p.2 #2 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
patriot wrote:
Well, the official silence would suggest that don't want to admit to anything. The reports of what appears to be an unreasonably high percentage of units returning from repair either not fixed, or worse, suggests one or all of the following:
1). Nikon does not have a definitive fix.
2). Nikon has a fix, but has not yet deployed that fix to all service centers, trained all of their technicians, etc.
3). Nikon has a fix, but because they don't want to acknowledge the issue, has NOT distributed it to their service centers (no "paper trail").
4). Nikon has a fix, but due to time and or cost, tries a "down and dirty" more simple fix first, to clear the backlog of units in for repair. Perhaps this is the "B1" (minor parts) repair?
5). The fix requires parts needed for assemble of new units, and Nikon, in order to keep up with demand, has made a decision to push parts to manufacturing vs. service centers. Only "B2" (major parts) are getting the complete fix?
If we start to see a steady stream of new units defect free, then that would suggest Nikon has identified and solved the problem at that end. Hopefully after that we can expect to see a more solid repair success rate.
I'm hoping more people report on their repair with the details and results so that perhaps a pattern can be determined. I think it could also help those waiting to send theirs in to make a determination of when to do that. ...Show more →
My D4 has been in for B2 service 3 times. The first 2 were unsuccessful and I am waiting for it to come back from the third trip. My D800E has been in twice, B2 also, first time it came back worse (just like the D4) and I am waiting to see how it comes back from the second visit.
They have been to El Segundo and now Melville facility.
p.2 #3 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
I am using all my patience to not send in my camera until I start hearing of consistent fixes performed by Nikon. I have been in cumminicarion with them and have told them more then once I have no confidence in the ability for the service centers to perform this fix. I am not going to take a chance.
p.2 #4 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
Bruce Sawle wrote:
I am using all my patience to not send in my camera until I start hearing of consistent fixes performed by Nikon. I have been in cumminicarion with them and have told them more then once I have no confidence in the ability for the service centers to perform this fix. I am not going to take a chance.
My D800 is on the UPS truck now waiting to be delivered back into my hands after its first trip to El Segundo. I plan to test it as soon as it arrives and will post my results.
p.2 #5 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
patriot wrote:
Something to that effect posted on DP Review ...glanced at it due to time, but from what I could gather, something about how AF fine tuning numbers are applied yields different results. I'll have to read more carefully.
I've never been one to do much testing. In this case I'm doing far more than ever. One thing I can say, using Lensalign, is that the results are consistent. I've tested multiple times, including moving the set up so I have to re-measure and align. Then, taking the camera outside and trying different real world subjects, I can see where the tuning seems to be consistent with what Lensalign indicates. In other words, +18 and +20 on my 70-200 yield noticeable differences on flowers, trees, as they do on Lensalign.
Micro Adjust is for very specific conditions and not intended for "general shooting".
Look at the variables that play into the equation closely and apply to real world ...
Lens, Camera, FL, Distance, F Stop, Temperature, Light wavelength,
RH %, Contrast, Filter.
For General shooting you really only control the first two and three if non zoom.
So good luck with your not to do much testing and Lensalign.
I do not accept Lenes or Cameras that require "general shooting"
user calibration nor would any photo engineer.
If you plan to sharpen bird feathers in the field ... Great ...
but the bird will fly away and the weather day conditions will change
long before you are ready.
Micro Adust was not intended to "Fix" shappy manufacturing.
The Big 21st Century change in Photo is digital but the second major change
may be lack of assembly Quality Control checks and the push
of quick and inexpensive Commodity Manufacture.
p.2 #6 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
EL_PIC wrote:
If you did Micro AF adjustment 10 times you would prob get at least 5 differ settings
regardless of any pre or post repair.
Food for Thought ...
That's simply not true. I've done the tests and under good light with a good target and exact test technique my results with the CAM4500 bodies have been within +-1 pt consistently.
