Lens Calibration Software: Worth it? Free options?

I have read about FoCal and FocusTune. Is one better than the other? Are they work their respective asking price? What about other options? Any free options?

Thanks for the help!

Never used focustune so I can't say. FoCal is pretty good and I like my pro version. Although there are a lot of mix reviews out there.

My opinion is here, along with many others... https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1272615

Check dot-tune (now in Magic Lantern) - free, as accurate as non-free methods, but much faster.

pulsar123 wrote in post #15908554
Check dot-tune (now in Magic Lantern) - free, as accurate as non-free methods, but much faster.

I know Dot-tune is in the Alpha version of ML, but I still don't see it listed as a feature of the vers. 2.3. Is it in there? Or are you referring to the nightly's, or just the alpha?

It is in their nightly release. (In alpha for 7D only I think.) Works fine on my 50D.

Is this software only usable on higher end cameras?

I've used Focal and the Dot-tune method and greatly prefer the latter. Its just that easy and fast and the results have been spot on.I purchased a focus chart app on my Ipad and use that as my target.

I own the Spyderlenscal and have struggled using it. I have a difficult time reading the results. It's probably my eyes not the product.
I litterally just finished calibrating my 24-70 L, 70-200 L, 300L, 500 L plus the 1.4 extender on those lenses it works with using the "dot-tune" method. I did the Canon recommended 50 time focal length for distances and did both ends of the zooms. I was finished in about an hour, not including measuring out the distances and packing up.
My initial test shots looked good. I'll know more when I actually get out and do some real shooting. I found this method easy to use. Unless I notice some real issues with IQ in the field I'll use the dot-tune method in the future.

Ed

MikeD18 wrote in post #15910456
Is this software only usable on higher end cameras?

You mean Magic Lantern? These are the supported cameras:

5Dmk2, 50D, 60D
500D, 550D, 600D

soon: 5Dc, 1100D, 5Dmk3, 7D, 6D, 650D, EOS-M

http://www.magiclanter​n.fm/

But dot-tune can only work on cameras which can do focus MA - 50D, 5Dmk2, and soon 5Dmk3, 7D, 6D. I believe dot-tune already available for 7D, in their alpha release.

focal can do a lot of other stuff, but for AF only, I'd just use dot-tune.

the AF reliability of FOCAL is nice. Glad to see my lenses at least up to other comparisons I've read. Always nice to have a report of how your lens performs, that can be performed periodically in case you need it serviced.

The downside is that it burns up a lot of shutter actuations.

Charlie wrote in post #15911364
The downside is that it burns up a lot of shutter actuations.

Yeah! Wow!

I calibrated 10 lenses and used up 0.002% of my 7D's allocated shutter actuations.

hollis_f wrote in post #15913784
Yeah! Wow!

I calibrated 10 lenses and used up 0.002% of my 7D's allocated shutter actuations.

You see, the not well known fact here that there is a limited number of shutter actuations in the world, and by wasting even your measly 0.002% on calibrating your lens, you're lessening the number of actuations for everyone, except iPhone shooters (them lucky bastards).
At some point there will be no more shutter actuations left and there will be no more new pictures taken, except, of course, by iPhone shooters.

Aleness wrote in post #15914407
You see, the not well known fact here that there is a limited number of shutter actuations in the world, and by wasting even your measly 0.002% on calibrating your lens, you're lessening the number of actuations for everyone, except iPhone shooters (them lucky bastards).
At some point there will be no more shutter actuations left and there will be no more new pictures taken, except, of course, by iPhone shooters.

???

Hiep - it's called sarcasm