Testing Helicon Remote

General discussions, bugs, support, suggestions
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Stas Yatsenko
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Testing Helicon Remote

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Brian,
BrianS wrote:Dan/Stas

Just downloaded V5, have a Pro licence.

Am very excited about the Helicon Remote beta.

Am using it with a Canon 50D, mostly it connects, allows settings etc but am having some problems getting it to do the focus steps when I start shooting.

Where is the best place to post / discuss issues with Helicon Remote?

Also have some usability suggestions.

Brian
Please describe in details what kind of problems do you have. We found that camera may miss some focusing steps. Mostly it depends on the lens properties.
I would suggest you to increase time between focusing steps in the Preferences to be sure that lens has enough time.
And set Big steps in the Preferences. Some lens may miss small steps if the mechanics of the lens is not perfect.

I would be happy to discuss your setup and usability suggestions.
Guest

Problems and suggestions

Post by Guest »

Hi Stas,

thanks for the quick reply - before I go there, let me say you guys have been busy. Well done with the Helicon Remote (HR) beta.

So... let me note that I'm using a Canon 50D, Win XP, typically use a Canon EF 100 2.8 macro lens (which has very fine focus steps)

I am having no problems with the general functionality of HR including:
- sensing the camera
- performing the focus steps i.e. on screen (see below)
- registering closest - furthermost points and auto navigating

However when I take the shots (manual or auto sequence) all the shots have the same focus point i.e. no change. Doesn't matter how long the delay is between shots either.

Also if I use auto sequence (even with 5 secs plus between shots), only the first image is downloaded, and then I get an endless hourglass and have to kill HR.

Otherwise it seems to work fine ;)

BTW, some info on Canons that might need to be addressed and a suggestion.

All the recent Canon SLR's will NOT trigger the flash shoe or the PC sync port when in Live View mode - unless a Canon Flash is connected -(they say so in the manual)

YIKES!! This means one cannot use remote triggers for macro shooting when using Helicon Remote (since HR stays in live view mode) - unless you mount a live Canon flash (essentially a dummy) and then use a remote trigger via the PC port (if you have one) or optical triggers by having the Canon flash ping a small flash.

This is obviously not acceptable for a lot of macro work. When I use the Eos Utility, I close Live View, then take the shot (with mirror lock-up, and then return to Live View.

Frankly I can't understand Canon's rationale, and since we can't change it, may I suggest you have an option that allows exiting Live View between manual shots, or during the entire Auto sequence

One again, great work, you've come up with some great features for Remote shooting.

Brian
BrianS
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Joined: 03.09.2008 15:00
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Oops wasn't logged in

Post by BrianS »

Sorry Stas that was me last post.

Another request - ability to rotate the Live View Image for portrait shots
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Stas Yatsenko
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Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Brian,

Thanks for this suggestion. We will try to add an option to disable LiveView during shooting to make the flash work.

Rotation - you can change this in the Preferences of Helicon Remote.
DanKozub

Post by DanKozub »

Brian,

We updated Helicon Remote and installation on our site. Now the program will work with non-canon cameras and mirror lock up mode enabled. I would appreciate if you test it.
macattack
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Joined: 19.11.2009 21:46
Location: Seattle

Remote for Mac OS X

Post by macattack »

Is the Helicon Remote for PC only, right now? I have a Pro x64 license installed on a Mac, but can't find the remote utility. I could do one of my four installs on a PC, if necessary.
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Stas Yatsenko
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Post by Stas Yatsenko »

We do plan to make Mac version of Helicon Remote. If everything goes fine, we will have it in the spring.
Steven Chernicky

Re: Testing Helicon Remote

Post by Steven Chernicky »

I have a Pro-64 license and have been using Helicon Remote with a Canon 5D mkII camera.

When using Helicon Remote for long Macro projects ( 50-100 shots) I was getting an "Error 70" shutdown of the camera.
It appears that the camera's auto-shutdown timer begins with the first shot. I increased the shutdown time and it appears to have resolved the issue???
Is this correct or do I have another intermittent problem???

Also I have not been able to get the "auto-spacing" and "number of shots" function to work properly and so I have been setting these values manually. Is there a more detailed explanation of this setup and operation?

