Matt, thank you so much for making this easy to follow video! I was able to make my own calibration target, and when I tested my Tamron 70-200, it was back focusing by a full centimeter! I had to save the value at -20 for it to be sharp, and now, wow! What a difference!
it should be 20 to 50 x the focal length. At focus distance close to min focus distance the adjustment varies more and it stabilizes at focus distance at about 50x the focal length. For very long lenses (300mm+) 20x would do.
People asking about your specific camera AF tune ability - check your owners manual. For zooms check short, mid and tele ends if your lens - all should be the same, but make sure. As for the target itself - make one out of cardboard and an xacto knife. All you need to do is print out the checked target and ruler scale on paper and glue to the cardboard. Remember the scale part needs to be at a 45 degree angle for best precision. Lastly, this works better if you place camera on a flat table with the target the proper distance away.
Clinton Spindley I just checked on amazon.ca the cheapest one is $80 and the most expensive one is over $250. Ridiculous prices for a piece of plastic. So a do it yourself one is the only way to go for most of us.
Problem is, that some lenses, for example my FA*24/2, need different compensation for different ranges. When I match focus at 40cm (*-6), then at 3m distance photos are fairly misfocused (needs *+8 to be sharp). It would be nice to have camera function which will do calibration semi-automatically using contrast-detect AF as a control mechanism to compare with phase detect AF results automatically and store them in camera memory for different ranges and different zoom settings also. Then all you gona need would be nice contrasty tagret to focus at and tripod :)
A big mistake for a professional web-based instructor (if not photographer) which may leave a lot of people confused, and worse, putting the wrong correction data into their cameras! God help us all! No wonder he gives up showing us the correction shots eventually and goes on to a different lens.
this was much more useful than most of the crap i've found on stuff, thanks Matt. I bought a new Nikkor 85mm 1.4 recently, and it appears to be front focusing. The face and the eyes are not in critical focus, the detail in the eyes is especially telling.
I've found shooting down a tape measure on 45° while focusing on a number gives you a really good idea of the ratio of focus you have set, and allows you to tweak that focus how you like. Me I'm about 80% past the focal point on my 24to70 as it tends to front focus a bit for my tastes.
Hey Matt, Front focus, back focus I think we all got the idea. I did noticed you gave your distance in centimeters and I had a hard time making this work for me. Of course I was trying to do it with a home made rig to see if the calibration was the problem. Further research gives me the impression the measurements should be in millimeters which could get me closer to the target and therefore make it easier to read the focus on the characters I was using. I was trying it with a 200mm lens on my d810 and while I did get it closer I might be able to nail it if the millimeter measurement is the correct one. I also ordered the spyder calibrator to try a more exact calibration.
Matt, at 3:27 I notice that the "0" line isn't lined up with the center axis line for the target. Both should be on the same axis and appear aligned at any viewing angle. This probably explains the backfocus close to 0.45. I noticed this because I've built and debugged my own target (for under $10). Well, anyway...you got it right at 4:58, so no worries.
Hi, I would like to point out that camera focuses on a particular distance, NOT on a plane parallel to the image sensor. This is the basic concept upon which most cameras lock focus as far as I know. So, basically it focuses on an arch of a fixed radius (determined by the distance of the initial focus point and the camera). If we focus on this lens cap tool, and check the Autofocus shift on the scale so far off the center, it will always show a different result (specially with large apertures) as the vapor thin depth of field will cover an arch. Problems such as this are corrected in authorized service centers with a similar equipment, but with the focus lock are directly above the scale. And to make matters worse, the AF shift on almost every focus point is different, the center focus point being the most accurate. Just my 2 cents, but I'm not a professional photographer by any means. I might be completely wrong here.
for the manual focus lens is depending on you eye or viewfinder not about AF focus calibration cuz it's non CPU lens. that function works for only autofocus ^^
My D3s has always been spot on with focus - none of my lenses have required adjustment. However, my first D800E, the only lens that would focus accurately on it was a Tokina macro lens. All my Nikon lenses (24mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8G, 85 1.4G, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 VR, 24-120 VR) were outside of the +/- 20 range of adjustment, and I had to return the camera for a replacement. Should be getting my second D800E on Monday, hopefully that one actually autofocuses properly.
