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Tamron TapIn console
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Feb 19, 2020 13:35:13   #
fotobyferg
 
knelso4 wrote:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/342278929558872/permalink/836742790112481/


This was a 404 error.

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Feb 19, 2020 14:57:26   #
Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA
 
mwsilvers wrote:
If, as you indicated, you have very little patience, then calibration is most likely not for you. All that detailed instructions or even a video will do is give you a better understanding of how the process works. However it is unlikely to speed up the process, and it will not be a magic bullet that will easily and quickly allow you to calibrate your lenses.

Calibration requires a lot of discipline. You need to perform multiple structured tests and observations for each of the large number of focal lengths and distances available for zoom lenses. You need an appropriate target and must test at various defined distances depending on the focal lengths used by the tap in. And you need to be able to get repeatable results which means multiple tests.

The testing process is arduous, and time-consuming, and tests should be performed on a tripod using the viewfinder. That is an important factor because calibration issues are more often a result of using a camera's AF sensor through the viewfinder rather than the camera's main sensor which is used in Live View. It is a process not meant for the faint of heart. It can take a number of hours of intense effort to calibrate a single lens.

A very important consideration is that when using the Tap-in device you are calibrating the lens itself by modifying it to work optimally on your specific copy of your camera model. That means it is more than likely that the lens will not work as well on any other camera you put it on, including copies of your camera. As a result, if you put it on another body you will mostly have to reset the lens back to its factory defaults, and recalibrate it.
If, as you indicated, you have very little patienc... (show quote)


mwsilvers is correct. However, allow me to point out that the correction factor in the Nikon camera or the Canon camera is not the same as the Tap-IN values. The optimum way is to use the Tap-IN to change the value and see the effect. Sadly this requires a lot of mounting and dismounting the lens and mounting and dismounting the Tap-IN. An alternative method is to change the AF adjust in the camera. HOWEVER, the Nikon value needs to be scales by a factor of about 1.3 while the Canon by a factor of about 1.8. The values vary from camera body to camera body. When people load the camera AF values into the lens directly, most often they are frustrated by seeing the lens act as if it is not focusing correctly. That is the scale factor issue. The "hard way" of calibrating the lens is the best even though it that a lot of care and time.

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Feb 19, 2020 15:25:30   #
fotobyferg
 
“Sadly this requires a lot of mounting and dismounting the lens and mounting and dismounting the Tap-IN. An alternative method is to change the AF adjust in the camera.”

That was exactly what I was doing and, seeing the lens align at distance too blurry, decided I was either not doing something correctly or, it wasn’t worth my effort.

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Feb 19, 2020 15:34:58   #
windbye1 Loc: Eugene, Oregon
 
I have the Tamron Tap-in console. Recently upgraded my 150 - 600 G2 with no problems or issues. Just followed the prompts on my computer. It took about 15 minutes for the whole process.
The lens stated an error when I put it on my new Nikon Z6. The update corrected it.
If you have a camera store close by, they might be able to assist you as well 😆
Good luck!

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Feb 19, 2020 16:01:06   #
fotobyferg
 
UPDATE: after talking with Tamron they felt there might be an issue with the lens. Since I also have the 150-600 G2 (and a nicely behaving 90mm macro) I am seriously thinking of sending the 18-400 as well as the 150-600 G2 away for servicing along with my camera body (Canon 7D M2). This is the only body I would use with those two lenses anyhow so...in for a penny, in for a pound. I think the entire kittenkaboodle is headed off to Long Island. Next big trip is end of March, nothing going on in my neck of the woods anyhow.

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Feb 19, 2020 16:27:28   #
Magaliaman Loc: Magalia, CA
 
fotobyferg wrote:
UPDATE: after talking with Tamron they felt there might be an issue with the lens. Since I also have the 150-600 G2 (and a nicely behaving 90mm macro) I am seriously thinking of sending the 18-400 as well as the 150-600 G2 away for servicing along with my camera body (Canon 7D M2). This is the only body I would use with those two lenses anyhow so...in for a penny, in for a pound. I think the entire kittenkaboodle is headed off to Long Island. Next big trip is end of March, nothing going on in my neck of the woods anyhow.
UPDATE: after talking with Tamron they felt there ... (show quote)


I Wish you luck. Never had to avail myself of Tamron's service, let us know how it goes with the calibration.

-Gary

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Feb 19, 2020 18:15:35   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
windbye1 wrote:
I have the Tamron Tap-in console. Recently upgraded my 150 - 600 G2 with no problems or issues. Just followed the prompts on my computer. It took about 15 minutes for the whole process.
The lens stated an error when I put it on my new Nikon Z6. The update corrected it.
If you have a camera store close by, they might be able to assist you as well 😆
Good luck!