The most common cause of inconsistent results is poor testing technique, you have to establish a perfect baseline before you start adding in variable like bad lighting, strange target contrast or patterns, moving targets, etc...
p.2 #7 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
Jammy Straub wrote:
That's simply not true. I've done the tests and under good light with a good target and exact test technique my results with the CAM4500 bodies have been within +-1 pt consistently.
The most common cause of inconsistent results is poor testing technique, you have to establish a perfect baseline before you start adding in variable like bad lighting, strange target contrast or patterns, moving targets, etc...
So that means that the bad lighting will cause the camera to have inaccurate focus (as opposed to getting an accurate focus or fail)?
p.2 #8 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
bemyzeke wrote:
So that means that the bad lighting will cause the camera to have inaccurate focus (as opposed to getting an accurate focus or fail)?
The lower the light levels the more difficult it is for the focus system to operate with precision. By doing your testing in bright light you at least start with an exact standard before throwing in such challenges for a cameras AF system. It's all about establishing a baseline.
You don't do your testing to begin with in low light because it adds 'noise' to the measurement data.
---------
I've always thought it was odd when I see folks say things like 'I don't believe in AF adjust', camera bodies have had this sort of adjustment since AF was introduced. In the past it was done with small allen wrench and an adjustment screw inside the mirror housing, or the AF module had to be serviced by a tech. This type of digital adjustment we have now is just a lot more convenient and offers finer grained control because we can customize it to a per lens basis. Setting it up for certain types of lenses (varifocal zooms for instance which require a best consensus setting) requires some finesse and practice. If you have a lens you can't dial in it's often worth it to try and have a professional look at it, in rare cases the lens itself is borked and no amount of AF adjust will fix it.
Compounding any AF inaccuracies are issues around lens mount alignment and lens asymmetry. Focus shift from residual spherical abberation (ie focus shift upon stopping down) is likely the current most problematic issue with high resolution bodies and AF systems. Manufacturers could fix this... Hasselblad adjusts for it on a per lens basis, we just don't get that sort of love though.
p.2 #9 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
Smridevan wrote:
Can you tell us the first four serial number on your unit? Thanks.
From what I've seen, the affected cameras have serial numbers between 3001xxx to 3033xxx. looks like the initial batch was fine and then something happened.
My D800 is 3029xxx so it falls within that range, and it has AF issues.
p.2 #10 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
Jammy Straub ---
Your comment in 8-5-12, 0735 hrs, post is among the most erudite ones I've seen on the subject of camera AF.
And, yes, I have a D800 (and a big bunch of other hi-end Nikon & Canon stuff). But I'm not bothered as yet by this AF issue. Did find it useful to crank in about a -12 micro with a 50mm f/1.4G lens. But maybe this is because I'm mostly a single, centerpoint focus guy. I guess this could change if I ever try to shoot BIF, though.
p.2 #13 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
Here are some images from a local theater festival, taken this weekend with my repaired D800. Most are center bank AF, but some are also outer banks. These are edited, heavily cropped, sharpened. But given the lighting (outdoors, night time, harsh lighting poorly deployed, etc, the shallow DOF, and high ISO, these are acceptable to me. Most were taken at the long end of both zooms.
I sill need to look for more images where the outer AF's were used. However, from what I can see, center AF's are sharp, and outer AF's, the ones I noticed anyway, seem acceptable and improved.
Still concerned that the max AF tuning is needed on the 70-200 especially, and will watch carefully to see when Nikon has a more comprehensive fix. But for now, based on these, I think I will be holding off on sending it back in.
p.2 #15 · D800 AF repair: What repair was done, and what results?
The attempt to get sharper images is a valid one but ...
You can Micro Adjust to Kazoo and the conditions used at testing
do not relate well to real world photo.
Repeatable test results under identical conditions are not real world photo
Real world photo is not resolution test charts at fixed distance,
same apperture, lighting, contrast, daytime temperature, light temperature,
RH %, etc. ect.
So go ahead and shoot tests to Kazoo or wake up and smell the coffee.
Better yet realize the scam of manufactures hiding shabby manufacture QC
under the cloak of Micro Adjust.