Nice looking Spyder Lenscal kit. Very sturdy. Sony a99 does focus cal too, and it makes a HUGE difference with the fast primes, particularly for pixel peepers. It's really easy, especially with a good kit like the Spyder, and takes only a couple of minutes per lens. One thing you didn't mention Matt, make sure you're in your maximum aperture when you do the calibration, otherwise the depth of field won't be narrow enough to tell the difference.
cool, missed tina. I only have older or lower end bodies, so I was surprised when was playing with my friends d800 that they allow this... I've played with this before by tweaking the af sensor manually though on my lower bodies I've fixed..
Matt, SpyderLenscal instructions state the camera distance is supposed to be 25x to 50x the focal length. I know this video is old but might want to make that correction somewhere.
Very informative. All the while I thought that when auto focusing the sensor senses when the image is sharp then sends a signal back to the lens to stop turning. Just like when one is focusing manually the eye will reckon when the image is right on focus then sends a signal to the hand to stop turning. Thanks, Matt and please pardon my ignorance.
Never used this function before, now I"ve see this very good explanation and know what the meaning and function is, I'm going to calibrate every lens I own, thank YOU Mat (and the beautiful girl) ;0
Hi Matt, Thanks for making this tutorial :) about AF micro adjustment . Gear info I shoot at the moment with a Nikon D7100 and have the 70-200 VR1 and the TC 1.7 II as main lens to shoot birds .(saving up for a 300/F2.8 or 500/F4). Question When i calibrate my Micro AF with Spyderlenscal must i do this with or without the TC ,Datacolor/Spyderlencal doesn't give any information about that on there site. Greetings Danyael
Matt Granger the nikon d7100a (Tina's camera is my memory is ok) has fine tuning, page 270 on the English Nikon manual. www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D7100_EN.pdf . Thanks for your time and dedication on these videos.
I have just purchased a Lens Pyramid as it seems to do the same job and is about a third the price of the LensCal. Will see what the results are when it arrives.
Hi Matt, wondering if you have used Reikan Focal? And if you could do a video on that please? I find your videos informative and helpful, thanks for taking time to post them.
great vid, i need to calebrate all my lenses now...after i get that Spyder Lenscal! :) thanks for all your videos Matt, i have learned a great deal from you!
Great video. I had a back focus issue on my D7000. I thought I was doing something wrong until I ran through a test. The camera ended up going in for repairs. Turned out this is a known issue on the D7000. There are printable focus test sheets that can be printed online. I used a ruler set at an angel with a note care half on a middle number for my tests.
Hi Matt,Good evening... Happy New year...Please could you kindly give me an advice how to calibrate a Nikon macro 105 f2.8 Vr lens.I have the chart with me but how about the focal length.How much would be the distance between lens and camera.Kindly advice.Your help is much appreciated.Thank you. Regards , Kevin
With my 100mm macro and 70-200 I was always having problems with photos not that sharp. I though it was maybe my technique and not holding it steady enough. Bought the Spyder LensCal and one lens was front focusing and the other back focus. Been getting much sharper images.
Yes, you can. Put your camera on a tripod, put a large white paper/card on the floor. Take a marker and make a 3 inch or so line in the middle of the card from left to right. Turn on your camera, put the 3 inch line in the centre of the viewfinder. Set your focus to manual. Now turn the focus dial to make the scene out of focus. Switch to auto. Press whichever button you use to focus. Grab a big ruler with lines you can see clearly, perpendicular to the 3 inch line. Make and exposure. Enlarge to see if the number AT the line is sharp or not. Adjust accordingly with the fine tune function of the camera. Karl Taylor has a video which explains it.
This might be a silly question but... I've got a Canon which works perfectly with the Canon 70-200mm however images are out of proper focus with my Tamron lens... when calibrating for the Tamron, will it affect the focusing of my Canon lens then?
It will not do anything to the Canon lens. The Canon system also does the calibration by the serial number so doing a micro adjustment for one lens does not affect any other lens.
Not too sure about Canon, but with Nikon, you can save the calibration for up to 12 different lenses/brands, and when you mount that lens the camera remembers the calibration you set for that particular lens. I can't believe that Canon also does not have a similar method. Home this helps.
hi Matt, this is incredible timing. Because i was thinking my new lens nikon 28-300 mm has a focus problem especially arround more than 120 mm. Now i now methodology but in which focal lenght? and how much should be the focus point away from my Dslr ? I would be grateful if you could answer, if you won't this question will destroy it self in 60 seconds :)
the non cpu lenses has af fintune issues you cant save the adjusted data to the menu but set the af finetune to +10 as defoult for the lens, and if you forgeth to set it back to nautral again al the other pre adjusted lenses in the menu wil be +10 out of af fintune in the menu
+Matt, would like to confirm something, a D7100 has the capability to store 12 different lens data. You indicated that these are recorded by serial number. My question is, as you change lenses, will the camera automatically recognize the replacement lens and automatically apply the correction(s) for each?
