I just used a three foot length of 2X2 wood with a slot cut in it to hold the target and I just clip the two lights to it to illuminate it. The wood piece attaches to the tripod with the arca style clamp. I'm not home right now so I can't take a picture of what my setup looks like. As far as the distance is concerned, the software will tell you if you are the correct distance and with zooms you always adjust for max wide and max zoom separately. In a Canon there is a separate MFA setting for each. Since I assume you have a cropped sensor camera based on your use of EF-S lenses, try the adjusted length (focal length X crop factor which is 1.6 for Canon) first so for the 18-135 use the distance for 24mm for the wide and 216mm for the tele.

I agree with the others that it is a good tool for precisely tuning the MFA on a lens/camera. I have Canon gear and have matched all my lenses to my 5D II, 5D III, and 7D II. I had my targets mounted to a piece of foam board and mount them on a tripod with lighting to illuminate it. You need a space at least 20-25 feet to do the long telephotos and less for the wide angle. You should also tape over the eyepiece while running the program. The only hassle with the software is that the newer cameras won't let the computer control the camera and requires you to manually adjust the different settings during the adjustment process. My 5D II is old school and will run hands off until it's adjusted. Licensing is via serial number that you must register with Reikan and I think you are limited to four or six. I assume you can replace a serial number if your camera changes. I have kept up with the updates but don't remember the cost.

I wouldn't worry about updates. I bought my copy several years ago and haven't felt the need to update. Caled all my lenses (and my son's), and I periodically recal. My original copy provides all the features I need, so haven't considered the new rev (yet). What I can tell you is that it's easy to use, accurate and repeatable, and every one of my lenses needed and were improved by MFA. In terms of improving IQ and sharpness, it's the best investment I've made. Highly recommended. Btw, I had the Lens Align system previously, and it required a judgement call as to where the in-focus spot was whereas the Focal system provides a graph of acuity vs MAF - no interpretation or judgement needed - I feel it is much more precise and accurate.