AF Microadjustment for Canon Cameras & Lenses

I

imagerap

Messages
68
Name
Robin
Edit My Images
No
I am intending buying a 5D MkIII in the near future. I have read some articles on here about AF microadjustment (MA) but please can I ask a few questions about MA for Canon equipment:

- Can you undertake camera and lens(es) MA with no other software attached (i.e. in-camera), or is software needed (recommended??), e.g. EOS Utility / FoCal?

- Is MA applying changes purely to the camera AF or to the lens alignment as well?

- Can MA settings be saved for non-Canon lenses(e.g. Sigma EX)?

The last question may have a different answer I guess, depending on whether one is talking about say, the 7D that holds details about a lens type, as opposed to the 5D MkIII which I understand can store details about individually serial numbered lenses.

I hope that all makes sense.
 
You don't need anything other than the camera, lens and memory card though I set mine up with it connected to a laptop running EOS Utility.
The MA basically tells the camera to adjust focus for that particular lens whenever you mount it, it doesn't change anything in the lens itself.
Not sure about serial numbers, my 50D changes the setting whenever I mount a lens of the same type as it has stored in the memory and none of my lenses are L so don't actually have a serial number.
It works with Canon and Sigma lenses for certain but not sure about others as those are the only two manufacturers I have.
 
Thanks Wozzaaah. I presume the memory card is required to temporarily store the AF MA data before it's written to the camera's 'hard disk', or am I missing something?

BTW: I thought ALL lenses had serial numbers. It's just that the camera may not be able to recognise them all (which made me wonder about Sigma lens' compatibility).
 
Last edited:
imagerap said:
Thanks Wozzaaah. I presume the memory card is required to temporarily store the AF MA data before it's written to the camera's 'hard disk', or am I missing something?
Click to expand...
The memory card is there so you can capture the image and see it on a computer. The only automated MA is with software like FoCal. The camera doesn't (yet) have this capability to autocalibrate.
 
The camera remembers settings per lens via the serial number (electronic on the chipset in each lens)
 
Chris O said:
The camera remembers settings per lens via the serial number (electronic on the chipset in each lens)
Click to expand...
Can't speak for L lenses but with non-L ones on my 50D it only goes by the model so if you set up say, a 17-85 then put on another 17-85 it sets the MA to whatever the stored preset is, it doesn't recognise that the lenses are different. ;)
 
Chris O said:
The camera remembers settings per lens via the serial number (electronic on the chipset in each lens)
Click to expand...

This is only on the 1Dx, other bodies can only do it by model only - ie if you calibrated one 24-70 f/2.8L and then placed another 24-70 f/2.8L on the body then the MA would be the same.
 
Hmmm, I read on the Focal info that it was by serial number, but seeing as I haven't looked it up in the manual & I don't have 2 copies of a lens then I stand to be corrected! Oops...... :coat:
 
PistolPeteUK said:
This is only on the 1Dx, other bodies can only do it by model only - ie if you calibrated one 24-70 f/2.8L and then placed another 24-70 f/2.8L on the body then the MA would be the same.
Click to expand...

Nope, thats wrong. As already stated the 5DMKIII does it by serial number. Either manually entered or read from the lens automatically. Canon make a big thing about this.

As for MFA. I prefer to do it using the Moire pattern test. For this you dont need to hook the camera up, or in fact take any shots so you dont need a memory card either, although you would of course need one to use the camera anyway.
You do need a computer with a LCD screen though, although it doesn't have to be anything really special, even a laptop works ok.
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/cameras/1ds3_af_micoadjustment.html
 
Just to add MFA on the 5DIII can be different with a 1.4x extender attached. The camera can remember the values for both and change accordingly. Focal for me is very reliable. 135L, 135L+1.4x, 85 1.8 and 50 1.4 All spot on. Not sure about third party lenses yet.
 
Recently purchased FoCal and tried it with my 5D3 + 85 1.8. Ran through it 4 times and got 4 different results between -4 and -9. Will try it again at the weekend, maybe I'm doing something wrong. :thinking:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top