Very good Topic! Thanks for all of your tips! Just to mention: The German Amazon Link doesnt link to the Item. Need to Check this one and the UK one. ;)
+Matt Granger do you have a video on making camera profiles for color calibration? I've tried making them myself so skin tones are variation free, but always seems to take away the natural reds like in lip color too far. Any videos or advice? great stuff with what I've seen on your channel
Hi Matt, just wondering if you have ever used any Software to calibrate AF fine tune. I have come across Reikan Focal it runs the tests tethered through live view and generates reports on sharpness, f stop sweet spot, camera consistency and I believe it can set the af fine tune for you. I haven't bought the software yet but at near a 1/3 of the price of the product in your video I'm tempted to take the risk. Just wondered if you had any thoughts on this process vs the DIY method. I'm a big fan I your TH-cam channel, keep up the good work! Tony
Yea that’s just a ruler and a piece of paper. It shouldn’t cost more than $2.50 since dollar tree is up to $1.25 an item now. Ouch. Focal pro is free online if you know where to look.
Hi Matt, I'm using LensAlign MK II and tried to calibrate all of my lenses using the combined software that comes with it. The problem that calibrating a 50mm lens according to Nikon standards (5 to 10 times range) is perfect BUT when calibrating according to the distance I usually photograph, the lens needs over +20 in AFA value. Nikon service centre (Sydney) refuses to calibrate 50mm 1.8D type lens. So photographers need to pay attention more to how a lens performs as they use it rather than Nikon distance recommendations.
I bought a LensCal after the webinar and was shocked that it did not come with any real instructions. After floundering around the DataColor Website I eventually found and downloaded the manual. I understand the mechanics of the process but I want to ask what may be a really stupid question. If a camera/lens combo back focusses is the adjustment required positive or negative in the camera? Also have you found a really simple way to use 2 stands/tripods and get them level without too much stuffing around?
like the vid! but i was wondering how you can calibrate the nikkor 50mm 1.2 since it is not a cpu lens. does this mean you have to calibrate the default setting on the camera? thanks!
Help me out here Matt. I have a 70-200 G2 on Nikon D500 crop sensor what distance in feet? And so I do it wide open or do I zoom in and out ????🤔😢😮😮😳😳😳😳
It always amazes me how many people make derogatory comments about videos and complain about how the creator could have done it better, but yet I never see the troll that complains create a better video. What's that old saying....Oh yeah...."If you don't have anything nice to say about someone then STFU!" or something like that... :-) Thanks for the videos Matt!
Just a thought but... How else can a person get better. Not everyone knows everything so critic is a way for others to pass along information that maybe helpful. Key word (Maybe). Whether Matt choose to use it or not is up to him. But at least it is their for him to think about. Not everybody is as angry as you when they post comments. In fact I'm happy as Hell 😀😀😀 and liked the Video. And Psst guess what.. I would have liked to have seen the final focus on the second lens. Tyrion voice " I'm just pointing out a flaw".😀
My camera is D5000 and I have a 50 mm f 1.8g lens, I find it pretty difficult to get focused shots, what are the suggestions I should take from you? how do I calibrate my camera like this? I dont have those settings on my menu ;(
Spyder is mentioned for Canon 7D and Nikon d7100. Does it apply to Canon 70D and Nikon d7200? I mean do they have a focus calibration too in theeir menus? I am really curious because I intend to buy one of the two aforementioned and it would make a difference (for me) if they do or not support Fine tuning! Thank you in advance!
Hi Matt, first i would like to congratulate you for all and i am considering one of your photo tours soon, regarding this video i found something strange and you say that the distance should be between 5 to 10 times the focal distance in order to obtain good results and the Datacolor lens cal instructions and website they say 25x to 50x... what do you think about this? Thank you Joao
Maybe I missed something, but what camera settings are appropriate for these tests? Spot focus, I assume? All manual, or aperture priority (as I saw recommended somewhere else)? Also, I've heard the distance should be 5 or 10 times the lens focal length, as you've said. But that's a big difference. What's best? And, some say to just move back to where you can fill the frame with the test chart. Advice? Thanks for a good video.
Gia Ly pointed out something very important. From what I've read in many photography manuals, depth of field is not 50-50 from the subject but rather 1/3 front and 2/3 back. How do we reconcile this?
