Live view + manual focus question

puzzledpaul

Wondered if anyone was aware of a device / hack etc to manually focus a lens (in live view) by some sort of remote (probably electrical?) method, rather than having to use the focus ring.

Canon gear using 500 f4.

ta

pp

ziggy53

See if this meets your needs:

http://www.breezesys.com/DSLRRemotePro/features.htm

puzzledpaul

Thanks ziggy for the pointer, but it's overkill for what I was after ... and in partic.

Don't want to add a laptop to the junk I already lug about.
$175 ...


<< intuitive manual focusing using mouse wheel >>

If this was available via a lead + 3 way switch / scroll wheel / joystick etc... it'd be just the job, as am happy to use the cam's lcd and x5 / x10 options - am with the rig, but just trying to avoid touching the lens unless necessary.

pp

DeVerm

Canon EOS Utility can do this too and comes free with the camera. I use this when the camera is an inch above the mud or so with macro photography. The tri-pod, camera and flash are just above the muddy ground and a 5 meter long USB cord goes to the car where I can focus manually and capture the shots of the ants/spiders etc.

This works so well that I bought a MacBookPro 13" laptop (the smallest) for it.

puzzledpaul

Thanks for the reminder about EOS Utility, Nick - I've looked at it in the past, but as I previously mentioned, I don't want to add a laptop to my gear collection.

I'm not remote from my cam under the circumstances where I'd use such a widget as what I'd like ... I'll be using the gear as normal, but if the subject then moves behind other stuff that confuses the AF (or AF becomes difficult) , I'll consider switching to MF and using LV.

Btw - I use an angle finder when on/in mud / water / ice etc ... and use a home made turntable as it gets the lens closer to water level than any tripod / head arrangement I know about

pp

WilliamClark77

The only way I know to focus without using the ring or laptop is with magic lantern. Depending on which specific cam you have you can focus using buttons on the back of the cam (see vid below). It won't quite go through the full focus range on the lenses I've tried on, but does plenty. Not sure if that's any help since you still have to touch the cam itself and not a remote. I like magic lantern period anytime I'm using live view or videoing for the other focus options.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CKnCujMjEs


If you choose to try it, install at your own risk. It theoretically has the ability to break stuff. I don't know of this ever happening though.

angevin1

WilliamClark77 wrote: »

The only way I know to focus without using the ring or laptop is with magic lantern. Depending on which specific cam you have you can focus using buttons on the back of the cam (see vid below). It won't quite go through the full focus range on the lenses I've tried on, but does plenty. Not sure if that's any help since you still have to touch the cam itself and not a remote. I like magic lantern period anytime I'm using live view or videoing for the other focus options.

.

Isn't this just for racking the focus?

WilliamClark77

angevin1 wrote: »

Isn't this just for racking the focus?

I've used it to actually focus while doing video with the cam on a tripod. But yes, I guess so since it won't go through the entire focus range of a lense, or the ones I've tried it with anyway. 70-200f4L IS, Canon 1002.8 macro, and Tammy 17-50. But, it uses enough of the range where it's been convenient and useful. Focus it, start recording, then push whatever button you chose to + or - the focus with on the back of the cam instead of turning the zoom ring. Unless it's a major area to cover it'll work. Search "magic lantern follow focus" on youtube. There's several vids showing how it works. The one I posted wasn't the best. I've never used the actual "rack focus" tool it has.

puzzledpaul

William - thanks for the ML 'heads up' ...the MF facility is somewhat closer to what I had in mind than a linked laptop.

If said option was available on the end of a cable that'd be the sort of thing I'm looking for ... maybe with a 2 way rocker switch (similar to a W/T control on a PnS cam?) and some sort of focus rate option.

