A new version of Reikan FoCal for Mac has just been released which includes a workaround to get most Canon cameras working on OS X 10.7.5 (Lion) and OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion).
The purpose of this release is entirely to include a method of getting FoCal working on OS X 10.7.5 and OS X 10.8. There is NO new functionality or functionality changes over the previous beta version (1.7.0.208), so the details about the last version are still relevant for this release (click the link to read).
What’s the problem?
The current issue we’re facing is that the latest Canon interface files do not work on OS X 10.8, or the new updated OS X 10.7.5. Any software which relies on these files (including the Canon utilities themselves, e.g. EOS Utility) will fail when a camera is connected. Canon have stated that they will release new software in “early October” and we hope to be able to integrate this immediately.
However, the previous version of the interface files does appear to work correctly on these operating system versions. The downside is that they were released before the 5D Mark III and 1D X were available so there is NO support for these cameras.
What’s different in FoCal for Mac Beta 1.7.0.211?
We have included both the latest and the previous version of the Canon interface files within the application. The software will detect which operating system version you are running and automatically choose the appropriate version.
What are the limitations?
As stated above, there is no support for the 5D Mark III or 1D X when using the older interface files, so the following camera support is available:
| OS X Version | Supported Cameras |
|---|---|
| OS X 10.6.x | There is currently an issue with FoCal on OS X 10.6 which we are investigating |
| OS X 10.7.0 to 10.7.4 | FoCal will use the latest Canon files, so there is support for ALL Canon cameras. |
| OS X 10.7.5 | FoCal will use the older interface files, so there is support for all Canon cameras except the 5D Mark III and 1D X |
| OS X 10.8.x | FoCal will use the older interface files, so there is support for all Canon cameras except the 5D Mark III and 1D X |
Please remember this is an interim solution which should hopefully be replaced with a fully working solution for OS X 10.7.5 and OS X 10.8 within the next few weeks – as soon as Canon release the necessary software.
How do I get the software?
As with all our beta releases, we give FoCal Pro license holders the chance to get early access to the software, so you will need a FoCal Pro license in order to use this software. There is no extra charge for the Mac version, so if you already have a FoCal Pro license then you have everything you need to get the software and to get going.
You can download it from the License Management System – you’ll see the link to the download at the bottom of the page once you log in (as long as you have a FoCal Pro license).
The software is available as a disk image (DMG) file, and contains the target images and documentation. Note that the manual is an early release – it’s OSX specific but there are still some screenshots of the Windows version and some of the text may be slightly incorrect, but it contains all the information you need to use FoCal and we’ll be improving it along with the software over the next few weeks.
What can I do to help?
Please download the software and give it a go. Let us know how you get on:
- If you spot any errors, please let us know
- If you can make the software misbehave, let us know what steps you take to make it happen
- If it works perfectly we’d love to hear too (good news it always nice!!)
You can contact us through the contact form (please use the Mac Beta option). There’s likely to be quite a high volume of emails, so we can’t reply to everyone but every bit of information we receive will be read and used to make FoCal better, so please let us know how you get on.