Lens MicroAdjustment

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Paul Parker

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Always ignored this feature on my 1D3/1D4 should i take time and with the necessary lenscal cards and take time to adjust this AF Micro Adjustment to avoid mis focussing?

I don't do much portrait work but do shoot wide open for sport. Thing is I've seen some kits as cheap as £3.90 up to £50 on Amazon and wondering if this is another lens adjustment that will cause me more grief than a benefit?

Have you adjusted your lenses this way, or assume a new lens and camera work perfectly all the time?

Cheers
 
Generally I find it is more grief than benefit.

If a lens needs adjusting it will be totally apparent in daily shooting, in which case adjust it but if your images are fine then I would leave it.
 
If all is working well I would leave it, but if you want to try a method have a look at the dot tune method.

That is what I have recently done with my lens, however not sure if there is any improvement.[emoji15]
 
As above if you've not noticed any issues then don't worry. I prefer SpyderLensCal (or a home made version) to DOT Tune if I do need to calibrate.
 
Cheers guys! I'm after a leg up and trying to check all the boxes to make sure my equipment is all good before putting blame on myself. ;) I think this is worth looking into and on Amazon Lens Calibration devices as stated range from cheap to.... HOW MUCH?!!?... but none more expensive than FOCAL PRO at a whopping £69.95 .... To be honest a few items of my gear is second hand. so although i'm grateful to get such items now i need to make sure its performing. Alot of free printout services and time consuming tasks and makes sense just to have patience on my side ... but if i can get software to speed up my process.... Might ask for a late Xmas present :D
 
I found dot tune to be very useful, and I'm happy with the results I'm getting..and it's free. I didn't have much luck with the latest version of Focal, and got a refund.
 
I always check my lenses. I have a home made set up and a lenscal. Generally I use my home made one. If I use the lenscal, I find that embosssing the test pic in Photoshop gives a better indication of where the focus starts to drift.

I check mine at around the distance that I would expect to use them normally. Canon recommend checking at 50 times focal length.

I find checking a prime lens quick and pretty straight forward, maybe takes me 15 minutes. I take 6 shots defoccusing between each shot. I don't even bother using a PC initially just check the playback screen. If it's way out you can see it easily. If it looks close then I will put it on the PC and fine tune if needed.

Having said all that, as stated above, if your pics look fine the adjustment is probably ok or very close.
 
Anybody else use the phase detect vs contrast detect method? It very similar to dot method but I found it quicker. Camera on tripod with a fixed high contrast target as usual. Use centre focus on live view, lens wide open and focus on your target. Now switch back to view finder (centre point af again) and hit focus again. If the af scale doesn't move, the lens is fine, repeat to make sure. If it moves back a little, dial in some positive adjustment or vice Versa until it doesn't budge at all switching between modes.

I did three sigma art lenses like this at four different distances each and the whole process took less than an hour and each lens has been spot on since.
 
I've never bothered with any of my lenses, though I did do a few test attempts which gave me the opinion that...

On a tripod and with the lens wide open and close focusing there may be a use for it

In the real world shooting Bridal portraits the MA is of no use whatsoever as I or she moves a smidge for each shot, sometimes the focus locks onto an iris but usually its the eyelash, MA wouldn't help in the real world so I just use a simple work-around = job done

At anything above f4 MA is of no use at all for what I shoot, hence I just don't bother at all :)

Dave
 
gad-westy said:
Anybody else use the phase detect vs contrast detect method? It very similar to dot method but I found it quicker. Camera on tripod with a fixed high contrast target as usual. Use centre focus on live view, lens wide open and focus on your target. Now switch back to view finder (centre point af again) and hit focus again. If the af scale doesn't move, the lens is fine, repeat to make sure. If it moves back a little, dial in some positive adjustment or vice Versa until it doesn't budge at all switching between modes.

I did three sigma art lenses like this at four different distances each and the whole process took less than an hour and each lens has been spot on since.
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The only issue I can see with this is that phase detect has tolerances and is often not the same from shot to shot so it may mislead you if it initially isn't exactly the same as contrast detect.
 
snerkler said:
The only issue I can see with this is that phase detect has tolerances and is often not the same from shot to shot so it may mislead you if it initially isn't exactly the same as contrast detect.
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Any reason why those tolerances would be worse with that method than any other?

