For myself, I don't have a motorized focuser, although the controller I use allows for a focuser (OnStep STM32).
Since this means I have to focus manually, it also means I will be standing next to the telescope (I usually operate the telescope from indoors after the setup is complete).
So I just use a Bahtinov mask and Live View on the DSLR. Go to a fairly bright star, and center the middle diffraction spike in between the other two spikes, and you are done. Takes one minue.
Just remember to remove the Bahtinov mask before you go indoors!
Back to the discussion,
Would it be possible to use the zoom in the live-view of the DSLR ?
Zooming with the middle rolling button doesn't works. I tested it just now and it doesn't work.
I don't know if the zooming functions of liveview are available from gphoto2 but if they are why we can't have them available in Ekos ?
In my opinion, that would be of great improvement for manual focusing with Bahtinov masks not to have to use the DSLR screen to do it.
And a tool as this one could be another good improvement : ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/bahtinov_aid.htm#
For automatic focusing, I am not too much in this but, wouldn't it be possible to use video-mode ?