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18-400 and Tap In Console
Jan 11, 2019 13:08:19   #
markinvictoria Loc: Victoria TX
 
I got the Tamron 18-400 with the Tap In Console for Xmas. Been trying to do the Focus Adjustment with my D500. Tamron's instructions for the focus adjustment is really lacking...even on line research leaves a lot of questions. I've been using a LensAlign along with the in camera AF fine-tune for a starting point. Figured out the LensAlign is too small for the full adjustment range...working on a DIY solution.
Questions:

1.Do you measure the distance from the test pattern to...camera sensor, end of lens, or ??? And is the exact distance critical...especially on the short end adjustment?

2.Do you go through all 24 adjustment settings...then input all the numbers at one time with the Tap In or enter them in different stages...short, medium and infinity?

3."Infinity" How do you adjust for infinity...especially at 8 different focal points? If I knew what distances to use...maybe Dot-Tune would work. The 18-400 doesn't have a distance scale...so no infinity indication.

Any help would be Greatly Greatly Appreciated...time is running out on the return window. Thanks

Mark

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Jan 11, 2019 15:06:48   #
PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA
 
I got the console with my Tammy 150-600 G2 lens. But I find I use "Live View" to focus when on a tripod. In Live View what you see is what you get, so fine tuning is unnecessary. Saves me the hassle of it all. Not the same as the 18-400 situation.

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Aug 4, 2019 00:40:56   #
tonyjag Loc: Bolton, Ma.
 
markinvictoria wrote:
I got the Tamron 18-400 with the Tap In Console for Xmas.
Questions:

1.Do you measure the distance from the test pattern to...camera sensor, end of lens, or ??? And is the exact distance critical...especially on the short end adjustment?

2.Do you go through all 24 adjustment settings...then input all the numbers at one time with the Tap In or enter them in different stages...short, medium and infinity?

3."Infinity" How do you adjust for infinity...especially at 8 different focal points? If I knew what distances to use...maybe Dot-Tune would work. The 18-400 doesn't have a distance scale...so no infinity indication.

Any help would be Greatly Greatly Appreciated...time is running out on the return window. Thanks

Mark
I got the Tamron 18-400 with the Tap In Console fo... (show quote)


Markinvictoria,
Sorry there weren't more responses to your questions. I think there just isn't much experience on this forum with Tap-In Console.

First, here are some answers, in case you still need them:
1. I think it is between the target and focal plane, marked on the camera housing. On my D7500, it is just right of the top LCD display window. This distance is not critical, but should be kept constant during your measurements. I set the D7500 on a tripod at a given distance, then made AF-Fine tune measurements for each zoom, then moved to the next distance.

2. Yes. You make the measurements before even attaching the Tap-In Console, then enter the values in any order via the app on your computer. When done, you click on "apply setups to lens".

3. Good question. Based on several sources, get it as far away as possible. I was able to get 35' without going outside in the heat and humidity.

We are way beyond your return window, but i am in a similar situation now. See post: "Tamron 70-210 F/4 and Tap-In Console on D7500". I'm interested in how the Tap-In console and 18-400 worked out for you.

Thanks in advance.



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Aug 4, 2019 02:09:17   #
Pistnbroke Loc: UK
 
You have a D500 so set the lens back to standard ..throw the console away and use the D500 semi auto back focus adjust at 400mm and the jobs done

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Aug 4, 2019 06:54:11   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
Pistnbroke wrote:
You have a D500 so set the lens back to standard ..throw the console away and use the D500 semi auto back focus adjust at 400mm and the jobs done


You'll end up with the best the lens can do at one distance and one focal length. Good advice if that is what the OP is seeking. If he wants better AF performance across different focal lengths and distances, then setting up the lens using the tap-in console will do that, but your suggestion won't.

What I've been doing for years comes from my tendency to hold onto my lenses a lot longer than my camera bodies. When I get a new lens, I do a series of tests to establish if the lens is focusing correctly on whichever camera bodies I have at the time. My experience so far has been that the majority of the time they work well. Same for getting a new (to me) body. If there is a situation when I get a new body and something is off, then the body is clearly the problem, since all of my lenses work with all of my bodies the way that they should. If a new lens is not focusing as it should, since all of my lenses and bodies are working well, then it is clearly the problem. The problem piece of gear goes back to the mfgr for testing and calibration. In the case of a Nikon lens and a Nikon camera it's pretty simple - bring the errant item back to factory standard specification. It's a little more involved with third party lenses - they often require a camera body for calibration. But in either case, keeping everything "within specs" will save you a lot of time and frustration. The techs have the equivalent of the tap in console for all lenses, and can adjust software to fix problems, and can open a lens if necessary/ The camera techs can also adjust communication parameters and fix small alignment issues with the focus sensors, and re-map the focus point that you see in the viewfinder to the one that the camera sees - a situation that occurs more often than most people realize. What looks like back focusing may be simply the camera is reading the area directly below the little square in the viewfinder, so testing for this is well beyond the camera's simplistic AF Fine Tune. I have over 2 dozen lenses and 4 bodies and I'll be damned if I am going to fine tune every lens to every body - that is absurd.

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Aug 4, 2019 06:57:37   #
Pistnbroke Loc: UK
 
Using the console is a pain. If you use your D500 and its automated fine focus adjust to give you the figures at 18,200,400 or whatever is demanded then put those into the console and you will have the job done in 10 min .

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