Should have mentioned, that I did a lot of repetition after each adjustment partly to make sure it was consistent and partly because it is just so quick.
 
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gad-westy said:
Any reason why those tolerances would be worse with that method than any other?

Should have mentioned, that I did a lot of repetition after each adjustment partly to make sure it was consistent and partly because it is just so quick.
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DOT tune's an average so slightly different. As for other charts it's important for repetition as you say. IMO it's also best to test in the real world too as it will vary due to both focal length and subject distance too.
 
snerkler said:
DOT tune's an average so slightly different. As for other charts it's important for repetition as you say. IMO it's also best to test in the real world too as it will vary due to both focal length and subject distance too.
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Yes indeed. Although I've actually only done this on sigma primes where you set af adjust at several focus distances and of course the length is fixed which makes life easier. I was actually quite surprised by just how consistent the af was. Repetition was pretty near 100%. Shame it was 100% wrong every time to start with!
 
gad-westy said:
Yes indeed. Although I've actually only done this on sigma primes where you set af adjust at several focus distances and of course the length is fixed which makes life easier. I was actually quite surprised by just how consistent the af was. Repetition was pretty near 100%. Shame it was 100% wrong every time to start with!
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My camera doesn't like fast Sigmas, even +20 doesn't correct them :(
 
I have just done a plus 8 ma on my 80D coupled with my sigma 150-600 sport ,after a friend mentioned my pics were sharper with my old camera .i pulled up some old files and he was correct ,my pics have been acceptable but not ultra sharp ,I will see if this makes a diffence and go from there. Might save a few bob as I was gonna push the button on a new camera soon
 
managed a few test shots this morning before the fog closed in and stopped play .heres one for a taster if you click on the pic it will take you to my flickrstream where there are several more plus the older ones to go back on .
needless to say very happy with the results .
the occam effect by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
the black fox said:
managed a few test shots this morning before the fog closed in and stopped play .heres one for a taster if you click on the pic it will take you to my flickrstream where there are several more plus the older ones to go back on .
needless to say very happy with the results .
the occam effect by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
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Was the adjustment done using the focal software?

Thanks
 
boyfalldown said:
FWIW I think focal a little clumsy (atleast with Nikon). Dot tuning is easier and cheaper
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Thanks, I have used the dot tune for my Tamron 28-75 but still not sure if it is correct so am thinking that focal may be the next to try.
 
sep9001 said:
Thanks, I have used the dot tune for my Tamron 28-75 but still not sure if it is correct so am thinking that focal may be the next to try.
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If focal was a little less clumsy it'd be great. But atleast with Nikon it is.

Zoom lenses are by their nature harder to calibrate then primes. You really need to calibrate at each end of the range. Fwiw I calibrate my primes, but don't bother for my 70-200. (I never shoot it wide open anyway )
 
No I have a angled graduated plate ,I set this up indoors to avoid wind and shoot down the length of the hall and kitchen ,tripod with gimbal head locked down ,camera on single shot ,low ISO ,lens wide open aim at centre of target and and it becomes obvious on computer what's back or front focussing ,,adjust m.a in camera take more test shots till you get it more or less spot on ,probably takes 3 to 5 goes to get right .
It's best to crop pics of test card to ensure that it's right
 
boyfalldown said:
FWIW I think focal a little clumsy (atleast with Nikon). Dot tuning is easier and cheaper
Click to expand...