My understanding (which could be way wrong) is that the near-to-far ratio of depth of field varies with lens focal length. A wide angle lens may closely follow that 1:2 (1/3 in front and 2/3 in back) ratio. But as lens focal length increases, the ratio moves closer to 1:1. For portraiture using lenses in the 70-200mm focal length range, the depth of field ratio in most instances is going to be very close to 1:1. In other words, the depth of field will be equally distributed towards the camera and away from the camera with respect to the focal point.
Bill Ferris Quite correct Bill. The 1/3-2/3 focus rule is not fixed but varies with focal length, lens aperture and camera to subject distance. Check the 1/3-2/3 rule details on web site cameradojo.com using their fcalc .xls spreadsheet for various lenses. Most dof distances fall in the range from 2/5-3/5 to 1/2-1/2 [i.e. 40:60% to 50:50%].
Clarification - this procedure makes the adjustment to the camera with a particular lens mounted. If you mount another lens, you have to readjust the camera for that lens. Does that mean that every time you mount a new lens, you have to readjust the camera? If this is correct, depending on the camera, is there a way to store the adjustments as a preset so that recalibration is not necessary every time you change lenses? Also, does this mean that those of us with cameras that do not have manual auto focus are out of luck and are stuck with out of focus shots?
i have a nikon D800 and trying to fine tuning a 20mm 2.8 so what about if i reach to 20+ and 20- and the lens still doesn't focus properly in the center (still off) but no problem focusing manually in the center. what is the next step to that?
Hey Matt did you have the chance to calibrate a canon 85mm F1.2L ii? I got one and was performing this AFMA because I bought recently and wanted to test wide open. I am doing it mainly manually and was somehow getting +17/18. Don't know if this is normal but it looks like a lot. Is this a sign that some bells should be ringing? I can return it still have 14 day and bought it from used in mint condition from a shop. Thanks
Matt, thank you so much for making this easy to follow video! I was able to make my own calibration target, and when I tested my Tamron 70-200, it was back focusing by a full centimeter! I had to save the value at -20 for it to be sharp, and now, wow! What a difference!
Thank you Matt. You made my life much easier. I watched several videos about calibrating a Nikon lens. None of them was as good as yours. Perfect!
it should be 20 to 50 x the focal length. At focus distance close to min focus distance the adjustment varies more and it stabilizes at focus distance at about 50x the focal length. For very long lenses (300mm+) 20x would do.
People asking about your specific camera AF tune ability - check your owners manual.
For zooms check short, mid and tele ends if your lens - all should be the same, but make sure.
As for the target itself - make one out of cardboard and an xacto knife. All you need to do is print out the checked target and ruler scale on paper and glue to the cardboard. Remember the scale part needs to be at a 45 degree angle for best precision.
Lastly, this works better if you place camera on a flat table with the target the proper distance away.
Clinton Spindley I just checked on amazon.ca the cheapest one is $80 and the most expensive one is over $250. Ridiculous prices for a piece of plastic. So a do it yourself one is the only way to go for most of us.
Problem is, that some lenses, for example my FA*24/2, need different compensation for different ranges. When I match focus at 40cm (*-6), then at 3m distance photos are fairly misfocused (needs *+8 to be sharp). It would be nice to have camera function which will do calibration semi-automatically using contrast-detect AF as a control mechanism to compare with phase detect AF results automatically and store them in camera memory for different ranges and different zoom settings also. Then all you gona need would be nice contrasty tagret to focus at and tripod :)
In the first shot taken (3:25) , the 1 in front of the 0 is sharper, so surely that means it's front-focusing rather than back focusing as stated?
Agree. I was wondering the same thing. Wish Matt would address this question.
yes its front focusing.
I'm confused front or back, and then when he misstates front or back, it doesn't help. "dislike"
A big mistake for a professional web-based instructor (if not photographer) which may leave a lot of people confused, and worse, putting the wrong correction data into their cameras! God help us all! No wonder he gives up showing us the correction shots eventually and goes on to a different lens.
this was much more useful than most of the crap i've found on stuff, thanks Matt.
I bought a new Nikkor 85mm 1.4 recently, and it appears to be front focusing. The face and the eyes are not in critical focus, the detail in the eyes is especially telling.
I've found shooting down a tape measure on 45° while focusing on a number gives you a really good idea of the ratio of focus you have set, and allows you to tweak that focus how you like. Me I'm about 80% past the focal point on my 24to70 as it tends to front focus a bit for my tastes.
