Settings – Focus Consistency

The following settings are available in the Test Settings panel:

Aperture

Use this option to change the aperture at which images are taken and analysed.

Note that this may or may not affect the aperture at which the focus system is used, depending on the camera.

Most DSLR cameras using Phase Detect autofocus will always focus with the lens wide open, and stop the aperture down to take an image. In Live View modes, or with mirrorless cameras, whether the focus is achieved wide open or at the image capture aperture is dependant on the camera and modes selected on the camera.

Autofocus Mode

The Focus Mode lets you choose the method by which the camera will achieve focus.

Note that the results of this test when using the Phase Detect autofocus system can be affected by how well calibrated the camera/lens is. To get representative Phase Detect Focus Consistency, you should ensure the lens is accurately calibrated before running this test.

Choosing Live View for a DSLR will give you an idea of the repeatability and performance of Live View focusing, and for advanced users can be useful to compare with Phase Detect to review the comparative performance of the two systems.

This option also allows the choice of Both for cameras that support 2 autofocus systems. This allows you to take 2 measurements for each point – one for each autofocus system – so you can compare the performance in a single test.

Point Count

This is the number of shots taken during the test. The default is 10, but you can change this if you would like more or fewer shots taken.

Defocus Amount / Defocus Direction

In order to exercise the autofocus system of the camera, FoCal will defocus the lens between shots. These options allow you to choose the amount (none, small, large) and the direction (towards camera, towards infinity).

For Focus Consistency, the Direction option also offers Both which will allow you to take 2 measurements for each point – one with the defocus towards the camera, and one with the defocus towards infinity.

For advanced users, changing this option can reveal interesting characteristics of the AF system, but unless you are an advanced user with a good understanding of the effects this setting will have, we recommend leaving these settings at Large and Towards Infinity.