Feature Suggestions

[start78]

I just did my first steps with Helicon Remote and i think it's a very useful remote control program not only for focus bracketing

But i already have a few suggestions to make:

Can you make the exposure bracketing option more flexible? For example no fixed numbers of shots, just like in the focus bracketing options.
If (in addition) the number of focus bracketing shots can be set down to 1, Helicon Remote could excellently be used for HDR shooting.

Is it possible to initiate a manual white balance or do i have to make that before connecting the camera to the PC?

I also found a wrong calculation in the Helicon Remote Manual:
Under AF Calibrator it says 1000mm equals 10m distance to the target. That should be 1m.

Sadly my Nikon D5000 doesn't seem to work properly with Helicon Remote. No matter which focus tuning shortcut i try, the focus only changes between nearest and infinity. I already tried to change the size of focus steps in the preferences to small, but that made no difference. Auto Focus on any point in the live preview works fine, though. (Already wrote a mail to Danylo but forgot to mention my OS).

Here my components:
Nikon D5000, original Nikon USB cable,
Tamron AF17-50mm F/2.8 Di-II LD Aspherical: http://www.tamron-usa.com/lenses/prod/1 ... I_a016.asp
Win7 x64

[Stas Yatsenko]

Thanks for these suggestions. We will send you a new version for test. We fixed many things and it may work with D5000 properly.

[start78]

Thank you.

Waiting for email...

[start78]

Tried HR2.

No luck with Nikon D5000, Tamron 17-50 and Win7x64. It still only changes
focus from closest to infinity.

Tried WinXP, same problem. Maybe the tamron lens is making trouble? Got no Nikon lens.

[Stas Yatsenko]

We are now developing 2.0 version which is completely redesigned version. I expect it to be ready in several weeks.

[start78]

I had the pleasure to try version 2 already ("Tried HR2"). Sorry to tell you that in the current development stadium it doesn't work with my combination of camera, lens and OS.

[image360]

I've just tried my first use of Remote and I do think it has promise. Seemed to work fine with a Nikon D300.

However, the exposure bracketing is quite confusing and seems much more complex than it needs to be.

The exposure bracket controls I would like to see are:

Up to 20 or more brackets per focus setting, allow them to be set to even numbers too.

Make the exposure change simply controlled by 1/3, 2/3, 1, 2, 3 or 4 stops increments. Let me choose/control this.

That is all I really need, number of brackets and the step or amount of exposure change between them.

Thats all for now, I've got to review the program a bit more before I can comment more.

Regards,

Robert

[image360]

Testing the remote function, seems to work fine with D300.

First, really need to allow unlimited brackets, or at least up to 20 separate exposures per focus setting.

Next, current interface is too complicated, does not need to be. Just allow me to set the bracket step setting - 1/3,2/3, 1, 2 3, 4, or n stops.

And, you really need to allow someone to choose how bracketing is done. I much prefer changing the shutter speed ONLY as the bracket control. I don't ever allow the ISO to change as you're doing now.

Perhaps it would be best if you allowed the user to select bracketing method, shutter speed, F-stop and/or ISO setting.

Regards,

Robert

[Stas Yatsenko]

Robert,

Thanks for your suggestions. You might be right, but to make complete EB function one would need to define more parameters. For example, do you want to start from the brightest or from the darkest image? Should we use current exposure settings as the middle point? Or as the darkest point? Or the brightest? Some users will prefer to increase ISO instead of risking to get blurred image due to long exposure so we need to give control over this too. What I mean, this is not a simple question, we need to think again how to make it flexible enough but easy to use. Your suggestions are welcome of course.

[image360]

Hi Stas,

Yes, I agree that different users will probably need different settings.

On the starting exposure, I guess I've always assumed that if you are shooting exposure brackets you will have the camera in Manual mode as any auto mode would seem to be self defeating. I would expect the software to control the exposure settings. Perhaps a starting exposure and end exposure drop down and then the number of shots to take at n bracket interval.

Bracketing with anything other than changing the shutter speed is perhaps not a great idea since the focus range would be changing if the F-stop os changed. Perhaps that's not an issue with this group

Also, seems like most HDR programs expect the exposure bracket to be from dark to light if they have nay default. But it's good to have flexible choices.

Regards,

Robert

[Stas Yatsenko]

Thanks for the feedback. The program does not change F-number and prefers to change exposure time, unless longest exposure time is limited by the user.