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'Dandelion chips' (1 Viewer)

Hi bogert

I have the Dandelion (from tagotech) and tried using it with the telescope. I have found it more bother than help. It will spuriously lose the programmed info and when using a 1.4x TC you don't have focus confirm (on Canon) anyway. It does help to sort photos when you change or stack TC's during a shoot, as it records the f/ number in the exif data - with my 1.4x Kenko's as either f/8 or f/11.

In the case 3dreal mentions (400mm f/5.6) it may work as long as you don't add a TC to the lens/camera combination as AF is limited to f/5.6 on Canon consumer DSLR's. Canon DSLR's don't provide for trap focus in the software, so if it is your thing this may work with a lens, but not with a telescope where you are already at f/7 or smaller. I have tried to fool the AF by programming the chip to 600mm f/4, but the AF refuses to work when it senses the light value to be below the value it would have at f/5.6.

Some of the other guys may have had better results with different cameras or different chips, but the lack of excitement here leads me to think otherwise.

Best regards

Jaco
 
In continous mode camera is not stopping even if its off-focus. In this case novoflex follow-focus is best. 200/3.8 and 1.5x converter exist also beside 400/5.6 and 600/8 and leitz telith heads. and tamron-novoflex 60-300 and 300/2.8.

will test with kenko 2x converter. dont have novoflex own(does not matter).
i was surprised how good 5.6 was working in very low light.
btw: with contax ax- vivitar cat 600/8 i was also very surprised that it worked also in quite low light. beside the 5.6 limit which is obviously only on paper was he fact that this type of mirror-lens hasnt a certain limit(i forgot what one exactly) maybe has to do with AF-confirm. Accuracy.
btw: there is a 450/4.5 around in germany. not so expensive.
500/4 i once had from sigma(two versions, one with closer focussing) cap with 5.6-simulation
 
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Half-Good news regarding Novoflex+2xConverter

Tested on Canon 5(analogue)- dont have dslr
400/5.6 not working with 2x-converter and FC.
200/3.8 plus whatever 2x-converter: Working!
so why use 200x2= 400/7.6(almost one stop slower) instead of 400/5.6?
its much more lightweight!
there is a 1.5 original novoflex converter which loses only one stop(if i dont err). but only for novoflex-lenses.
I tested also 200/3.8 plus panagor 2x macroconverter in low light indoors and macro. sometimes its working maybe not enough light.
AF-light didnt help.
first with 400x2-combo i thought its not working because the beam hits the knob of the built-in bellows in my B-type-Novoflex-system.
i would definitively get the newer c-version due to several advatages.
1. when using the better triplet 400/5.6 T pisto-grip is at wrong-unbalanced position.
2. bellow is built-in. dont know anymore how its is working.
3. has a big quick-release button if lens is focus-fixed to a position and focus must be unlocked quickly when birds are flying out of their position/nest.
on all novoflex-lenses camera can be turned vertically.
Focustrap and continous focussing
all novoflex have focus-fix-knob.
Dandelion:
One Shot= Focus-confirm/Focus-Trap
Shooting in continuous-mode possible from the first confirmation on.
In single shot, only one shot, when infocus.
AI Servo-No FConfirm, always shooting.
Follow Focus is very quick and accurate also when subject is moving fast.
It needs training.
 
Hi all

I would like to share my experience with AF confirm chips.

I found this programmable chip on eBay sold by a seller under the name tagotech, 100% positive feedback. Price tag $19.98

Super fast delivery, took just a few days to arrive to Sweden from Singapore.

The chip comes with a machine made plastic alignment tool that helps in making sure it is positioned correctly when gluing it to the adapter. And yes, this chip is programmable, F number can be programmed from 2.0 to 9.9 and focal length up to 100000 mm. The programming is sort of archaic and the provided instructions were almost correct - it took me a few extra minutes to figure out that the feedback ("--" prompt) was not displayed in all situations, once I skipped waiting for the prompt the programming worked as described.

It works OK, you can see some results at the end of the "gallery" thread for samples of birds in flight captured with the Skywatcher 600 mm F/7.5. The audible beep is s great support while fine tuning focus on a moving subject.

Thanks to the Olympus E-system body built-in image stabilizer the programming not only produces correct EXIF data (600 mm, F/7.5 in my case) but also the IS mechanism should operate correctly since the input parameter is the actual focal length and not the default 50 mm. (in theory at least, should work in practice as well).

