ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

Sorry but I’m not going to look for things wrong or out of focus if I’m happy with the current results. Perfection is in the mind of the viewer and the creator and trump the test charts IMO.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

But it wouldn’t be much of a forum without comments. Would be like taking a true/ false test in school.

Leitz Loc: Solms

I will only say that, in situations where the camera cannot achieve autofocus (low contrast subject, for example), the manual recommends to confirm focus on the screen.
Edit: Surely they wouldn't make such a recommendation if there were a difference between the screen and sensor image. And if there was a difference, accurate manual focus would be impossible.

Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC

"...How many of you out there fine tune your lenses?"
Jules you might be better served if your stated this as how many who work commercially fine tune your lenses... Lots of opinions so far, very little validation of inferences...

Jules I don't have deep pockets and my client work demands commercial quality... To this end I check ALL my lenses whether they are Nikkors, Sigma or Tokina glass... I have and shoot all these optics... for the most part of my newer Nikkors tend to be very close... However I purchase a lot of older kit... Since I shoot primarily fashion and portraiture I'm heavy into the 80-200mm focal range... my primes are either f/1.4 or f/1.8 while zoom optics are nearly all f/2.8.

Please realize that it's very easy to mess up trying to fine-tune... You seriously need to double check your results with LiveView which btw is ALWAYS in focus... Most folks are naive about contrast detect verses phase detect thus are clueless why they seriously need to verify their efforts... Trust but verify...

Just so you know I'm not simply bringing my "opinions" to the table.. Below please find a target from "tuning" an epic "mint" AF 80-200mm f/2.8 one-touch I purchased for $280... There are vintage gems like this on eBay, if you know what you're buying... So in this case I scored a fabulous portrait lens at a fraction of a new Nikkor... Albeit it certainly had a back-focus issue that was correctable... you mileage may vary...

Oh, btw, the newest Nikon FF bodies now allow you to Fine-Tune at both ends of a zoom optic... Sweet!
The D6 and D780 have this feature... If in doubt Fine-Tune for the FL you use the most... In my case for fashion editorials and portraiture, it's 135mm (mid-way between min and max) on my 80-200mm; 70-200 and 70-210mm glass. Which I've found to be a universal "Sweet Spot" for most zooms in this range.

Hope this helps and maybe take the other "opinions" here with a proverbial "grain of salt"
Please have a Happy Holiday Season and a wonderful New Year ahead Julies
.

AF 80-200mm f/2.8 one-touch Nikkor at f/2.8 and 200mm

(Download)

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

And my response is that MFA (microfocus adjustment) ONLY affects autofocus accuracy, so if you’re in manual focus, then high magnification on your screen and focus peaking if available is the answer, BUT that doesn’t mean it’s applicable to AF (for the reasons I mentioned above)

Ltgk20 Loc: Salisbury, NC

When I shot DSLRs I checked my lenses. Many were close enough not to worry about, but there were a couple that benefited the fine tuning.

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

Never - through 7 bodies and over 2 doz lenses. I did have to get one lens and one body repaired due to poor focus performance, but otherwise my gear routinely goes in for cleaning and adjusting, or when I suspect something is awry. AF fine tune is a simple offset adjustment that affects all AF performance, and AF anomalies are often not linear. By addressing AF accuracy at one distance/focal length you may be screwing up peformance at another focal length/distance. A simple one or two point AF tune cannot address ALL focusing issues.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

wsa111 Loc: Goose Creek, South Carolina

I fine focus all my lenses on my D750 & D800. Some are right on others are either front focus or back focus. Easy to do just takes time. Make sure you set the lens at the lowest setting. If its a 2.8 lens do the test at 2.8. Check your owners manual.

Bill_de Loc: US

I had one lens that benefitted by going + something when focused on a distant object, but that had an adverse effect when focusing on something close. Then I remembered that it is easy to turn off in the menu when I was focusing close. I did that until I eventually got rid of the lens.

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TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

And lenses change over time/use. I bought an 85 f1.8 refurb from Canon that required +15. I sent it back to Canon with a long explanation, and even after discussing the issue in detail, they returned it unchanged saying that it was “within specs” (see what I mean about tolerances and stack up?). Rather than sell it, I recaled it regularly some number of times, always coming up with +15, and then after heavy use at a wedding, it miraculously changed to +2 where it has been ever since. I can’t say that I feel very good about that, even though it’s tack sharp.

Ernie Misner Loc: Lakewood, WA

For starters, do you see a problem with focus in your images? If so, do this simple test: Put the camera on a tripod and shoot one image focusing through the VF with aperture fully open. Then shoot a 2nd image with the camera in LV, focusing carefully either manually or AF, aperture fully open , and using the rear screen. Bring the 2 images up on your computer and carefully compare the 2 for any difference in focus. They should both be focused on your subject the same or nearly so.

Note that the VF shot uses phase detect AF and the LV (live view) image uses contrast detect AF. The contrast detect, LV, images are taking focus right off of the sensor and should always be accurate. If you saw a repeatable problem determine whether the VF image is front or back focusing. At that point you will need to dial in a bit of + (for front focused images) or - (for back focused images) in the camera's AF Fine Tune menu for that lens.

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

Good test.

However, either the camera or the lens in your setup is bad - either the camera or the lens - possibly both. If the lens does better with other bodies, then the 5DmIII is suspect and should go in for adjustment. If your assessment that the lens is misbehaving, then it should go in for adjustment. A -10 adjustment is pretty substantial.

The 5DMIII has a two point adjustment, doesn't it?
How do other lenses do on this body?
How does this lens do on other bodies?
What about distances beyon 15ft - do you only use this lens between 5 and 15 ft?
Are you ok with the fairly substantial defocus at 3 ft?
Are your test results an average of multiple firings? If you fire the shutter 10 times, let's say at 15 ft - are the results always -11?

My experience with factory tech-trained technicians and the results they produce has always been better than anything I could achieve with the in-camera adjustments in the camera menu. When I send in a camera or lens - the precision and accuracy is better. I don't have time to fuss over this - if it is sharp to my eye, it's fine. I cannot tell the difference -1 and +1 - a spread of 2 points - especially when I stop my lens down to F5.6 or F8, so for me factory adjustment to spec is more that adequate. I am not disputing your results, btw. I think it was very illuminating - and supports both of our opinions - but I'd like to see more vigorous testing - on more lenses and bodies.

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

You can only fine tune for one distance. One distance only. Many advise the novice not to attempt to fine tune a lens because it can lead to the lens functioning worse than you started.
David Busch, the author of many books on Nikon camera's, in his D500 book he also says that you can only fine tune for one distance, on page 164, I quote him, "Unfortunately, it's only possible to calibrate a lens for a single focusing distance."
On page 390 of David Busch's book on the Nikon D850 he writes, and I quote him here, "As I noted, you're almost always better off sending such a lens in to Nikon to have them make it right."
As an additional note, I use only medium and long telephoto lenses, zoom and fixed, I have never had to fine tune a Nikon lens, they focus fast, and I enlarge to 30X40 show prints and they are all tack sharp.
If I ever had an issue, I would send it in to Nikon to adjust.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
Even Nikon cautions the novice against fine tuning.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I gave that serious thought and decided against it. For the time and effort I would have to put into it, I didn't see the benefits.