Hey Matt, Front focus, back focus I think we all got the idea. I did noticed you gave your distance in centimeters and I had a hard time making this work for me. Of course I was trying to do it with a home made rig to see if the calibration was the problem. Further research gives me the impression the measurements should be in millimeters which could get me closer to the target and therefore make it easier to read the focus on the characters I was using. I was trying it with a 200mm lens on my d810 and while I did get it closer I might be able to nail it if the millimeter measurement is the correct one. I also ordered the spyder calibrator to try a more exact calibration.
Matt, at 3:27 I notice that the "0" line isn't lined up with the center axis line for the target. Both should be on the same axis and appear aligned at any viewing angle. This probably explains the backfocus close to 0.45. I noticed this because I've built and debugged my own target (for under $10). Well, anyway...you got it right at 4:58, so no worries.
Hi, I would like to point out that camera focuses on a particular distance, NOT on a plane parallel to the image sensor. This is the basic concept upon which most cameras lock focus as far as I know.
So, basically it focuses on an arch of a fixed radius (determined by the distance of the initial focus point and the camera).
If we focus on this lens cap tool, and check the Autofocus shift on the scale so far off the center, it will always show a different result (specially with large apertures) as the vapor thin depth of field will cover an arch.
Problems such as this are corrected in authorized service centers with a similar equipment, but with the focus lock are directly above the scale.
And to make matters worse, the AF shift on almost every focus point is different, the center focus point being the most accurate.
Just my 2 cents, but I'm not a professional photographer by any means. I might be completely wrong here.
I always wondered about this! I'll have to look for a device that will let me calibrate my lenses. Thank you Matt.
Another very useful introduction (and product recommendation) to a subject that will improve many people's photographic work.
for the manual focus lens is depending on you eye or viewfinder not about AF focus calibration cuz it's non CPU lens. that function works for only autofocus ^^
My D3s has always been spot on with focus - none of my lenses have required adjustment. However, my first D800E, the only lens that would focus accurately on it was a Tokina macro lens. All my Nikon lenses (24mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8G, 85 1.4G, 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 VR, 24-120 VR) were outside of the +/- 20 range of adjustment, and I had to return the camera for a replacement. Should be getting my second D800E on Monday, hopefully that one actually autofocuses properly.
Good to see you back, doing what you are good at doing :D
Grateful for the videos you make :)
Just ordered one of those gizmos. Thanks, Matt & Tina! David
Nice looking Spyder Lenscal kit. Very sturdy. Sony a99 does focus cal too, and it makes a HUGE difference with the fast primes, particularly for pixel peepers. It's really easy, especially with a good kit like the Spyder, and takes only a couple of minutes per lens. One thing you didn't mention Matt, make sure you're in your maximum aperture when you do the calibration, otherwise the depth of field won't be narrow enough to tell the difference.
cheers, yep it does make a big difference in some cases. PS - I did say you want to shoot wide open :)
Correct... Matt did indeed state that you "shoot wide open", which means at maximum aperture. Hence, your f/stop would be f1.4, not f/22.
Always an excellent presentation. This guy is great. Thanks for all these posts. And that accent...so fun.
Very useful video and it's always nice when Tina joins you.
cool, missed tina. I only have older or lower end bodies, so I was surprised when was playing with my friends d800 that they allow this... I've played with this before by tweaking the af sensor manually though on my lower bodies I've fixed..
One of the most helpful videos on equipments. . Thanks buddy
Matt, SpyderLenscal instructions state the camera distance is supposed to be 25x to 50x the focal length. I know this video is old but might want to make that correction somewhere.
Very informative. All the while I thought that when auto focusing the sensor senses when the image is sharp then sends a signal back to the lens to stop turning. Just like when one is focusing manually the eye will reckon when the image is right on focus then sends a signal to the hand to stop turning. Thanks, Matt and please pardon my ignorance.
Never used this function before, now I"ve see this very good explanation and know what the meaning and function is, I'm going to calibrate every lens I own, thank YOU Mat (and the beautiful girl) ;0
Hey mate, this saved a big trip and pay to Nikon to give it a look. Was able to fix my NIkon D800 trough a -20 compensation.
Cheers from Brazil!
Hi Matt,
Thanks for making this tutorial :) about AF micro adjustment .
Gear info
I shoot at the moment with a Nikon D7100 and have the 70-200 VR1 and the TC 1.7 II as main lens to shoot birds .(saving up for a 300/F2.8 or 500/F4).
Question
When i calibrate my Micro AF with Spyderlenscal must i do this with or without the TC ,Datacolor/Spyderlencal doesn't give any information about that on there site.
