rcfees

Getting back into it and felt the focus on my Nikon 18-105 lens was a little off. Subsequently, read and watched a few videos on the subject of fine tuning. Anybody have some real world experience and suggestions about using AF fine tuning on prime and zoom lenses? Thanks!

cmc65

Explore Steve Perry’s (a member here) website “ backcountry gallery. Everything you need is there.

Bill_de Loc: US

The answers could be different depending on the camera body.

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CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

AF tuning can be a fool's errand. You might consider posting a few soft focus examples being sure to store the original file and ask for some assessments of focus issues before you start down this road with a consumer grade, variable aperture zoom lens.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

There are thousands of 'opinions' and 'lots' of experience examples regarding fine tuning of both prime versus zoom lenses but as you only mention your zoom why not just concentrate on that?

Firstly how have you come to the conclusion that your zoom 'may' be out?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The simple adjustment provided in cameras is a total focus shift. Focus irregularities are seldom linear - in other words, if a lens is back focusing at 10 ft, it may be fine at 3 ft, and it could front focus at 20 ft. The simple adjustment offsets all of the focus by the same amount - so if you were to adjust for 10 ft, it will throw the 3ft and 20 ft focus off. Add to that a zoom lens, which may have these issues at different focal lengths and distances, you'll quickly understand that the focus offset adjustment, aka "Fine Tune" is inadequate.

If a lens is in spec, and a body is in spec, it is unlikely to need any adjustment. Unless you have the same tools and software to make the adjustments to a lens that will custom configure the focus points at various distances and focal lengths - using AF Fine tune is just an exercise that will consume considerable time with less than optimum results - which defeats the purpose of "fine tuning".

I have multiple bodies and multiple lenses and all I do if I suspect a body and/or a lens to be out of whack, I simply bring/send the suspected misbehaving equipment to Nikon and have them fix it.

rcfees

Thanks to all. Awaiting a response from Nikon.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

The following is a direct quote from my Nikon D850 manual.
AF tuning is NOT recommended in most cases and may interfere with normal focus, use only when required. Auto fine tuning is available in live view.More information is available in the menu guide that can be downloaded from the Nikon website.

I have owned over 40 Nikon AF lenses and not ONE of them required fine tuning.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Excellent advice.
--Bob

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

That's what I thought till I ran Focal software on all of mine, several needed tweaking, most were back focusing...was it necessary? Maybe not till you pixel peep, but when better is possible, why not go with it. All my lenses ƒ2.8 & ƒ4's (gold band) were checked on 6 pro bodies and better than 50% needed something. As small as ±1 to as much as ±12.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

rcfees I have to smile... the first poster cmc65 actually provided the most useful guidance... Steve Perry has done the Nikon users a wonderful favor by providing an in depth article on focusing issues... He pretty much gets it right...
Start here, k? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDzAMm1FCc

While I can't endorse Steve as authoritative since he has an agenda as a wildlife shooter this article is of merit and value.

Next if you finally decide to try Nikon's fine tuning feature I would suggest you give this credence (it's free and elegant)
DotTune: Autofocus fine tuning in under 5 minutes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zE50jCUPhM

That said, DotTune is somewhat complex so it's questionable for novice a.k.a. experienced users only... enough said.

rcfees also ignore those who insist that focus tuning is bad, not relevant, unnecessary etc.
They are either naive or in denial... Yes if you use only the latest Nikon kit you likely don't need to worry about this... or if you have deep pockets then pack up the body and lens and ship to Nikon Services... (I've done this under warranty coverage) and you will likely get the best results...

However if you have aging and/or third party optics then Nikon's Fine Tune is germane...

Btw, if focus tuning isn't necessary then why does Sigma recommend and provide it's Focus Dock for all it's "Art" series optics? And why does Tamron provide it's TAP-In Console for fine-tuning? There are a significant number of hardcore very experienced commercial shooters who have migrated to the Tamron SP 70-200mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Nikon F which at a fraction of the price of the Nikon equivalent has the highest rating on DxOMark!

Bottom Line? Focus Fine Tuning while typically may not be required for the latest Nikon high end bodies and Nikon optics...
However there are many commercial shooters whose livelihood depends on their kit and they actually do use Focus Fine Tuning!

Hope this helps rcfees...
I wish you well on your journey...

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Sorry to hear your having so much difficulty. When you adjust lenses, you adjust to only one distance, all other distances then are not correct. Again, this is from Nikon. They caution against doing anything to their factory tested lenses.
I get beautifully sharp results from ALL of my Nikon lenses.

pego101

When I had my Nikon DX cameras and DX lenses I tried the focussing stuff usually with no serious improvements. Later I graduated to the D750 with pro glass and everything is sharp with no adjustments needed. Even the FX lens like the 24-70 2.8 Nikon when placed on my older D7100 gave very sharp results with no adjustments. In my opinion better glass is usually the answer.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Lens based tuning is not the same as camera tuning. If you understand what AF Fine Tune does, you wouldn't be so quick to sing it's praises. It's a focus offset, where you tune to a specific distance. But AF issues are seldom linear, so there is a good likelihood that you will create a focus issue at other distances.

I think it is naive to believe that the focus shift thing is a reasonable substitute for the custom multi-point adjustment software that the techs use. It really isn't. I got this directly from a Nikon tech at Melville when we were exploring a focus issue I was having with a D800. I tried to adjust fine tune and it went nowhere. The tech explained why.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

The reality is that Nikon gave the user the ability to 'Fine Tune' using both the 'Default Option' and the 'Individual Lens Option' methods, I doubt they would have added these functions if they did not have some merit.

Until a user actually undertakes some pretty basic controlled testing to confirm the actual status of what his lens/camera combination is doing it's all supposition regarding the next move.