Upgrading the firmware serves a completely different purpose than manually modifying and testing focal length and distance adjustments for back/front focusing. While upgrading firmware may be a simple 15 minute process, modifying the lens settings is a very, very, labor intensive process that will take a minimum of 6-8 hours if you are very good at it or very lucky, and more likely 20 or more hours to complete successfully.

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Feb 19, 2020 18:21:57   #
SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA
 
Shame you don’t have a Nikon with auto fine tuning. It’s so much easier to get the readings.

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Feb 19, 2020 18:25:23   #
Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA
 
mwsilvers wrote:
Upgrading the firmware serves a completely different purpose than manually modifying and testing focal length and distance adjustments for back/front focusing. While upgrading firmware may be a simple 15 minute process, modifying the lens settings is a very, very, labor intensive process that will take a minimum of 6-8 hours if you are very good at it or very lucky, and more likely 20 or more hours to complete successfully.


Again, you are correct Mark. With FoCal, I can do it in about 2 hours using a scaling factor.

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Feb 19, 2020 18:35:33   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
SuperflyTNT wrote:
Shame you don’t have a Nikon with auto fine tuning. It’s so much easier to get the readings.


Nikon fine tuning in optimized only for a single focal length and a single distance. Every things else is extrapolated from that one setting which limits its effectiveness. The OP's lens when used with the Tap-in has 24 different focal length/distance settings and is not automatic so the effort is pretty substantial.

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Feb 19, 2020 18:45:24   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
Doc Barry wrote:
Again, you are correct Mark. With FoCal, I can do it in about 2 hours using a scaling factor.


The OP's particular lens has 24 settings. While the FoCal certainly speeds things up, I would be very surprised that you could calibrate all 24 settings in 2 hours. That would be at a rate of one successful calibration every 5 minutes. The process of attaching the lens to the tap in, modifying a single value, taking the lens off the tap-in attaching to the camera and taking and reviewing the image would take much more than 5 minutes even if you got it right the first time. For a prime lens with three or four distances to test that would be doable. Of course using FoCal with a camera's micro adjustment system would be much faster since there are fewer settings.

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Feb 19, 2020 18:58:51   #
fotobyferg
 
SuperflyTNT wrote:
Shame you don’t have a Nikon with auto fine tuning. It’s so much easier to get the readings.


So helpful....NOT.
My Canon has AF Microadjustment.

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Feb 19, 2020 19:02:03   #
fotobyferg
 
mwsilvers wrote:
Nikon fine tuning in optimized only for a single focal length and a single distance. Every things else is extrapolated from that one setting which limits its effectiveness. The OP's lens when used with the Tap-in has 24 different focal length/distance settings and is not automatic so the effort is pretty substantial.


Thank you....(nothing like facts to offset opinions).

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Feb 19, 2020 20:44:13   #
Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA
 
fotobyferg wrote:
So helpful....NOT.
My Canon has AF Microadjustment.


But for three positions if I recall correctly. Better than one, but still not enough for Sigma or Tamron lenses.

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Feb 19, 2020 21:12:47   #
Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA
 
mwsilvers wrote:
The OP's particular lens has 24 settings. While the FoCal certainly speeds things up, I would be very surprised that you could calibrate all 24 settings in 2 hours. That would be at a rate of one successful calibration every 5 minutes. The process of attaching the lens to the tap in, modifying a single value, taking the lens off the tap-in attaching to the camera and taking and reviewing the image would take much more than 5 minutes even if you got it right the first time. For a prime lens with three or four distances to test that would be doable. Of course using FoCal with a camera's micro adjustment system would be much faster since there are fewer settings.
The OP's particular lens has 24 settings. While th... (show quote)


If someone is not experienced using FoCal, then it will take 6-10 hours. For my setup for the 150-600mm G2, I made a blowup of the FoCal target for the intermediate range and used the large version made by FoCal for the close range. Heavy-duty tripod, good lighting, no wind, etc. For the close and intermediate distances, FoCal did the work. For the infinity range, I used a brick wall having high contrast that was about a km distant. FoCal isn't useful in this case, so I took a series of images (mirror up) at AF of -5, 0, and 5 (f=600mm) and determined which way to go. I found +5 best, so tried 4 and 6. 6 was better so tried 7 which was worse. So 6 was declared the winner. For this lens, you check at 6 focal lengths. The close and intermediate ranges went fast, a few minutes per focal length. The infinity range took the most time. I next loaded the lens with the values I determined scaled by 1.2 and used FoCal with the intermediate target and f=300mm. The camera AF adj is set to zero of course. The FoCal should show best position is zero. Mine didn't. I then reloaded the lens with the values scaled by 1.3. Repeated the test and found the value was zero. Check the other focal lengths and all were +/-1 Nikon units. Good enough. Setup time was about 30 minutes and tear-down time about 15 minutes. So call the entire exercise about 3 hours.

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