Auto Focus Fine Tune: I am shooting with a D7100. Do many of you use the Auto Focus Fine Tune feature to fine tune your different lenses. I've used it in the past and am interested in...

portcragin Loc: Kirkland, WA

I am shooting with a D7100. Do many of you use the Auto Focus Fine Tune feature to fine tune your different lenses. I've used it in the past and am interested in what others think.

Thanks,

Good shooting

http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart#print

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Not really. I simply have my lenses fine tuned.
--Bob

portcragin wrote:

I am shooting with a D7100. Do many of you use the Auto Focus Fine Tune feature to fine tune your different lenses. I've used it in the past and am interested in what others think.

Thanks,

Good shooting

http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart#print

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

portcragin wrote:

I am shooting with a D7100. Do many of you use the Auto Focus Fine Tune feature to fine tune your different lenses. I've used it in the past and am interested in what others think.

Thanks,

Good shooting

http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart#print

Proper tuning has the potential to seriously increase AF accuracy. Its NOT whether you need to do it, but it is available so you really SHOULD check your lenses and just see if it is needed. Don't be tuning any lens just for the sake of doing so, make sure its needed first.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

FYI tuning AF like that is a terrible method. You never, ever, want to focus at an angle. There's are reasons that every commercial AF tuning product has you focus on a flat surface. First, there a chance that your AF point doesn't exactly match the AF area indicated in the viewfinder (as the article mentions). Second, and this is even worse, due to the way PDAF system works having slightly different distances under the AF point can cause variance in the testing. The "angle" method can help you fix large errors, but it will never be as precise as using a flat surface technique (like Lens Align, FoCal, Spyder, and even Nikon own Auto AF Fine tuning uses).

Also, only tune if you actually see an issue. You can cause more harm than good.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

portcragin wrote:

I am shooting with a D7100. Do many of you use the Auto Focus Fine Tune feature to fine tune your different lenses. I've used it in the past and am interested in what others think.

Thanks,

Good shooting

http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart#print

FWIW - The only fine tuning I ever did on my D7100 and now on my Canon 80D is to make use of the "DOT TUNE" method to adjust things so the viewfinder and Live View focusing are the same.

In most cases, Live View focusing is a little sharper then viewfinder focus due to the use of two focusing methods used by the camera, Phase Detect and Contrast Detection have some differences, by following DOT TUNE methodology you can tune your lenses to be set for viewfinder use, giving the same readings as using live view. A nice thing about DOT TUNE is no pictures or charts are required.

A Google search for dot tune will find any number of hits for information.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Dngallagher wrote:

FWIW - The only fine tuning I ever did on my D7100... (show quote)

For a D7100, I think dot tune is a perfect suggestion.

portcragin Loc: Kirkland, WA

Thanks for the input. Good comments.

Good shooting

ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

I don't "think" I have any focus issues with any of my lenses --- But these old eyes are just that OLD --- SO what the hell why not check it out -- Yesterday I went ahead & purchased the Datacolor Spyder lens Calibration SLC 100 --- Just as soon as Amazon gets it to my front door & I fiddle around & follow all the instructions --- I'll be sure to let you know

portcragin Loc: Kirkland, WA

I'll be interested in what you come up with.
Most of my lenses are zooms (14-24, 24-70, 70-200 all 2.8 (Nikon Trilogy), Nikon 105 2.8 Macro and a 17-270 Tamron.
With all that's said I don't believe zoom lenses are as sharp as primes. Think about it. Moving glass around in a zoom barrel lens has to have a price.
My next lens is a 35MM 1.8.

Good shooting

TomV Loc: Annapolis, Maryland

You will not notice much of a difference adjusting the first 2 in your list since the focal length is short relative to your typical subject distance.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I started looking at this with interest until I noticed a, for me, BIG fault. I shoot with Nikon and it will save a setting for a mm lens setting. For a zoom lens you have to fine tune EACH mm of a lens and the storage capacity is rather limited, about enough for 1 zoom lens. Discovering this I put the idea on the shelf to collect dust.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

BboH wrote:

I started looking at this with interest until I noticed a, for me, BIG fault. I shoot with Nikon and it will save a setting for a mm lens setting. For a zoom lens you have to fine tune EACH mm of a lens and the storage capacity is rather limited, about enough for 1 zoom lens. Discovering this I put the idea on the shelf to collect dust.

Actually, it won't save for each focal length with a zoom, only ONE value per lens. I agree that this is a HUGE fault with the Nikon process. Canon allows multiple values for zooms, so you can set in a couple settings depending on FL and the camera will sort of average it out for the ranges not specifically covered. Hopefully Nikon will address this in the future.

RRS Loc: Not sure

Steve Perry wrote:

FYI tuning AF like that is a terrible method. You ... (show quote)

True Steve but if you are having problems you can always go back to the default setting of "0" and find someone that knows what they are doing. I always buy a book when I buy a new body and sad to say some authors have actually said that they would not cover that subject just to save a tree or two, it would take that much more paper. If you are a serious bird shooter and your not getting that fine feather detail then I think it's time to look into Fine Tune (Nikon) or Micro Adjust (Canon).

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

RRS wrote:

True Steve but if you are having problems you can ... (show quote)

LOL that's why I use the e-book format - no excuses for slacking :)

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

portcragin wrote:

I am shooting with a D7100. Do many of you use the Auto Focus Fine Tune feature to fine tune your different lenses. I've used it in the past and am interested in what others think.

Thanks,

Good shooting

http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart#print

My experience is that more than a plus or minus of 1 in fine tune makes the lens focus slower. In sports I have had to run at 1 or 0 fine tune focus or the lens and D7200 would not follow focus well enough to keep up with the action.