Reikan FoCal 2.6 Mac MR1 – Adds Full macOS High Sierra Support For Canon Cameras

We’re delighted to announce FoCal 2.6 Maintenance Release 1 (MR1) for Mac is ready for release! We’ve worked hard on Canon support in macOS High Sierra and are excited to release this update to resolve any potential connection issues with Canon cameras on macOS High Sierra.

This release builds upon the earlier 2.6 release, dedicated blog entry below:

 

 

FoCal 2.6 MR1 Key Features

New Features

  • Full macOS High Sierra Support – a huge amount of work has gone into the code which communicates with Canon cameras on macOS for this release. The communications libraries formally supplied by Canon are now totally re-written and replaced by Reikan developed code.

Improvements:

  • Minor bug fixes

Canon support on macOS High Sierra

This release is for Mac users only, and resolves the issue some users were seeing when connecting Canon cameras on macOS High Sierra computers.

We’ve completely re-written the underlying Canon supplied communication code. Removing the Canon code removes FoCal’s reliance on Canon libraries, we’re excited as this means an end to any mac/Canon issues that can happen after a new macOS release! FoCal’s communication to Canon cameras now works in a similar way to Nikon which has been historically more stable with less changes required after a new macOS release.

Replacing the 3rd party Canon communication libraries opens up some exciting possibilities and lays the foundation for some great updates to come over the course of future Reikan FoCal releases.  Watch this space!

Software Support Status

Mac

The following table shows the support for FoCal for Mac:

Operating System Camera Manufacturer Status
OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) Canon & Nikon Fully functional
OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) Canon & Nikon Fully functional
OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) Canon & Nikon Fully functional
macOS 10.12 (Sierra) Canon & Nikon Fully functional
macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) Canon & Nikon Fully functional

Windows

The following table shows the support for FoCal for Windows:

Operating System Camera Manufacturer Status
Windows 7 Canon & Nikon Fully functional
Windows 8/8.1 Canon & Nikon Fully functional
Windows 10 Canon & Nikon Fully functional

How do I get FoCal 2.6 MR1 for macOS?

Download FoCal 2.6 MR1 for macOS by logging in to the LMS at lms.fo-cal.co.uk. Once logged in, you will see a download link to the software.

FoCal 2.6 MR1 is available for operating systems Mac OS X 10.9 – 10.11 and macOS 10.12 – 10.13, for users who are still within their Included Updates Period as at the release date of FoCal 2.6 (15th November 2017). If your Included Updates Period has expired, you can purchase another 12 months by logging in to the LMS at lms.fo-cal.co.uk.

Just to clarify: you will NOT need to purchase a new Included Update Period if you are currently using FoCal 2.6.

If you don’t own FoCal, you can purchase the software as a download or boxed product, as well as Focal Hard Targets from the store.

The installation package contains the software, target images and a reference manual (also available on the Documents Download page).

Find Us on Facebook and Twitter

We regularly post news and updates on social media. You can keep updated, connect and follow us via Reikan FoCal on Facebook and FoCal Twitter Page.

 

26 comments on “Reikan FoCal 2.6 Mac MR1 – Adds Full macOS High Sierra Support For Canon Cameras

  • Marshall Goldberg says:

    Dear Reikan,
    I am very impressed by your commitment to quality and support. I like your product very much and you’ve been a fantastic vendor. I’m very happy that I bought FoCal, and I intend to upgrade before my next lens purchase — this is a great product to use when evaluating a lens for purchase.
    I am concerned now that if I upgrade to Mac High Sierra, FoCal will work, but Canon’s utility might not? Not that I use them much…

    Reply
    • Hi Marshall,

      FoCal changes only will change the way FoCal works.

      Canon’s EOS Utility comes with its own Canon libraries and will continue to work as before 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
    • Hi Greg,

      Right, there’s no requirement to install it as there are no changes for Nikon users (it won’t cause a problem either way) 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
  • Vladimir Rimsky-Korsakov says:

    HI
    When you indicate fully functional, does that mean on Canon cameras the App will automatically change the micro focus increments? or do you have to change them when prompted?
    Thank you in anticipation
    Vlad

    Reply
    • Hi Vlad,

      Thank you for your interest in FoCal>

      Fully functional in the sense that FoCal is providing full support for the camera.