Other than these two issues your software has been working quite well and I am very satisfied

Thanks,
Steve
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Testing Helicon Remote

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Steve,

We encounter the problem with shutdown and we are trying to wake it up after each shot. I would appreciate if you tell us what option did you change in the camera, maybe these are two different time outs. Spacing: the help file is available in the lower part of the program, please let me know if we need to make our explanation more clear. Your questions would help us to do so.
edokie
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Joined: 29.12.2009 02:08

Re: Problems and suggestions

Post by edokie »

[quote="Guest"]Hi Stas,


...All the recent Canon SLR's will NOT trigger the flash shoe or the PC sync port when in Live View mode - unless a Canon Flash is connected -(they say so in the manual) ...
Brian[/quote]

A never-ending reality with Canon's user-manuals - clarity of information leaves much to be desired, the 50D in this case. I ran into this same "won't fire" while connected to White Lightning studio strobes (they wirelessly fire from a White Lightning transmitter mounted in the camera's flash shoe; the camera also is tethered by physical wire to the nearby computer. Though "Live View" is described across several pages in a one section of the user-manual... the answer to the "strobes won't fire" is buried in a different section of the manual, page 114; also on page 128, the proverbial "fine print."
The "secret" camera setup is under the menu's "Live View function settings;" fourth line down on the sub-menu, "Silent shoot" has a default of "Mode 1"
Change "Silent shoot" to "Disable" and the non-Canon studio strobes will fire.
Yes, it makes no sense... but it works!
Bluesman2008

Re: Testing Helicon Remote

Post by Bluesman2008 »

I'm using HF with a Nikon D5000 and STILL can't get it to take more than one focus point. I've defined the nearest focus and number of shots and distance but it still only takes one focus area. Any help greatly appreciated. Between the software and camera, I've spent a lot of money and can't get this to work. Thanks for the help.
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Testing Helicon Remote

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

I am glad to hear the program detects your D5000, because we had some reports that the program does not do it. I would appreciate more information about your situation.

1. Are you able to move focus with >, >> and >>> buttons from the main interface of Helion Remote?
2. Some lenses may ignore focusing steps if they are too small. Please try with bigger steps, this may help.
3. The lens may fail to make focusing steps if it is vertically oriented, at least we noticed this mechanical problem with one of the lens we tested.
4. Just to be sure - the lens will not make steps if the lens already reached its final position. This is too evident to be your case but worth mentioning.
Bluesman 2008

Re: Testing Helicon Remote

Post by Bluesman 2008 »

[quote]I am glad to hear the program detects your D5000, because we had some reports that the program does not do it. I would appreciate more information about your situation.[/quote]

It's not working fully on my laptop and not at all on my desktop. My desktop doesn't see it. Both systems have XP Pro SP3.

[quote]1. Are you able to move focus with >, >> and >>> buttons from the main interface of Helion Remote?[/quote]

No. They arrows move nothing. The slider above them does nothing but return to the center position when I let go of it.

[quote]2. Some lenses may ignore focusing steps if they are too small. Please try with bigger steps, this may help.[/quote]

I'll try that. BTW, I'm using the regular kit lens that came with the D5000 (18-55mm VR), but I've also tried with my Tamron Macro lens. Still nothing.

[quote]3. The lens may fail to make focusing steps if it is vertically oriented, at least we noticed this mechanical problem with one of the lens we tested.[/quote]

I've not shot any vertical shots.

What's wrong with this picture??
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panamon_creel
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Joined: 04.01.2010 05:55

First test runs of Helicon Remote

Post by panamon_creel »

First off many thanks for the added remote control functionality.

A few issues/comments/suggestions from my first trials:
1. Issue --- Preferences --> Folder for Images
Doesn't let me pick a Network drive for save location (Win XP)

2. Issue ---Preferences Save & Exit Button get clipped on my 600 pix height resolution netbook display

3. Suggestion ---- Toggle for Live View ON/OFF
Live view is currently always on while Helicon Remote is active which takes a lot of battery power on the camera (Nikon)

That's it for now, maybe more to come in the future.
Keep up the good work
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Stas Yatsenko
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Re: Testing Helicon Remote

Post by Stas Yatsenko »

Bluesman 2008 wrote:
What's wrong with this picture??
Did I miss the picture? Please post it again. We are looking for the bugs with D5000 now.
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