Error message in the log when I switch to frame and focus

[griz11]

I was having some problems last night with F&F. Mostly related to needing a brighter star but when it happened I happened to see this error message in the log and was wondering what it means and if its just informational or indicates some kind of problem.

 

Unable to set LiveviewAutoFocusMode, current setting is assumed

 

It seems to work ok once I have a decent star in the field but I'm wondering if I have a setting in the camera I need to change.

 

Griz

[admin]

Do you have a lens on?  If yes turn autofocus off and try again.

[griz11]

I had autofocus on at first turned it off restarted BYE but still got the same error. The computer had died the night before ran out of battery so I thought maybe some drivers or dlls were corrupted so I actually reinstalled everything. I'm still pretty new at this so when I saw that message and didn't see any stars on my field I thought it was a real error and it wasn't actually in focus mode. Are the focus buttons active only in liveview mode or can you use them with a loop? I didn't see any FWHM changes other than .1 or so either way drifting. I've had my equip since early Dec but only 3 days so far I've gotten to use it. I was just worried it was something I'd changed in my menus on the 7D2. I don't remember seeing this message the other times I've used it.

 

Griz

[admin]

I had autofocus on at first turned it off restarted BYE but still got the same error. The computer had died the night before ran out of battery so I thought maybe some drivers or dlls were corrupted so I actually reinstalled everything. I'm still pretty new at this so when I saw that message and didn't see any stars on my field I thought it was a real error and it wasn't actually in focus mode. Are the focus buttons active only in liveview mode or can you use them with a loop? I didn't see any FWHM changes other than .1 or so either way drifting. I've had my equip since early Dec but only 3 days so far I've gotten to use it. I was just worried it was something I'd changed in my menus on the 7D2. I don't remember seeing this message the other times I've used it.

 

Griz

 

What do you mean by "Are the focus buttons active only in liveview mode"?

[astroman133]

Using a  focus metric, FWHM e.g., when shooting with a lens is difficult because the stars are small.  The same holds true for seeing any stars in LiveView even at max sensitivity.  At the shorter focal length of the camera lens, the stars are small and dim.  You really need to shoot some 5 second exposures to be able to analyze your focus and frame the field.

[admin]

Oh, that works if you snap a picture as well.

 

Regards,

[griz11]

So the focus buttons work in either snap photo and loop or liveview. Ok good to know. Tried both cameras and all the lenses tonight and on the 7D2 they all throw the error and the 7D doesn't. On a different computer same results. If I put any of my lenses on the 7D put the lens in AF mode and go into F&F there is no error message. So I'm not sure that error message pertains to the lens being in AF mode. I'll try and get some more data and try some different things tomorrow night. Being new to all this I can't tell if its working all the time or working some of the time and since it is throwing an error that adds to the confusion. Sometimes last night the buttons didn't seem to effect the lens at all. Hitting them and watching the scale on the lens I saw no movement and the FWHM values didn't change. Then it started working like normal. So its kinda confusing at the present time.

 

Griz

[admin]

Keep in mind that BackyardEOS is optimized to work without a lens, but an OTA.  So it is possible that some lens function for some camera model act differently.

 

Remove the lens and run your tests, does it work flawlessly?

 

Try another lens, do you have the same issues?

[astroman133]

Try the same tests using Canon EOS Utility instead of BYE to control your camera...Does it work as you would expect with focusing lenses on your 7D Mk II?  The EOS Utility uses the same SDK as BYE, so they should behave the same.  If not, then perhaps there is something that Guylain could do.

[s3igell]

The EOS Utility uses the same SDK as BYE, so they should behave the same.  If not, then perhaps there is something that Guylain could do.

Actually, the latest EOS Utility v3.1.0b likely has a Newer version of the SDK than is made available for Guylain...

 

Per the Canon USA EDSDK webpage, there isn't yet a version of the EDSDK which supports the 7DmkII.

[astroman133]

The latest version of the EOS Utility for my T5i is 2.14.10b.  There is no download link for EOS Utility 3.1.0b for my T5i as there is for the 7D Mk II.  Interesting!  However, EOS Utility 2.14.10b comes with the same version of the EOS SDK as does BYE 3.1.2.  That version is 2.14. Of course, BYE also comes with version 2.10 of the SDK to support older cameras.

 

I went to the EOS SDK web site (http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/standard_display/sdk_homepage) and saw that version 2.15 is available.  According to the list of supported cameras on that page, the 7D Mk II is supported.  Here is a copy/past of the list of supported cameras:

 

Supported Camera: EOS-1D C / EOS 6D / EOS M / EOS M2 / EOS 7D Mark II(*)
EOS-1D X / 1D Mark III / 1Ds Mark III / 1D Mark IV
EOS 40D / 50D / 5D Mark II / 5D Mark III / 7D / 60D / 60Da / 70D
EOS Rebel XSi / 450D
EOS Rebel XS / 1000D
EOS Rebel T1i / 500D
EOS Rebel T2i / 550D
EOS Rebel T3i / 600D
EOS Rebel T4i / 650D
EOS Rebel T3 / 1100D
EOS Rebel T5i / 700D, EOS Rebel SL1 / 100D
EOS Rebel T5 / 1200D / Hi

(*) Newly supported models

[dts350z]

"EOS M / EOS M2" Really?

 

Isn't that a big policy shift and major announcement?

[s3igell]

"EOS M / EOS M2" Really?

Isn't that a big policy shift and major announcement?

How so ??  These two EOS Mirrorless MILCs were supported in v2.14 as well...

Or are you expecting that inclusion in the EDSDK somehow grants the M / M2 additional Bulb capabilities ??

[dts350z]

I thought the issue for astro was no SDK support.

 

Sorry for the thread jack then.

[s3igell]

You were close...  Per Guylain, it essentially "does absolutely not allow tethered shooting". (the SDK support for the EOS M/M2, that is)

[admin]

How so ??  These two EOS Mirrorless MILCs were supported in v2.14 as well...

Or are you expecting that inclusion in the EDSDK somehow grants the M / M2 additional Bulb capabilities ??

 

Everyone can stop dreaming.  The EOS M/M2 do have an SDK but they do not support tethered shooting... so they are not supported because of that.

[griz11]

From what I've read Canon doesn't have any focus routines in the SDK except for liveview. So the buttons shouldn't work when the cam isn't in liveview which I verified on both cameras. However on the 7D the buttons work on liveview and on the MkII they don't. The error message contains the name of the function BYE is using to control the focus. So there is an error in that. Its unable to set the camera to the mode where BYE can mimic manual focus control. However if you keep banging on it taking it in and out of frame and focus sometimes it will start working. My guess is Canon has changed something in the way that function is interfaced or functions that BYE hadn't made allowances for yet.  Companies don't always detail all these changes so the developer has no idea he's going to get blindsided by it. The function name is the same does the same things but its different as well. Timings and other things get thrown off the software breaks. Looks like its broken on the MkII to me. The first night it seemed to start working after I manually moved the lens. But I tried that last time and it didn't do anything.

 

Griz

[admin]

Also, make sure you have not paused liveview in BYE.

[s3igell]

Guylain, which version of the EDSDK is embedded in BYE v3.1.2 ??

[griz11]

If you snap a pic with the imaging mode then go into F&F it works. Lens moves perfectly. But the error message shows up.

 

Griz

[admin]

Guylain, which version of the EDSDK is embedded in BYE v3.1.2 ??

 

I believe it uses 2.14.10b... but I don't remember by heart

[s3igell]

OK, so maybe things will be straightened out for the 7DmkII when you are able to release a version with 2.15.0...  BYE v3.1.3 ??