      You are right, some cameras work “hands free” and others are “user assisted”, the complete list of supported cameras along with their FoCal Mode (i.e. hands free / user assisted) is online at Supported Cameras List. The page also explains why there is a difference (sadly at the moment it’s outside our control!).

      Which is a long way to say, nothing has changed in this area at the moment 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
  • scott kasden, MD says:

    The last version locked up my 1DXII which I had to resolve by restoring factory defaults. This caused me a world of hurt because I lost so many settings, and therefore shots for quite some time to come. I have been too gunshy to try it again.

    I have been a Focal user since the beginning, and this is the first big problem that I can remember.

    So is it safe for me? I use a MacBook Pro running latest software.

    Thanks

    sek

    Reply
    • Hi Scott,

      Anything like that please do raise a support request as that’s definitely not expected.

      We’ve done a lot of testing for this release, a lot of internal testing across many cameras and systems as well as a limited beta trial with users. We believe it’s solid and should work well with the 1DXII 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
    • Hi Alan,

      Thank you for your interest in FoCal>

      As background (it’s likely be old news to you) some cameras work “hands free” and others are “user assisted”, the complete list of supported cameras along with their FoCal Mode (i.e. hands free / user assisted) is online at Supported Cameras List. The page also explains why there is a difference (sadly at the moment it’s outside our control!).

      The change to a Reikan created Canon communications solution gives us more scope to investigate what might be possible in the future. We would, of course, love to make all cameras work “hands free” and we are researching, at the moment it’s as it was previously 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
  • Hello Dears,

    Thanks for investing so much efforts, energy and resources to develop this niche product.

    I wonder when we will be given the possibility to test the AF points consistency on Canon 5D Mark IV? I’m having huge issues with this camera whose AF goes completely blind out of the central point. It is such a “hit and miss” or “spray and pray”, that it is unbelievable. Having the option to test not only the central point will be of great help.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Alex,

      Thank you for your kind words 🙂

      The change to a Reikan created Canon communications solution gives us more scope to investigate what might be possible in the future.

      No promises (and definitely we don’t have a timeline in the event it is possible!) but some of the restrictions imposed by using the Canon supplied software may no longer apply now we are able to interact with the camera on a different level.

      It’s not a quick or simple process to unwind the magic inside the camera and allow multi-point focus testing, it’s definitely on our list to investigate 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
  • Sandro Noel says:

    It does not work for me, my camera is detected as a digital camera and FoCal tells me that it is not supported. Canon 5D Mk IV

    version 2.5 worked like a charm.

    Reply
  • Any chance that at some point you might offer support oft for the Canon Cinema line of cameras (C100, C200 etc?) I know they are much more complex cameras, but it’d be great to see it and I’d be an immediate customer. I’ll probably buy it for my eos 60D anyway, but I have a C100 MArk II and would love to be able to get that dialed in as well.

    Reply
    • Hi Douglas,

      Thank you for your interest in FoCal.

      It’s a question we’ve been asked a few times, there’s a couple of reasons we have not included support for the cinema range. One of the main ones is that Canon’s SDK does not list the cinema cameras as supported.

      Now, we know they are based on / similar to other Canon cameras which are supported and in theory we could poke around and figure out how to communicate with the cinema cameras. There’s potential risk, poking around like that with the way the interface is designed can, in theory, put the camera into a ‘bad state’ (which requires in theory a new main board!).

      If the cameras were listed as SDK supported we’d certainly add them but that’s not currently the case(!) 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
  • Hi,

    I would like to know if this software calibrates the sigma 150-600mm using a canon 80D at the distances of 2.8m, 6m, 15m and infinite.
    The idea will be to carry out the microajustemt AF values with the Focal software to introduce them using the sigma Dock.

    Best regards

    Reply
    • Hi Ander,

      Thank you for your interest in FoCal. Yes it is possible to calibrate at multiple distances with FoCal and use that process along with the Sigma Dock.

