I have had my new AF-S 24-70 2.8E ED lens living on my Nikon D800 for a while and it provided amazing and very sharp results. Recently I decided to forgo the coming Nikon D850 and purchased a Nikon D810 because of price and other issues. Much to my surprise the 24-70 2.8E on my D810 is a much softer lens. Acuity of this lens on the D810 is noticeably less than on my D800. I have run test back and forth between bodies and the results are the same. Lens sharper on the D800. My question..is this a not so unusual situation? Can it be corrected? I am thinking of trudging down to my superb local camera shop here in Austin to have them adjust the lens focus to the D810 if this is possible. I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas from my fellow "Hoggers."

Thanking all commenters in advance.

If your lens is sharp on camera A and not sharp on Camera B, what has changed? Did the lens change? NOoo! Then, why calibrate the lens?

Compare camera A with Camera B with a Different High Quality lens: Are the images equal between the cameras or is Camera B again softer?

Perhaps you should seek to find out why camera B is different rather than just arbitrarily calibrating the lens; what happens if the lens is calibrated and is then soft on both cameras? Now, you are worse off!

You did do your homework, so you know that the D800 has a lo pass filter while the D810 does not. The D810 also has a newer processor (probably to account for the lack of Low Pass Filter); it is far more likely that the differences you see are between the cameras and NOT in a single lens!.

The point is, you know the lens works fine in one setting but not in another, and you know there are differences in light accumulation and processing in one camera compared to the other. There is no justifiable reason to think the lens somehow goes out of calibration by attaching to a different camera - what if you want to use it again on your D800? Do you need to get it calibrated every time you change?

If I want to eat an apple, so I say I am going to have an orange?

Every comment says calibrate the lens - the lens! In fact, each of you apparently meant calibrate the camera body to the lens or simply, calibrate the body!

And then you accuse ME of not understanding lens calibration; you guys need to get your English on!

A lens calibration ALWAYS makes adjustments to the lens - a Camera body calibration will make changes to the BODY.

What I said - and I stand behind it - the problem is not in the lens and if you "Calibrate" the lens to the D810, then it will not then work with the D800.
Corollary: If you calibrate the body to the lens, then the lens should work on both bodies!

I have had my new AF-S 24-70 2.8E ED lens living on my Nikon D800 for a while and it provided amazing and very sharp results. Recently I decided to forgo the coming Nikon D850 and purchased a Nikon D810 because of price and other issues. Much to my surprise the 24-70 2.8E on my D810 is a much softer lens. Acuity of this lens on the D810 is noticeably less than on my D800. I have run test back and forth between bodies and the results are the same. Lens sharper on the D800. My question..is this a not so unusual situation? Can it be corrected? I am thinking of trudging down to my superb local camera shop here in Austin to have them adjust the lens focus to the D810 if this is possible. I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas from my fellow "Hoggers."

Thanking all commenters in advance.

If I want to eat an apple, so I say I am going to have an orange?

Every comment says calibrate the lens - the lens! In fact, each of you apparently meant calibrate the camera body to the lens or simply, calibrate the body!

And then you accuse ME of not understanding lens calibration; you guys need to get your English on!

A lens calibration ALWAYS makes adjustments to the lens - a Camera body calibration will make changes to the BODY.

What I said - and I stand behind it - the problem is not in the lens and if you "Calibrate" the lens to the D810, then it will not then work with the D800.
Corollary: If you calibrate the body to the lens, then the lens should work on both bodies!

If your lens is sharp on camera A and not sharp on Camera B, what has changed? Did the lens change? NOoo! Then, why calibrate the lens?

Compare camera A with Camera B with a Different High Quality lens: Are the images equal between the cameras or is Camera B again softer?

Perhaps you should seek to find out why camera B is different rather than just arbitrarily calibrating the lens; what happens if the lens is calibrated and is then soft on both cameras? Now, you are worse off!

You did do your homework, so you know that the D800 has a lo pass filter while the D810 does not. The D810 also has a newer processor (probably to account for the lack of Low Pass Filter); it is far more likely that the differences you see are between the cameras and NOT in a single lens!.

The point is, you know the lens works fine in one setting but not in another, and you know there are differences in light accumulation and processing in one camera compared to the other. There is no justifiable reason to think the lens somehow goes out of calibration by attaching to a different camera - what if you want to use it again on your D800? Do you need to get it calibrated every time you change?

I have had my new AF-S 24-70 2.8E ED lens living on my Nikon D800 for a while and it provided amazing and very sharp results. Recently I decided to forgo the coming Nikon D850 and purchased a Nikon D810 because of price and other issues. Much to my surprise the 24-70 2.8E on my D810 is a much softer lens. Acuity of this lens on the D810 is noticeably less than on my D800. I have run test back and forth between bodies and the results are the same. Lens sharper on the D800. My question..is this a not so unusual situation? Can it be corrected? I am thinking of trudging down to my superb local camera shop here in Austin to have them adjust the lens focus to the D810 if this is possible. I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas from my fellow "Hoggers."

Thanking all commenters in advance.

Don't let the camera store do anything, unless it is Nikon Authorized Repair.

AF Tuning in the camera is not intended as a permanent solution. Look at your manual - it specifically warns that other aspects of focus will be unintentionally affected.

Nikon techs have software and tools and access to other parameters that you or the local camera store does not, and they can do a substantially better job at correcting focus errors, for all focal lengths and distances - something you can't do.

What you can do is use a test target to see what the extent of the problem is.

My experience with this is the following.

I purchased a Nikon refurbed D800 as a back up. I took it to an event, and nearly all of the images taken with it were soft - regardless of which lens I had on the body - Nikon, Sigma, Tamron. These lenses were fine on the other D800, and on all the other bodies I had used with them. The problem was clearly with the camera.

They suggested I leave the camera with a lens that showed the problem best - a 600mm F4. I reluctantly agreed, but told them I was not authorizing them to make any adjustments on the lens, as it was fine with at least 5 other bodies.

They called and recommended a reconditioning on the lens. I refused. They said the body was tested and it was fine. When I picked it up, took some shots in the parking lot it was clear that it still had a focus issue. They took it back ran some tests and made some software and possibly focus sensor and mirror adjustments on their optical bench, and voila! It was fine - with all of my lenses.

The key point here is if the lens is fine with the other body, it and the body are clearly within spec, and your D810 is not. Bringing the D810 up to spec is what you want.