Greetings Danyael
Absolutely love Tina's necklace. Matt was talking about focus or something......
Thanks Matt, never realized I had that option on my d7100.
Matt Granger the nikon d7100a (Tina's camera is my memory is ok) has fine tuning, page 270 on the English Nikon manual. www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/dslr/D7100_EN.pdf . Thanks for your time and dedication on these videos.
I have just purchased a Lens Pyramid as it seems to do the same job and is about a third the price of the LensCal. Will see what the results are when it arrives.
Thanks!
Would you normally do this tethered?
Please make a video showing how to calibrate a zoom such as the 70-200.
Can't you do this with just a ruler or straightened measuring tape?
Great info. I had no idea the lenses had serial numbers readable by the camera.
Hi Matt, wondering if you have used Reikan Focal? And if you could do a video on that please? I find your videos informative and helpful, thanks for taking time to post them.
great vid, i need to calebrate all my lenses now...after i get that Spyder Lenscal! :)
thanks for all your videos Matt, i have learned a great deal from you!
Thank you very much this is the best video for that topic , clear with good examples , Thanks
This is very useful, Matt. Thanks!
Certainly using the AF-D range of lenses the lens is "NOT" recognized by it's serial number, only by the model. Check it out Matt!
Great video. I had a back focus issue on my D7000. I thought I was doing something wrong until I ran through a test. The camera ended up going in for repairs. Turned out this is a known issue on the D7000.
There are printable focus test sheets that can be printed online. I used a ruler set at an angel with a note care half on a middle number for my tests.
Hi Matt,Good evening... Happy New year...Please could you kindly give me an advice how to calibrate a Nikon macro 105 f2.8 Vr lens.I have the chart with me but how about the focal length.How much would be the distance between lens and camera.Kindly advice.Your help is much appreciated.Thank you.
Regards ,
Kevin
With my 100mm macro and 70-200 I was always having problems with photos not that sharp. I though it was maybe my technique and not holding it steady enough. Bought the Spyder LensCal and one lens was front focusing and the other back focus. Been getting much sharper images.
Nice Video Matt! Stupid question: I've got the Nikon 24-70 f2.8 on my D800. Should I calibrate it on 24mm, on 70mm or on both focallengths?
I also have the D800, why not calibrate at 3 different angles to see if there is any difference?
Great video, very helpful.
Very nice but can you do this without the lenscal?
Yes, you can. Put your camera on a tripod, put a large white paper/card on the floor. Take a marker and make a 3 inch or so line in the middle of the card from left to right. Turn on your camera, put the 3 inch line in the centre of the viewfinder. Set your focus to manual. Now turn the focus dial to make the scene out of focus. Switch to auto. Press whichever button you use to focus. Grab a big ruler with lines you can see clearly, perpendicular to the 3 inch line. Make and exposure. Enlarge to see if the number AT the line is sharp or not. Adjust accordingly with the fine tune function of the camera. Karl Taylor has a video which explains it.
This might be a silly question but... I've got a Canon which works perfectly with the Canon 70-200mm however images are out of proper focus with my Tamron lens... when calibrating for the Tamron, will it affect the focusing of my Canon lens then?
It will not do anything to the Canon lens. The Canon system also does the calibration by the serial number so doing a micro adjustment for one lens does not affect any other lens.
Not too sure about Canon, but with Nikon, you can save the calibration for up to 12 different lenses/brands, and when you mount that lens the camera remembers the calibration you set for that particular lens. I can't believe that Canon also does not have a similar method. Home this helps.
hi Matt, this is incredible timing. Because i was thinking my new lens nikon 28-300 mm has a focus problem especially arround more than 120 mm. Now i now methodology but in which focal lenght? and how much should be the focus point away from my Dslr ? I would be grateful if you could answer, if you won't this question will destroy it self in 60 seconds :)
the non cpu lenses has af fintune issues you cant save the adjusted data to the menu but set the af finetune to +10 as defoult for the lens, and if you forgeth to set it back to nautral again al the other pre adjusted lenses in the menu wil be +10 out of af fintune in the menu
+Matt, would like to confirm something, a D7100 has the capability to store 12 different lens data. You indicated that these are recorded by serial number. My question is, as you change lenses, will the camera automatically recognize the replacement lens and automatically apply the correction(s) for each?
thanks Matt. Very useful info.
Love your vids Matt. I bought a cheaper version of the Spyder because I have a couple lenses that are a bit off. Cheers! Off to calibrate.
