Lens calibration: After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me...

Aaron Braganza Loc: Sydney, Australia

After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BTW - thanks for the valuable advice over the years.
Cheers mate.

Leitz Loc: Solms

Aaron Braganza wrote:

After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BTW - thanks for the valuable advice over the years.
Cheers mate.

If your camera has this feature, it is explained in your user's manual under "AF fine tune."

Kuzano

Leitz wrote:

If your camera has this feature, it is explained in your user's manual under "AF fine tune."

Which also begs the question. Are we talking about the lenses being used on the same camera over that time.

Lenses are calibrated to camera bodies, not by themselves as a rule. Different camera bodies could be your dilemma, and calibration deals with lens/body distinctions.

Aaron Braganza Loc: Sydney, Australia

Kuzano wrote:

Which also begs the question. Are we talking about the lenses being used on the same camera over that time.

Lenses are calibrated to camera bodies, not by themselves as a rule. Different camera bodies could be your dilemma, and calibration deals with lens/body distinctions.

Used on the same body - in this case the 18-105 used on my D7000

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

You can try and do it yourself. Your manual will show you and there are tons of videos on YouTube. I took my camera and lenses to an authorized dealer and had them professionally calibrate my lenses to my camera. It ran me $28.50 per lens and I am happy with the results.

Aaron Braganza wrote:

After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BTW - thanks for the valuable advice over the years.
Cheers mate.

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

Hi Aaron. You didn't drop or bump the lens by chance? And have you tried it on another body? Get a yard stick and make a mark right in the middle of it. Set it to 45 degrees from the camera and take a few shots of that mark with the camera on a tripod. This should tell you if it shooting the same spot on the yard stick. If it is you can go in camera and make some adjustments.

Aaron Braganza wrote:

Used on the same body - in this case the 18-105 used on my D7000

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Aaron Braganza wrote:

After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BTW - thanks for the valuable advice over the years.
Cheers mate.

"Years ago..." I hate to ask, but could it be your eyes? :D

Here are some links about adjusting focus.

http://photographylife.com/how-to-quickly-test-your-dslr-for-autofocus-issues
http://www.nphotomag.com/2013/03/05/how-to-recalibrate-your-nikon-dslrs-af-autofocus/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/are_your_pictures_out_of_focus.shtml

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

[quote=Aaron Braganza]After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BT

Page 270 in the D7100 guide.

alamomike47 Loc: San Antonio, Texas

Kuzano wrote:

Which also begs the question. Are we talking about the lenses being used on the same camera over that time.

Lenses are calibrated to camera bodies, not by themselves as a rule. Different camera bodies could be your dilemma, and calibration deals with lens/body distinctions.

Now I know.

bjprovo Loc: Northeast CT

Someone here posted this link and I found it to be extremely helpful. http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart#features

Aaron Braganza wrote:

After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BTW - thanks for the valuable advice over the years.
Cheers mate.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

[quote=Bultaco]

Aaron Braganza wrote:

After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BT

Page 270 in the D7100 guide.

The OP has a D7000. I could find no mention of AF fine tune in the PDF manual.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Aaron Braganza wrote:

After years of shooting, I noticed a couple of lens are not producing as sharp pics as they were years ago. My Nikon 18-105 kit lens bought around 5 years ago gave me excellent photos over the years, but seems a tad out of focus, no matter what I do.

How do I calibrate or reset my lens ?
BTW - thanks for the valuable advice over the years.
Cheers mate.

Perhaps this will help:

http://www.nphotomag.com/2013/03/05/how-to-recalibrate-your-nikon-dslrs-af-autofocus/

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

RWR wrote:

Perhaps this will help:

http://www.nphotomag.com/2013/03/05/how-to-recalibrate-your-nikon-dslrs-af-autofocus/

All I got was an ad from Digital Camera mag.

Aaron Braganza Loc: Sydney, Australia

Great solutions from all.
Seems like I have to get back to the manual.
And review the information from the websites you have noted here.
Also thanks Jerry, eye sight not a problem at the moment.
Thank you all

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

jerryc41 wrote:

All I got was an ad from Digital Camera mag.

#!!%@?#$% turkeys change it as soon as you hit go. Try this instead:

http://photographylife.com/how-to-quickly-test-your-dslr-for-autofocus-issues