I haven't tested if it needs AF calibration, though.

Hope this is useful information to this thread.

/Tord
 
I just got a chipped Nikon-4/3 adapter from big_is (ebay). The adapter its self is identical to a Fotodiox I already have. Now, pardon me if I ask a stupid question, but one thing is not clear to me. Do you HAVE to program the chip for it to work, or is "programming" it just telling it/the camera what to put in the EXIF data?
The Olympus in body IS works fine without the chip on legacy lenses. You just have to tell the camera what the focal length is and you are done. Maybe that gets screwed up with a chip. At any rate, I can't even get into the programming mode of the chip following the instructions I got from the seller, so I can't even try it out. As is it gives me the usual 50mm in the EXIF, and the AF confirm dot lights up on focus, sort of, when it is not blinking. Basically it seems to be a PITA.
 
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I just got a chipped Nikon-4/3 adapter from big_is (ebay). The adapter its self is identical to a Fotodiox I already have. Now, pardon me if I ask a stupid question, but one thing is not clear to me. Do you HAVE to program the chip for it to work, or is "programming" it just telling it/the camera what to put in the EXIF data?
The Olympus in body IS works fine without the chip on legacy lenses. You just have to tell the camera what the focal length is and you are done. Maybe that gets screwed up with a chip. At any rate, I can't even get into the programming mode of the chip following the instructions I got from the seller, so I can't even try it out. As is it gives me the usual 50mm in the EXIF, and the AF confirm dot lights up on focus, sort of, when it is not blinking. Basically it seems to be a PITA.

my adapter beeps AF confirmation, and that's it. The lenght of the scope I do on camera as you know. Exif, I don't care about. I've had 1mm to 65500mm ...
If the AF works, I say be happy with it. :)
 
I get no beep, and lots of blinking. It sort of stays lit when I am right on, but it is a pain to have to keep looking in the corner rather than concentrate on the center of the view finder. Don't care about the exif data either, but I do care about IS and if it screws that up it is no use at all except as a second Nikon-4/3 adapter, after I bust the sucker off!:C

EDIT
Figured out the beep. Camera has to be set on SAF-MF and you have to hold the button half way down while focusing. We'll see if it is a help.
 
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Hi,

A recent update on this topic.

I have programmed the AF confirm chip I am using (see post above) but I learned that theonly thing this does is that F number and FL are correct in the EXIF data. Nice, but does impact IQ.

The IS system on Olympus 4/3 bodies can (and should be) programmed to use the actual focal length of a legacy (i.e. non-4/3) lens. The default value the IS system uses in absence of input parameter is 50 mm, which is probably an OK value for most lenses but not for scopes.

To program the FL to use by the IS system:
  1. Enter the IS menu e.g. IS=1
  2. Press the exposure compensation button +/-
  3. Adjust the FL using the up and down arrows


Values in the long range that can be entered are 500, 600, 800 with highest value 1000, typically what you will get from a scope with teleconverter. Even if the FL is more than 1000 mm, 1000 is certainly better than 50.

HTH

/Tord
 
I have used a number of non 4/3 lenses and have always dialed in the focal length into the IS. The chip, which I can't seem to be able to program, does not seem to interfere with this and I can dial in the scope focal length without problem. I disagree that 50mm "is probably an OK value for most lenses". The body has to know how much to compensate for how much movement and that it should be as close as possible.

I now am going to test how accurate it is and whether an AF adjust is necessary and can be saved into the camera's system, as the Oly AF lenses can be.
 
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OK, that seems to work. It shows up in my lens data as 50-50 f2.8, and a value of +10 puts it right on the money, even in pretty poor light.
 
Well....I guess I spoke too soon. I redid my test in better light. The chip from big_is is basically useless. It back-focuses by about 4cm!!, and the focus compensation in the E-30 changes nothing; +20 to -20, still the same wrong focus. Besides, in bad light, when you need it most, it doesn't even work at all.

EDIT: OK. I figured out how to interpret their instructions and was able to program the EXIF data (600mm/f7.5)into the chip. I was expecting some sort of display, but what you need to see is in the view finder unless you activate the info on the screen. Remains to be seen if that helps deal with the back focusing now that the camera knows it has a 600mm lens on it and not a 50mm. Not enough light now to test it properly.
 
