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- Name
- Oksana
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Any advice (or offers of help for that matter!) or suggestions of good printable calibration charts would be much appreciated.
I didn't notice this with the kit lens (which is now sold and no way to check anyway), but the photos WERE SOFT still and I put it down to the optical stabiliser which I found I had in the off position. But, the noob that I was, I might not have noticed even if the problem existed. The lens currently in use (and the only one I now have) is Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM. It took me a few weeks to realise there is a problem with the photos. The photos are all soooo soft! I posted some here and sent some to my dad and he basically said they're all out of focus and try better next time. I thought I had a shaky hand and was almost shooting between heartbeats, and still not happy. Today I took a whole load more of what were supposed to be lovely rabbit portraits, and all their eyes are not in focus, and I always center-focus on the eye then reframe the shot and depress the shutter fully.
I remembered that my dad said to me when I bought this lens that AF may need recalibrating and I was like, "Whatever! I'm sure it'll be OK!" So, remembering that, I went to check this by taking photos of magazine print, at 45-degree angle, wide aperture, good lighting, and yep - the focus is shifted to the front! The actual focus point in photos appears to be 1-1.5 cm in front of the intended focus point and it's annoying as hell because it shows in photos so badly! :
: My father was right and all my pictures are now rubbish!
I found a few internet threads which suggest that people experienced this same issue with this camera, but because it's a beginner camera whose most users are beginner users, I wonder if most users just don't realise that the AF needs recalibration. Now I realise there is a problem, it's annoying to say the least. I do realise that it could be the camera / lens combo that's the problem or the problem with the lens. However, others report it with prime lenses and stock lenses, and say that there is a problem with the AF unit in D5100. And, at the end of the day, as this one will be my go-to lens and there is no AF Finetuning function in D5100, so I think we are facing a recalibration here with the lens off, mirror up, and a little alan key. Dreading it as I'm the clumsiest person I know. Eek!
So far, I found this video
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfxz-Z_uEfU
I also had a chat with my dad who knows (just a bit!) more than I do (about everything), and he said that it's all easy and that it's a 10-minute job! I doubt it - HIGHLY! Not knowing me.
He said:
1. Set your calibration chart, tripod, alan key, lens blower, in the least dusty room (given the abundance of rabbits in my household, this will be the bathroom), and test taking photos, ensure the distance between tripod and chart is correct and all is in place. Make sure the battery is charged because it takes battery power to hold mirror up or something.
2. Spray air in the bathroom all over with a hand-mister. Wait for 15 minutes. Spray yourself with the mister too, hair and clothes. (Shake like a dog
) Go into the bathroom. Don't come out until you're done.
3. Follow the instructions in the video. I'll be rotating the dreaded screw clockwise because mine is front focusing. (And pray I don't whack the sensor with the key as it slips!)
4. Replace the lens, camera on tripod, take another photo, check focus on the LCD display. Apparently the LCD display is quite good in these cameras and it should be apparent - I shouldn't have to load onto computer to check.
My dad said don't be afraid, steady hand and all that, and reassured me that it will be apparent and that I'll get there. Hubby has the key I need, so all I need is to try now, and in good light, so it will be tomorrow. I ordered some focus calibration charts but I won't wait for them to arrive and I want to print something on my printer and use it because those photos look dreadful and I cannot take one more without crying.
Suggestions of any suitable printable calibration chart and any advice are welcome!
I just want to take good photos!
I didn't notice this with the kit lens (which is now sold and no way to check anyway), but the photos WERE SOFT still and I put it down to the optical stabiliser which I found I had in the off position. But, the noob that I was, I might not have noticed even if the problem existed. The lens currently in use (and the only one I now have) is Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM. It took me a few weeks to realise there is a problem with the photos. The photos are all soooo soft! I posted some here and sent some to my dad and he basically said they're all out of focus and try better next time. I thought I had a shaky hand and was almost shooting between heartbeats, and still not happy. Today I took a whole load more of what were supposed to be lovely rabbit portraits, and all their eyes are not in focus, and I always center-focus on the eye then reframe the shot and depress the shutter fully.
I remembered that my dad said to me when I bought this lens that AF may need recalibrating and I was like, "Whatever! I'm sure it'll be OK!" So, remembering that, I went to check this by taking photos of magazine print, at 45-degree angle, wide aperture, good lighting, and yep - the focus is shifted to the front! The actual focus point in photos appears to be 1-1.5 cm in front of the intended focus point and it's annoying as hell because it shows in photos so badly! :
: My father was right and all my pictures are now rubbish!I found a few internet threads which suggest that people experienced this same issue with this camera, but because it's a beginner camera whose most users are beginner users, I wonder if most users just don't realise that the AF needs recalibration. Now I realise there is a problem, it's annoying to say the least. I do realise that it could be the camera / lens combo that's the problem or the problem with the lens. However, others report it with prime lenses and stock lenses, and say that there is a problem with the AF unit in D5100. And, at the end of the day, as this one will be my go-to lens and there is no AF Finetuning function in D5100, so I think we are facing a recalibration here with the lens off, mirror up, and a little alan key. Dreading it as I'm the clumsiest person I know. Eek!
So far, I found this video
I also had a chat with my dad
who knows (just a bit!) more than I do (about everything), and he said that it's all easy and that it's a 10-minute job! I doubt it - HIGHLY! Not knowing me.He said:
1. Set your calibration chart, tripod, alan key, lens blower, in the least dusty room (given the abundance of rabbits in my household, this will be the bathroom), and test taking photos, ensure the distance between tripod and chart is correct and all is in place. Make sure the battery is charged because it takes battery power to hold mirror up or something.
2. Spray air in the bathroom all over with a hand-mister. Wait for 15 minutes. Spray yourself with the mister too, hair and clothes. (Shake like a dog
) Go into the bathroom. Don't come out until you're done.3. Follow the instructions in the video. I'll be rotating the dreaded screw clockwise because mine is front focusing. (And pray I don't whack the sensor with the key as it slips!)
4. Replace the lens, camera on tripod, take another photo, check focus on the LCD display. Apparently the LCD display is quite good in these cameras and it should be apparent - I shouldn't have to load onto computer to check.
My dad said don't be afraid, steady hand and all that, and reassured me that it will be apparent and that I'll get there. Hubby has the key I need, so all I need is to try now, and in good light, so it will be tomorrow. I ordered some focus calibration charts but I won't wait for them to arrive and I want to print something on my printer and use it because those photos look dreadful and I cannot take one more without crying.
Suggestions of any suitable printable calibration chart and any advice are welcome!
I just want to take good photos!