cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Does anyone have an opinion on the $60 Datacolor unit for lens calibration as opposed to others that are (much) more expensive. I'm looking for an opinion on how good you think this is and if it's worth buying?

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I take mine to a professional and have it calibrated to my camera for $28.50. I wouldn't do otherwise.

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

If you have a good printer you can print the focus chart found here and do it for free. There are complete instructions and I've had pretty good luck with it.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Even without printing you can do this less than free ( ? ).
I just use a yardstick at a 45 degree angle. Here I aimed at 24 inches and there's just a bit of front focusing going on.

Nikon_DonB Loc: Chicago

Thanks Erik. It is really explained well there. I've been looking for something like that.

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

You're welcome Don, Ive 'found it to quite useful. There are also a lot of useful LR plug-ins on his site.

greymule Loc: Colorado

What type of professional?

Trabor

It is not clear what you mean by lens calibration "datacolor" make Computer color calibration systems having nothing to do with the lens

some of the posts talk about focus calibration which is something different

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Data color also makes several lens (focus) calibration units.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

A Proctologist.
(Silly question = Silly answer)

David takes his to a Pro Camera shop to get the lens/camera tuned.
I'd like to see how they do that.
Physical, or electronically?

Trabor

oops sorry about that
the lens calibration product was obvious on their web page

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

:thumbup:

I used the diagonal half of a cardboard box and fixed rule from a piece of tape measure across the hypotenuse.

It cost nothing but 15minutes of my time.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I like to try this stuff out.
So I did print out the chart, and read through the do-da, and did some shots.
Couple of things came up...
My set-up:
Used a macro rig head, to get the settings just right and hold the aim as perzactly as I could. And used my remote release.
Worked great, overall.
I took 4 shots to check out my Wide Angle lens, that is a Nikon Refurbed lens. Just out of curiosity, nothing suspect of the lens.
I used my ring flash on this lens to get a good solid light source. Set to "light" for 3 shots, and accidentally one flash shot.

Even the flash shot, which was washed out, shown front focusing.
But the rest seemed to be dead on at zeerow, to some very marginal front focusing.

Fun to look at.
My intention is to change lenses on the camera body, but keep the settings of the head for other lenses.
But so far, so good. (1 lens...)

I did the yardstick test the other night, similar results.
Except when the metal yardstick I was using slipped, it chipped a chunk out of the dogs water bowl.
Operator error.
Further tests were then done with the stick flat on the damned floor, and the camera tilted at the 45 degree zone.

So far, any focusing woes here keep coming back to operator error. :hunf:
As I suspected. :P