Whenever I've tried dot tune it's given me different values than using a lens cal and the AF performance has been worse in terms of sharpness.
 
the black fox said:
No I have a angled graduated plate ,I set this up indoors to avoid wind and shoot down the length of the hall and kitchen ,tripod with gimbal head locked down ,camera on single shot ,low ISO ,lens wide open aim at centre of target and and it becomes obvious on computer what's back or front focussing ,,adjust m.a in camera take more test shots till you get it more or less spot on ,probably takes 3 to 5 goes to get right .
It's best to crop pics of test card to ensure that it's right
Click to expand...
I need to do this with my 150-600 sport however I've never really understood or had the time to try and figure it out and did you do it at different focal lengths
 
bigrich110 said:
I need to do this with my 150-600 sport however I've never really understood or had the time to try and figure it out and did you do it at different focal lengths
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Have you noticed any problems with your lens?
 
snerkler said:
Have you noticed any problems with your lens?
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First time I used it I was mind blown on how sharp it was even with the teleconverter but I find it more inconsistent and not quite on point even when in great light on the same camera
 
I tend to do mine every 3 month or so as I do notice more keepers shooting wide open if I stay on top of the mfa (it does drift over the life of the gear, knocks bangs etc) Did my sigma 35 art about a week ago on my 5d mkii as it tends to live on the mkiii and it needed a mighty +10 for them to get on as it was front focusing like a champ. I use the spyderlenscal for mine.

Handheld shot after calibrating my mkii and 35 art (both locked down on tripods for the actual calibration shots). I tend to like it dead center, but if it was solely a portrait lens I'd probably back it off to +7 so it fell away quicker after the eyes.

sigma%2035mm%20art%20handheld%20shot%20at%20f1.4%20125th%20to%20check%20general%20post%20mfa%20adjustment%20focus_zpsibxkunjl.jpg
 
I have noticed since posting my info on a few forums that a lot of people (especially with a C sensor ) are reporting front focus issues as indeed mine was ,I also agree with deans post above that it should be checked every few months to encompass General wear and tear .
I never had a problem in 18 months of use on my 1D3 with a H sized sensor suggesting to me that the smaller sensors might be extremely sensitive .
Although the previous 70D I had running alongside the 1D3 gave nothing but m.a problems with the lens and wouldn't hold a setting change ,the 80D however runs as sweet as a nut now it's been adjusted
 
I've tried a few methods, bought Focal Pro, etc - I'm not sure if Focal just hates my 7D or not, it seems to come up with a vastly different adjustment every time, seemed a lot more useful with my 50D for some reason.

My Sigma 150-500 in particular was like a whole new lens after a good MA session with the dot tune method on a (very!) distant target. Focal gave me a result of -5 with that lens, which was just visibly plain wrong, dot tuning gave me +12 which was bang on perfect.
 
As ever enjoying reading your experiences!
Ever since getting my 1D3/1D4 I've always ignored this micro adjustment lens menu feature. Didn't understand it so placed it in the too hard box. From responses i think whichever method we choose it's worth the effort to get accurate focus and a sharper picture. I know it s an expense but as i'm pretty lazy, went down the Focal pro route and as mentioned above will check my lenses every three months or so now(y)
 
dean&gem said:
I tend to do mine every 3 month or so as I do notice more keepers shooting wide open if I stay on top of the mfa (it does drift over the life of the gear, knocks bangs etc) Did my sigma 35 art about a week ago on my 5d mkii as it tends to live on the mkiii and it needed a mighty +10 for them to get on as it was front focusing like a champ. I use the spyderlenscal for mine.

Handheld shot after calibrating my mkii and 35 art (both locked down on tripods for the actual calibration shots). I tend to like it dead center, but if it was solely a portrait lens I'd probably back it off to +7 so it fell away quicker after the eyes.

sigma%2035mm%20art%20handheld%20shot%20at%20f1.4%20125th%20to%20check%20general%20post%20mfa%20adjustment%20focus_zpsibxkunjl.jpg
Click to expand...

I too have that but nowhere can I find the correct distance the camera should be from this target. maybe there is some formula to work out for each lens
 
realspeed said:
I too have that but nowhere can I find the correct distance the camera should be from this target. maybe there is some formula to work out for each lens
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There is no "correct" distance. Some manufacturers will suggest 10x or 50x etc the focal distance away, but it's only correcting it for that specific subject distance and it may not then be right if you're shooting at double that distance or ten times that distance etc. As a rule of thumb I would suggest doing it at you most commonly used subject distance (assuming that's feasible) and then checking with some real world shots.
 
Can I just ask, is the adjustment carried out with "all" focus points selected or with a single one (center) point selected?
Thanks in advance.
 
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