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D7200 Auto Focus Fine Tune
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Nov 5, 2017 15:47:46   #
qualtalk
 
I recently got a refurbished D7200 with just 400 shutter clicks. I calibrated my 18-140 lens before traveling to Italy where we took about 3,000 pictures.

This weekend, we went out for some landscape shots, and the focus seemed to be a bit off.

Is the AF Fine Tune calibration something that needs to be done periodically, especially since the refurb body was relatively new?

Thanks!

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Nov 5, 2017 16:05:08   #
Einreb92 Loc: Philadelphia
 
I have the same camera and have questions about why you chose to calibrate your lens. Also, by what method did you decide what needed to be done? IMHO, a lens should not need to be recalibrated in the short period of time you indicate.

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Nov 6, 2017 06:44:45   #
NeilJP
 
I to have the same Camera and lens and have not recalibrated it yet. Ensure that the manual focus ring is correctly set when shooting, even with auto focus else you will get some slightly off focus images.

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Nov 6, 2017 07:16:59   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
qualtalk wrote:
I recently got a refurbished D7200 with just 400 shutter clicks. I calibrated my 18-140 lens before traveling to Italy where we took about 3,000 pictures.

This weekend, we went out for some landscape shots, and the focus seemed to be a bit off.

Is the AF Fine Tune calibration something that needs to be done periodically, especially since the refurb body was relatively new?

Thanks!


If recalibration has to be done, it should be a one-time thing. Maybe this link will help.

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-do-autofocus-fine-tuning-on-your-nikon-dslr/

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Nov 6, 2017 07:45:20   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
qualtalk wrote:
I recently got a refurbished D7200 with just 400 shutter clicks. I calibrated my 18-140 lens before traveling to Italy where we took about 3,000 pictures.

This weekend, we went out for some landscape shots, and the focus seemed to be a bit off.

Is the AF Fine Tune calibration something that needs to be done periodically, especially since the refurb body was relatively new?

Thanks!

Lighting, distance, focal length and aperture can all have an effect on calibration. Perhaps your original calibration was not as accurate as you thought and the recent trip's photos were taken under slightly different circumstances. Proper calibration takes a lot of effort, attention to detail, and an appropriate and repeatable procedural setup on a tripod. Even when done correctly, its not always perfect.

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Nov 6, 2017 07:46:29   #
Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)
 
qualtalk wrote:
I recently got a refurbished D7200 with just 400 shutter clicks. I calibrated my 18-140 lens before traveling to Italy where we took about 3,000 pictures.

This weekend, we went out for some landscape shots, and the focus seemed to be a bit off.

Is the AF Fine Tune calibration something that needs to be done periodically, especially since the refurb body was relatively new?

Thanks!

Since you are using a zoom lens, perhaps the focal length you chose to fine tune at is not the one you typically use when you're not on a trip.

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Nov 6, 2017 08:06:16   #
rdubreuil Loc: Dummer, NH USA
 
jerryc41 wrote:
If recalibration has to be done, it should be a one-time thing. Maybe this link will help.

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-do-autofocus-fine-tuning-on-your-nikon-dslr/


This may be a bit off topic but, I completely disagree, with anything that requires calibration of one type or another over time and use, calibration needs to be checked and adjusted periodically. It may not be the OP's issue here over such a short period of time but, then again it's possible. Depends on the equipment, the environments it's used in and the handling it sees. For example just moving a camera and lens from cold to warm environments will cause changes and movement within both the body and lenses, along with components in the assembly wearing in. Over time that movement will gravitate in one direction or another from what would be considered absolute zero when properly calibrated. Go to any machine shop and you'll see calibration stickers on every measuring tool with dates as to when it was calibrated and when it's due for it's next calibration. The more intricate any given system is the easier it is to throw out of calibration, in other words the more complex the more that can go wrong. The last time I checked, auto focus lenses are a bit more complex a system than say a micrometer.

