DSLR Bracketeer is a simple utility I made while working on an art project. It is used for focus bracketing on your Canon EOS DSLR camera. You can download it for free at the bottom of the page but come back and read the instructions.

What OS/Camera does it work on?

So far I got replies it works following CANON EOS cameras
1000D (Rebel XS), 450D (Rebel XSi), 500D (Rebel T1i), 550D (Rebel T1i), 600D, 5D MkII,
and it should work on all other EOS cameras with Live View. If you can control focus with Canon Utility, it should be controllable with Bracketeer.
It works on Windows 7, 8, Vista and XP.

Installation and getting started

1. There is no installation, just extract archive anywhere (it should have its own folder). Do not extract in Program Files because it will not function properly.
2. Install VS2008 redistributable if needed (if you get any error starting program). You can download it here
3. Enable Live View on your camera,
4. Turn-ON AF (on the lens) and Turn-OFF IS (image stabilization).
5. Connect the camera via USB, turn it ON, and then start DSLR Bracketeer
6. Turn on Live View in software.
7. Use << and >> buttons to focus nearest point on your object (for some lenses it it the furthest point).
8. Enter number of images to take and press Start

Program changes focus and shoots photos.
You will have all the images in program folder.

Do not use other Canon software while using DSLR Bracketeer

Parameters

DELAY
There is a delay parameter in program that sets how much time program should wait between each shots. It is needed because it takes time to
TurnLiveViewOff – TakePhoto – TurnLiveViewOn – ChangeFocus -…
If parameter is too low it might blur photos while changing focus.
This parameter is in milliseconds, so 1000 means 1 second. I run it at 1500ms because I have 1000D and stock lenses. Also if you have long exposure time add that time to delay parameter (ex. 1s exposure time+1.5s = 2500 ms)

NUMBER OF IMAGES

If you do not know how many images you will need just put here 999 and let it run… when focal plane goes past your subject, just click Stop.

USE TINY STEPS

There are 3 step sizes provided by CANON. If default step size is too big for your needs, turn this ON. It depends on the lens but on my Canon it takes 12 tiny steps for one normal. I find it too small for any use.

Important

• This program is free; use it however you want.
• Please post link to this website instead of hotlinking zip file and please don’t host it somewhere else.
• I am not responsible to anything that might happen to your camera/computer.
• This program is dumb so if you enter letter where a number is expected, or do something unexpected it will crash (as said, I made it for a personal project so it just had to work).
• If the lenses are at either focus limit the program will not know, it will just keep on taking photos according to NUMBER OF IMAGES parameter. This will not break your lenses. That is SDK limitation and there is no way to fix it.
• Program has not been updated since 2010 and since I don't have project files any more I cannot maintain it any more.

Download

Dowload DSLR Bracketeer version 0.7 – 2.5 MB
Install VS2008 redistributable if needed
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=a5c84275-3b97-4ab7-a40d-3802b2af5fc2&displaylang=en

Have fun!

Photo by Enrico Nunziat from sxc.hu