Brilliant! I had no idea the camera was capable of being set for focus. Thank you so much.
Very good Topic! Thanks for all of your tips!
Just to mention: The German Amazon Link doesnt link to the Item. Need to Check this one and the UK one. ;)
+Matt Granger do you have a video on making camera profiles for color calibration? I've tried making them myself so skin tones are variation free, but always seems to take away the natural reds like in lip color too far. Any videos or advice? great stuff with what I've seen on your channel
Due to camera shake even on a tripod ,I find it better to test with a remotes shutter release which keeps the camera steady is far better
Hi Matt, just wondering if you have ever used any Software to calibrate AF fine tune.
I have come across Reikan Focal it runs the tests tethered through live view and generates reports on sharpness, f stop sweet spot, camera consistency and I believe it can set the af fine tune for you. I haven't bought the software yet but at near a 1/3 of the price of the product in your video I'm tempted to take the risk.
Just wondered if you had any thoughts on this process vs the DIY method.
I'm a big fan I your TH-cam channel, keep up the good work!
Tony
Yea that’s just a ruler and a piece of paper. It shouldn’t cost more than $2.50 since dollar tree is up to $1.25 an item now. Ouch. Focal pro is free online if you know where to look.
Hi Matt,
I'm using LensAlign MK II and tried to calibrate all of my lenses using the combined software that comes with it. The problem that calibrating a 50mm lens according to Nikon standards (5 to 10 times range) is perfect BUT when calibrating according to the distance I usually photograph, the lens needs over +20 in AFA value. Nikon service centre (Sydney) refuses to calibrate 50mm 1.8D type lens. So photographers need to pay attention more to how a lens performs as they use it rather than Nikon distance recommendations.
Exactly the video I needed. Very well done. Cheers, and thanks.
I use FoCal software (B & H ) for my 7D mk2 it's quick and easy and takes the human error out of it and can tell me other things about the lens
great stuff. thx. j.
Matt, great video thank you and Tina!
I bought a LensCal after the webinar and was shocked that it did not come with any real instructions. After floundering around the DataColor Website I eventually found and downloaded the manual. I understand the mechanics of the process but I want to ask what may be a really stupid question. If a camera/lens combo back focusses is the adjustment required positive or negative in the camera? Also have you found a really simple way to use 2 stands/tripods and get them level without too much stuffing around?
like the vid! but i was wondering how you can calibrate the nikkor 50mm 1.2 since it is not a cpu lens. does this mean you have to calibrate the default setting on the camera? thanks!
I guess that the cameras will be set up at a certain temperature and any variation of that would affect the focusing of the camera.
What about image stabilization setting during calibration? Does that make a difference?
I have a question, doing these steps calibrates that particular lens right, I mean it does not apply the settings on the camera's itself.
thanks for this - question is - if it is WAAAY out, and compensation doesn't work - should I be sending the lens back?
Help me out here Matt. I have a 70-200 G2 on Nikon D500 crop sensor what distance in feet? And so I do it wide open or do I zoom in and out ????🤔😢😮😮😳😳😳😳
isn't it back focusing - focusing behind the subject instead of in the front of it???
Great vid - how far do I put target from my 500mm lens with 1.4 teleconverter please?
Thank you
As far as the subject you typically shoot. That focal length isnt often done with this kind of gear though.
It always amazes me how many people make derogatory comments about videos and complain about how the creator could have done it better, but yet I never see the troll that complains create a better video. What's that old saying....Oh yeah...."If you don't have anything nice to say about someone then STFU!" or something like that... :-)
Thanks for the videos Matt!
Just a thought but... How else can a person get better. Not everyone knows everything so critic is a way for others to pass along information that maybe helpful. Key word (Maybe). Whether Matt choose to use it or not is up to him. But at least it is their for him to think about. Not everybody is as angry as you when they post comments. In fact I'm happy as Hell 😀😀😀 and liked the Video. And Psst guess what.. I would have liked to have seen the final focus on the second lens. Tyrion voice " I'm just pointing out a flaw".😀
My camera is D5000 and I have a 50 mm f 1.8g lens, I find it pretty difficult to get focused shots, what are the suggestions I should take from you? how do I calibrate my camera like this? I dont have those settings on my menu ;(
Spyder is mentioned for Canon 7D and Nikon d7100. Does it apply to Canon 70D and Nikon d7200? I mean do they have a focus calibration too in theeir menus? I am really curious because I intend to buy one of the two aforementioned and it would make a difference (for me) if they do or not support Fine tuning! Thank you in advance!
can you advise on calibrating a macro. If you are Wide open, your focal point is so narrow it might be very difficult to correct for.
