  There are settings to work this, but not all that intuitive.  You will also want to test your lenses and get specific settings for each since it is trying to measure and control the angular rotation of the focus mechanism for which it knows nothing.
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Bob_B

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2016, 08:41:40 am »

I tried Helicon Remote's trial, and found something strange: I cannot get my 7D to autofocus using the app's AF control. I was also unable to autofocus when using DslrDashboard. So, I think this isn't an app-specific issue. Out of curiosity, I have programmed my 7D for back-button focus. Would this make the use of either app's AF button useless? (I'm not losing sleep over this, as I've decided that I'll stick with manual focus steps for my macro work for now.)

Bob
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dwswager

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2016, 09:34:50 am »

I tried Helicon Remote's trial, and found something strange: I cannot get my 7D to autofocus using the app's AF control. I was also unable to autofocus when using DslrDashboard. So, I think this isn't an app-specific issue. Out of curiosity, I have programmed my 7D for back-button focus. Would this make the use of either app's AF button useless? (I'm not losing sleep over this, as I've decided that I'll stick with manual focus steps for my macro work for now.)

Bob

I'm Nikon so I can't speak to how it works with Canon cameras, but I have my Nikons set up for back button focus and it works fine.  Are you in Single Shot AF mode "AF-S" on a Nikon?
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2016, 09:52:52 am »

I tried Helicon Remote's trial, and found something strange: I cannot get my 7D to autofocus using the app's AF control. I was also unable to autofocus when using DslrDashboard. So, I think this isn't an app-specific issue. Out of curiosity, I have programmed my 7D for back-button focus. Would this make the use of either app's AF button useless? (I'm not losing sleep over this, as I've decided that I'll stick with manual focus steps for my macro work for now.)

Hi Bob,

It''s more likely to do with the lens settings AF or MF. Because there might be a model or lens specific bug involved somewhere, the folks at Heliconsoft, or their forum members, may be able to confirm or fix it somehow.

Cheers,
Bart
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Bob_B

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #9 on: July 29, 2016, 11:26:12 am »

I'm Nikon so I can't speak to how it works with Canon cameras, but I have my Nikons set up for back button focus and it works fine.  Are you in Single Shot AF mode "AF-S" on a Nikon?

That's how I normally configure when doing macro stacks, but I'll double check, just to be safe. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Bob_B

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Re: DslrDashboard, focus stacking, and Canon cameras?
« Reply #10 on: July 29, 2016, 11:27:33 am »

Hi Bob,

It''s more likely to do with the lens settings AF or MF. Because there might be a model or lens specific bug involved somewhere, the folks at Heliconsoft, or their forum members, may be able to confirm or fix it somehow.

Cheers,
Bart

I'll try a couple of different lenses and see if the problem is universal to all or specific to my 100mm EF macro. Thanks Bart.
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