Problems with 135m F2 - advice wanted UPDATE

[ShawWellPete]

Hi guys,

I recently had my lens collection replaced by the insurance company after I lost them all in a burglary.

The Nikkor 135mm F2 was always one of my favourite lenses. It focused accurately and was very sharp even down to F2 as long as I didn't use the DC at that aperture, as I found that compromised sharpness a fair bit.

With the replacement lens I have been struggling to get a sharp shot. I'm pretty careful with my focussing and aways use the AF-ON button on continuous mode and have no problem nailing the focus on any of my other lenses (at least every now and again!)

Here is a typical example...

100% crop

It was shot at 1/500 sec and ALL of the photos shot wide open are off, at smaller apertures it is fine.

I had a look back through my old photos and they were all loads better, here is a random one shot at F2

100%

I bought it from Warehouse express a month ago, should I contact them or Nikon?

 

[cambsno]

Well, 1/500 is plenty fast enough, the first crop look very poor for a prime - especially for a lens with a reputation like this. If you are close to Norwich, see if you can try another in store?

 

[ChrisH]

Get it back to Nikon or Wex for recalibration.

If you leave it you will get to the point where you just stop using it.

I had the same with my 5D2 until I got the sensor done under warrenty.

 

[HoppyUK]

Check it on a tripod with a static subject. Is is not possible that either you or the subject moved an inch between focusing and shooting? Looks like the baby is front focused by about that amount.

 

[ShawWellPete]

Check it on a tripod with a static subject. Is is not possible that either you or the subject moved an inch between focusing and shooting? Looks like the baby is front focused by about that amount.

Thanks for the advice guys, Richard I assumed user error too, but it's every shot that is out. With continuous focus and af-on pressed even if I did creep forward before pressing the shutter the focus would follow.

I will, however, do some test shots on a tripod, I seed to remember the best way is to download a test card and photograph it at an angle?

 

[Arkady2]

Same thing with my 85mm f/1.4 when used wide open. The lens needs calibrating to the camera as the AF interface is off.
You should have a Fine-Tune AF facility on the camera which allows you to dial-in plus or minus until the focus is spot-on.
A mate of mine just had the very same issue with the new (£1600) Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 and he was in a bit of a panic til he sorted it out.

The lens is sharp, it's just that the lens and camera's software is telling the camera it's in-focus when it's actually very slightly out.

Get a cornflake packet and a 12" ruler.
Place the ruler at the side of the cereal box so that it's at 45 degrees to the vertical with the mid-point of the ruler halfway down the box.

Something like this:

From this you can see that the 150mm mark on the ruler is in-line with the box-side.

Focus on the box from 8-10 ft on a tripod and read off on the ruler how much the AF is off front-to-back. Adjust accordingly.

 

[ShawWellPete]

Thanks Rob, having spoken to Nikon I have just packed up the lens to send to them for repair, but this sounds like I can adjust it myself.

When you say, "adjust accordingly" what do I adjust? presumably something on the camera but will that not throw out all my other lenses?

 

[HoppyUK]

Thanks Rob, having spoken to Nikon I have just packed up the lens to send to them for repair, but this sounds like I can adjust it myself.

When you say, "adjust accordingly" what do I adjust? presumably something on the camera but will that not throw out all my other lenses?

AF micro-adjustment, in custom functions. That's what it's for

Just do the test that Rob describes above. It's very easy, takes five minutes.

 

[Arkady2]

No Pete, when you save that setting, it applies it only to that lens, which it automatically recognises from the lens' CPU.

 

[ShawWellPete]

Thanks again for the advice guys

I have given it a go

Taken with remote trigger, mirror lock up, flash and 1/250 sec shutter speed, the should eliminate camera shake.

Focusing on the 70

No adjustment

AF adjustment -20

AF adjustment +20

Looks to me like I need +50!

 

[classcams]

I think that you should calculate the DOF for a 135 lens at F2 before you go any further. The little boys nose to his ear and shoulder is outside the DOF. For instance a 135 lens at F2, 6 feet distance is a staggering .06 feet

 

[ShawWellPete]

I think that you should calculate the DOF for a 135 lens at F2 before you go any further. The little boys nose to his ear and shoulder is outside the DOF. For instance a 135 lens at F2, 6 feet distance is a staggering .06 feet

I appreciate that - but I focused on the eye, not the nose. The test shots do seem to indicate a problem...

 

[Arkady2]

Don't use flash - the AF will be helped by the flash AF-Assist.
Shoot it in good natural light otherwise you'll get a possibly false indication.

 

[ShawWellPete]

Unfortunately, I'm back in the office tomorrow so the next time I'll even see daylight is Saturday.

I think I may have to go down the path of returning to Nikon, even though the shots above used flash, they consistently show the focus point way in front of where the camera is focusing which is the impression I was getting in real shots too.

The Af Micro adjustment was a great idea but unfortunately is not sufficient, in this case, to correct it.

 

[ShawWellPete]

I thought I would share my experiences with this :-

The first thing I did was call Warehouse Express, they could not replace it as it was 31 days old and outside of the 28 day returns policy. They suggested it would be quicker if I sent it back to Nikon directly, so I called Nikon and sent it back for repair (I paid for postage).

After a couple of weeks (snow and Christmas delayed matters) I got a call from Nikon saying that there was nothing they could do to "improve the lens". When I explained that it was far worse then the other copy I had had of the same lens and was unusable at F2 they said that it was "within acceptable parameters" of film but they "understood that digital is less forgiving" but as an old lens there was no way of correcting the focus on it. They kind of admitted I had a bad copy but it was not repairable.

They suggested going back to Warehouse Express. I call WE and after a long explanation and some authorisation from the manager once he had spoken to Nikon, they picked up the lens that Nikon had returned to me and sent a replacement.

The replacement arrived today and the first thing I did was test it. Initially the focus looked out...

(focus on the bar code lined up wit 150mm on the ruler)

All 100% crops

But this time the fine adjust did the trick...

The first real world test looks good too, hand held 100% crop at F2

So I guess the lesson learnt is that if you're not happy with a lens it is worth complaining!

Thanks to everybody for your help. Shame I can not thank Rob for his assistance