Hey Matt, if you were to update the "Supported Camera List", would you include the Canon 6D?
Amy Faith Yes it can be done. Go to page 314 of your camera manual.
All I can say is good on ya, mate!
what a revelation!!! i had no idea i could do my own calibration!!
Will a Nikon D7200 save the settings per lense? Or is it rather a global setting and you have to repeat these steps any time you switch lenses?
thanks matt for the nice video
Hi Matt, will the AF Fine Tune work on an older Nikon lens such as the Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8D? Please advice, thank you.
Thank you, Matt. This and several of your videos are very informative.
Hello Matt, could you please tell me is there a way to calibrate a telephoto lens? Would you do it at both ends of the scale?
Thanks
Michael Durkan
Great video Matt, help me a lot, THX!
thanks, what was the lense you have mentioned as "The best in the World" ??
Hi! Question: For example, I have a 35mm 1.8g lens calibrated on a D7000 body, can I still use it on my D5200 body and still get sharp images?
Nice work Matt, just the vid I was looking for. Thank you. Keep making them. Andy😀🐇
Hi Matt, first i would like to congratulate you for all and i am considering one of your photo tours soon, regarding this video i found something strange and you say that the distance should be between 5 to 10 times the focal distance in order to obtain good results and the Datacolor lens cal instructions and website they say 25x to 50x... what do you think about this?
Thank you
Joao
Maybe I missed something, but what camera settings are appropriate for these tests? Spot focus, I assume? All manual, or aperture priority (as I saw recommended somewhere else)?
Also, I've heard the distance should be 5 or 10 times the lens focal length, as you've said. But that's a big difference. What's best? And, some say to just move back to where you can fill the frame with the test chart. Advice? Thanks for a good video.
Gia Ly pointed out something very important. From what I've read in many photography manuals, depth of field is not 50-50 from the subject but rather 1/3 front and 2/3 back. How do we reconcile this?
My understanding (which could be way wrong) is that the near-to-far ratio of depth of field varies with lens focal length. A wide angle lens may closely follow that 1:2 (1/3 in front and 2/3 in back) ratio. But as lens focal length increases, the ratio moves closer to 1:1. For portraiture using lenses in the 70-200mm focal length range, the depth of field ratio in most instances is going to be very close to 1:1. In other words, the depth of field will be equally distributed towards the camera and away from the camera with respect to the focal point.
Bill Ferris Quite correct Bill. The 1/3-2/3 focus rule is not fixed but varies with focal length, lens aperture and camera to subject distance. Check the 1/3-2/3 rule details on web site cameradojo.com using their fcalc .xls spreadsheet for various lenses. Most dof distances fall in the range from 2/5-3/5 to 1/2-1/2 [i.e. 40:60% to 50:50%].
Clarification - this procedure makes the adjustment to the camera with a particular lens mounted. If you mount another lens, you have to readjust the camera for that lens. Does that mean that every time you mount a new lens, you have to readjust the camera? If this is correct, depending on the camera, is there a way to store the adjustments as a preset so that recalibration is not necessary every time you change lenses? Also, does this mean that those of us with cameras that do not have manual auto focus are out of luck and are stuck with out of focus shots?
no. you have lens profiles for each lens, when a different lens is mounted the corresponding profile is also loaded.
Well where do you set focus for a zoom Matt? Its easy on primes but what to do on zooms :)
long end of zoom
i have a nikon D800 and trying to fine tuning a 20mm 2.8
so what about if i reach to 20+ and 20- and the lens still doesn't focus properly in the center (still off) but no problem focusing manually in the center. what is the next step to that?
This is awesome, thanks Matt!
By the way: that's a mighty wobbly tripod you have there. If you do this, you need to set your camera to
- 2 second self-timer
- Stabilizer OFF
hey matt, isn't the zero should be on the center side of that tiny box?
do you have to push the AF button before taking the photo?
Pretty amazing Matt thanks a lot!
Maybe I missed it. What has been your experience with a zoom? Is there a "best" mm or by setting let's say 50 should that calibration hold to 200mm?
Hey Matt did you have the chance to calibrate a canon 85mm F1.2L ii?
I got one and was performing this AFMA because I bought recently and wanted to test wide open. I am doing it mainly manually and was somehow getting +17/18. Don't know if this is normal but it looks like a lot. Is this a sign that some bells should be ringing? I can return it still have 14 day and bought it from used in mint condition from a shop. Thanks