      Easiest way to think of it, a normal camera/lens focus calibration is held in the camera and FoCal can be used to work out the best value for this setting. With the Sigma Dock you now have a lot more points of adjustment and they must be set inside the lens rather than inside the camera.

      Different Sigma lenses require difference calibration distances and these distances are given in the Sigma Dock software. The distance, especially for the close in distances should be fairly accurately measured (measure to the sensor plane usually indicated on the top of the camera).

      FoCal generally expects the target to take up between 20%-90% of the vertical frame. With nearer distances you might find a standard printed target works fine for this, if the target is taking up most or all of the screen you can re-print the target smaller as needed to ensure that it still fits inside the 90% with the closer distances.

      With further distances and indeed with the “infinity” setting it’s unlikely you can print a FoCal target large enough for this calibration. The “infinity question” as I’m calling it is an interesting one(!) See some thoughts below on this, both from the point of view of picking a target as well as the point of view of what “infinity” might mean in Sigma terms.

      I think the best way round is to find a natural or environmental target and use that instead. So turn off the function where FoCal expects a target. You can tell FoCal not to look for the specific target design by setting:

      Preferences > Tests (tab) > Target Validation – set this to “No Target Validation”

      A “natural target” would be anything with high contrast edges in both the vertical and horizontal axis. Perhaps a large road sign with text on it, or a high rise apartment block that has strong defined lines (say window frames).

      How far is “infinity” is somewhat unclear, Sigma should really tell its users what distance might be suitable for testing “infinity”, it’s difficult for us to weigh in on that question without knowing a lot more about the internal workings of the Sigma system. Our current thinking is something “a long way away”, which is fairly vague requirement(!)

      All the above is the approach we’ve come up with as a suggestion, one of the things we want to do is provide more information to users and this will be happening soon.

      Essentially, the expected process would be the calibrate (using FoCal) the lens at a specific distance (as given by Sigma in their user interface) and then try to dial out that adjustment. The end goal is the camera set AFMA / AF fine tune value ends up at 0 when the camera/lens is calibrated using FoCal and all the adjustment is instead entered within the Sigma Dock settings and held inside the lens itself.

      It’s hopeful (and there is evidence to suggest) that once a relationship is found between the camera’s AFMA / AF fine tune units and Sigma Dock calibration units that relationship holds true for further adjustments on that same lens.

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
    • Hi Konrad,

      Good question, our general position for new macOS releases is to start by saying “not officially supported” – that way we have time to do testing and assess any potential issues as well as monitor for any issues raised by users.

      Our main plan is to continue working on the full 64bit implementation of FoCal, this is something we’ve been working on (it’s not a quick change as it impacts a lot of the underlying code). Part of this is a re-write of the way FoCal talks to Canon cameras, something we’ve partially rolled out in the High Sierra support release.

      We are working on it, it might work for some already on Mojave but we’re still assessing potential issues with full complete 64bit support in the works! 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
  • Zenon Char says:

    Mojave still supports 32 Bit but that will be it. The next version won’t so software developers have time to update. I’m not an expert but that is what I have read.

    I updated to Mojave and used FoCal the other day with my Canon gear. I think I got a not optimized message the first time I opened it in Mojave but it worked. I have not seen one since.

    Reply
    • Hi Zenon,

      Thanks for your feedback and glad it’s all working.

      Our testing on Mojave shows everything works well with the current FoCal release (as you say there may be an information message regarding the 32 bit install).

      Next release of FoCal is coming that will have native 64 bit support 🙂

      Best Regards,
      Dave

      Reply
  • Prior to purchasing FoCal Pro, I had upgraded my iMac to Mojave (10.14)… Having an issue with the program not responding or connecting properly to my camera.. Spinning wheel of death. It recognizes the camera body I have, but not the serial number, firmware, battery status, lens or current AFMA.. have left it for longer than 30 minutes as this is my first time calibrating. I’ve even tried restarting the program/turning my camera off, even re-starting my computer and starting from scratch and same thing, not connecting fully. I have gone into the FoCal program and registered my camera body (I only have one at the moment) and still, NOTHING. Getting annoyed, my friend has the same program, same camera and lenses and she connected with no issues.

    I really wanna LOVE this program!

    Reply

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