If the box containing the rocker also duplicated the shutter release, that'd make one-handed operation even easier imo
pp

angevin1

WilliamClark77 wrote: »

I've used it to actually focus while doing video with the cam on a tripod. But yes, I guess so since it won't go through the entire focus range of a lense, or the ones I've tried it with anyway. 70-200f4L IS, Canon 1002.8 macro, and Tammy 17-50. But, it uses enough of the range where it's been convenient and useful. Focus it, start recording, then push whatever button you chose to + or - the focus with on the back of the cam instead of turning the zoom ring. Unless it's a major area to cover it'll work. Search "magic lantern follow focus" on youtube. There's several vids showing how it works. The one I posted wasn't the best. I've never used the actual "rack focus" tool it has.

I've looked over the ML stuff for a couple of years. And really don't need it. I shoot with Primes only pretty much and tend to have my focus ideas planned out before hand.

I do have a remote focus I did for my slider and it works well using an external monitor, but I really haven't had a need for it even after building it. at least not yet.

WilliamClark77

puzzledpaul wrote: »

William - thanks for the ML 'heads up' ...the MF facility is somewhat closer to what I had in mind than a linked laptop.

If said option was available on the end of a cable that'd be the sort of thing I'm looking for ... maybe with a 2 way rocker switch (similar to a W/T control on a PnS cam?) and some sort of focus rate option.

If the box containing the rocker also duplicated the shutter release, that'd make one-handed operation even easier imo
pp

That's pretty much what I envisioned and this was the closest thing I could think of. RE getting closed to the ground, I use a Manfrotto 190x tripod. The center column leans over. It can literally lay the lens in the dirt and is surprisingly stable. It's not very light though. Your turntable gives me ideas to try. Good luck on finding a solution.

Tom, I don't post much, but lurk quite a bit. I've seen some of your video stuff. You are FAR more advanced than me! The ML is neat for video, and considering its price (free), it was right up my alley to try. Some of the menu stuff, like changeing the shutter speed, ap, and iso with button presses on the back of the cam instead of the thumb wheel have been useful to me.

puzzledpaul

WilliamClark77 wrote: »

That's pretty much what I envisioned and this was the closest thing I could think of. RE getting closed to the ground, I use a Manfrotto 190x tripod. The center column leans over. It can literally lay the lens in the dirt and is surprisingly stable. It's not very light though. Your turntable gives me ideas to try.

Attached a link to pics of one of the 3 turntables I've made + use. This is specifically designed to 'plug into' a river bank or similar environment, whereas the other 2 are for use in flatter situations, either in or out of water / mud / ice etc.

Turnable is a std. 'lazy susan' 9in one (<$10)

A tripod (+ head) based solution that offered pan / tracking @ water level ... especially if you want to keep the head out of the water isn't really on in my experience - especially when taking into account the degree of support needed with a 500.

There's typically 30 > 40 mm of daylight under the lens hood to water surface (depending on water conditions) if any of the rigs are set up right.

(If you decide to go ahead and want more details / pics - PM me)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/pppix/bankside.jpg

I might contact the ML people and see what they say re original Q, btw.

pp

WilliamClark77

puzzledpaul wrote: »

Attached a link to pics of one of the 3 turntables I've made + use. This is specifically designed to 'plug into' a river bank or similar environment, whereas the other 2 are for use in flatter situations, either in or out of water / mud / ice etc.

Turnable is a std. 'lazy susan' 9in one (<$10)

A tripod (+ head) based solution that offered pan / tracking @ water level ... especially if you want to keep the head out of the water isn't really on in my experience - especially when taking into account the degree of support needed with a 500.

There's typically 30 > 40 mm of daylight under the lens hood to water surface (depending on water conditions) if any of the rigs are set up right.

(If you decide to go ahead and want more details / pics - PM me)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/pppix/bankside.jpg

I might contact the ML people and see what they say re original Q, btw.

pp

I don't know whether to say thanks or to whine because I now have another project to add to my already too long list of things to do. <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/rolleyes1.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" > Thanks and sorry for pulling your thread off topic.

puzzledpaul

Sounds like a good excuse (if one needed) to sit down with a beer or 2 ... and ponder

pp