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I wish I knew better how the Olympus AF adjustment worked, but I suspect it tells the lens to go just that tiny bit further, according to the settings, and not how the AF sensor should react. In other words, a non AF lens with a chip cannot be adjusted as there is no motor to control. I have done a number of tests this morning and find that first, there is no change in the AF confirm signal resulting from changing the AF adjust settings, (+20 and -20 are both exactly the same) and second, there seems to be no difference depending on whether one is focusing back to front or front to back (near to far). It reacts a little slowly, so if I focus back to front very slowly until it beeps, then double check by pushing the shutter button half way, making sure it beeps right away, then it is pretty much right on, but to be honest, I can do it better and faster by eye.
The other possibility I have not yet tried is turning off the S-AF priority, which lets me take a picture even if the focus is not correct, then push the shutter all the way and rock the focus and see if it takes the picture on time, that is, before the focus has been over shot.

I realize this is a little Olympus specific, but I doubt that it is any different with other brands. Just the names of the functions might be different.
 
Hi Daniel, I think that you have any kind of trouble adjusting the "focus micro adjustment" option of the chip.

I also have an EMF from big_IS, I bought the version that is mounted in a M42 adapter.

Until I adjusted the micro focus value I always get 1.5cms of front focus.

It is a little tricky how to adjust it, but if you are able to change the focal length I am sure that you know how to do it.

Maybe the question regarding the -20 and +20 focus micro adjust value giving you the same front focus could be its circular nature. In my version the values range from 0 to 31, giving the same result 0 that "32" will do. It is a circular behaviour, so 8 and 24 will give you exactly the same focusing result, being 16 the opposite focusing value as 0, 1 the same as 31, 2 the same as 30, 3 the same as 29, etc.

I adjusted it with success, looking for a final value of 22 in my case, making a big improvement over the unadjusted chip.

I made the adjustment in a simple way: looked where the focus confirm gave the focus confirmation on the face of a plastic animal and then changed the mode to "live view" in my Canon 1000D, and zooming over the face. So it was easy to check if the focus was in the right position or not, changing values until seeing the best contrast in the live view screen when confirming focus over the face of it.

The instructions for adjusting my EMF chip were these:

http://emfphoto.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=pdsnd7qib3pk55np3tddru6nr1&topic=2.0

I don't know if yours is similar or not.
 
The AF Adjust function is in the camera its self and not in the chip. It is a way to fine tune AF lenses to the body. There was nothing in my instructions that said anything about micro focus adjustment, so I will have to look into that. I have also used the live view function to check AF, (using a slanted scale) but in the end I like to check for sure by looking at a shot on the computer screen.
The instructions you linked to are far more elaborate than the pdf they sent me, that were only somewhat better than useless. I will check into it.
At the moment I am experimenting with turning off the AF over ride, and letting the camera release the shutter when it gets the AF signal. Sort of push and focus. Not sure if it works. Horrible light today...:C
 
What are you using? Canon?
These instructions are completely different than mine.

Here is what I get:
3T272680_resize.jpg 3T272681_resize.jpg
 
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Yes, mine is the EMF focus confirm for Canon (I have a 1000D). Those are the instructions for v3.0 of EMF chips. I can't find those chips for Olympus cameras, can you please link the chips that you bought?
 
This is getting very strange. I took it off the camera and put it back on a few times, and now it is working quite well, at least without the TN. With the TN it still back focuses drastically, maybe because it doesn't have enough light. If I can keep it working at 600mm then it isn't totally useless, although I almost always have the TN on these days. Be interested to see what Tord has to say about his regarding the micro focus adjust. If his really works well even with his EC14 (1.4xTC) then I can always get one like his and replace this one.
 
This is getting very strange. I took it off the camera and put it back on a few times, and now it is working quite well, at least without the TN. With the TN it still back focuses drastically, maybe because it doesn't have enough light. If I can keep it working at 600mm then it isn't totally useless, although I almost always have the TN on these days. Be interested to see what Tord has to say about his regarding the micro focus adjust. If his really works well even with his EC14 (1.4xTC) then I can always get one like his and replace this one.
Hi,

With micro focus adjust - do you mean calibrating for front/back focus bias?
The chip I use has this feature. I have not taken advantage of it, though, since it seems to work OK with factory settings.

As written before it works fine also with the EC14 fitted if light is good or if subject has good contrast. It comes delivered with a plastic tool for perfect positioning so it was quite easy to mount on the adapter ring.
 
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