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Nov 6, 2017 08:08:31   #
rdubreuil Loc: Dummer, NH USA
 
mwsilvers wrote:
Lighting, distance, focal length and aperture can all have an effect on calibration. Perhaps your original calibration was not as accurate as you thought and the recent trip's photos were taken under slightly different circumstances. Proper calibration takes a lot of effort, attention to detail, and an appropriate and repeatable procedural setup on a tripod. Even when done correctly, its not always perfect.



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Nov 6, 2017 08:19:29   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
Although a lot of people do it because they can, Nikon states that in most cases it should seldom be necessary. If you do decide to calibrate a zoom lens, it should be done at multiple focal lengths.

The calibration doesn't make the pictures sharper. It just shifts where it focuses from front to back, very slightly. So even if the plane you were focused at could be out of focus, things in front of or behind that plane should be in perfect focus. If everything is out of focus it is probably user error.

--

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Nov 6, 2017 09:09:14   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
Bill_de wrote:
Although a lot of people do it because they can, Nikon states that in most cases it should seldom be necessary. If you do decide to calibrate a zoom lens, it should be done at multiple focal lengths.

The calibration doesn't make the pictures sharper. It just shifts where it focuses from front to back, very slightly. So even if the plane you were focused at could be out of focus, things in front of or behind that plane should be in perfect focus. If everything is out of focus it is probably user error.

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Although a lot of people do it because they can, N... (show quote)

Keep in mind that when a company like Nikon or Canon indicates it should seldom be necessary they are stating that for marketing purposes. Could you imagine the reaction from customers if the companies were forthright and said that due to the manufacturing tolerances of both lenses and bodies some focus tuning might be required to optimize lenses?

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Nov 6, 2017 09:19:59   #
Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)
 
Bill_de wrote:
Although a lot of people do it because they can, Nikon states that in most cases it should seldom be necessary. If you do decide to calibrate a zoom lens, it should be done at multiple focal lengths.
The calibration doesn't make the pictures sharper. It just shifts where it focuses from front to back, very slightly. So even if the plane you were focused at could be out of focus, things in front of or behind that plane should be in perfect focus. If everything is out of focus it is probably user error.--
Although a lot of people do it because they can, N... (show quote)

The camera only allows for one fine tune number to be set so the camera won't actually adjust itself to each focal length. Fine tuning at multiple focal lengths could be used to give you some sort of average and allow you to select a compromise number.

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Nov 6, 2017 09:21:25   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
mwsilvers wrote:
Could you imagine the reaction from customers if the companies were forthright and said that due to the manufacturing tolerances of both lenses and bodies some focus tuning might be required to optimize lenses?


They where not only forthright and said that, they made it possible for the owner to do it themselves. They have a section in the owner's manuals about it. That seems pretty forthright to me, but you must have missed that.

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Nov 6, 2017 09:25:45   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
Bill_de wrote:
They where not only forthright and said that, they made it possible for the owner to do it themselves. They have a section in the owner's manuals about it. That seems pretty forthright to me, but you must have missed that.

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And what if you own a lower end model that doesn't have focus tuning (Nikon) or micro adjustment (Canon)? My point is the companies purposely downplay the need for it which is not completely forthright.

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Nov 6, 2017 09:32:30   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
Howard5252 wrote:
The camera only allows for one fine tune number to be set so the camera won't actually adjust itself to each focal length. Fine tuning at multiple focal lengths could be used to give you some sort of average and allow you to select a compromise number.




I thought this camera allowed multiples.

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Nov 6, 2017 09:42:14   #
camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.
 
I do not know why you had to calibrate focus for your 18-140 VR lens. I cannot remember when I had to do that with any of my lenses. If I happen to see any discrepancies in the focus of any of my lenses I would prefer to take camera and lens to a technician for calibration but that is me.
Since I have never done calibration of any of my lenses useless to say I do not have the experience to discuss this matter but as I already said, if I note any discrepancies in focus I would prefer a professional to do the job for me.

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