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Archive 2014 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune

  
 
fetopher
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


I got deep into fine tuning the auto focus on my D800 and with my new D810, I figured I may as well dig in while the body is still new (and returnable).

So far I've test four of my lenses with the D810 using the DotTune method. Below are my results. My preferred method of fine tuning is Focal, but the software hasn't yet been updated to work with the D810. But, DotTune works just fine.

I'd be curious to see results of varying lenses paired with the D810 to see if there is a natural back- or front-focus bias with the D810. In my testing, I'm getting some pretty oddball numbers. If anyone would like to comment on my numbers, I'd be happy to listen.

My results include tests focusing at near focus (just longer than minimum focusing distance), mid focus and infinity focus. The figures in the table below are the final DotTune calculated tuning settings.

How is your D810 in terms of fine-tune adjustments needed?







Aug 29, 2014 at 05:30 PM
AtomicPunk
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


I can report my Sigma art needed similar adjustments but all of my Nikon G lenses did not. I also didn't need any with the sigma 129-300 sport


Aug 29, 2014 at 08:05 PM
CanadaMark
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


On 2 different D810 bodies, none of my lenses needed any AF fine tune at all. 0 was always sharpest.

Also, keep in mind AF fine tune only works at the distance and focal length you tune at, often making it worse at other distances. In 10 years I've never had to AF fine tune a lens, I'd probably return the body if I ever did, since doing so will make it worse at other focal lengths and subject distances.

I know some people have luck with global AF fine tune, and that's great, but it isn't for me.



Aug 29, 2014 at 11:00 PM
AtomicPunk
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


CanadaMark wrote:
On 2 different D810 bodies, none of my lenses needed any AF fine tune at all. 0 was always sharpest.

Also, keep in mind AF fine tune only works at the distance and focal length you tune at, often making it worse at other distances. In 10 years I've never had to AF fine tune a lens, I'd probably return the body if I ever did, since doing so will make it worse at other focal lengths and subject distances.

I know some people have luck with global AF fine tune, and that's great, but it isn't for me.


That's what is nice about the USB Dock from sigma. You can fine tune AF from multiple focus distances.



Aug 29, 2014 at 11:36 PM
sritri
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


This (810) has been my first Nikon and Nikkors. The 50/1.4, 105, 16-35 & the 70-200 requires no MA. The Tamron 24-70 though is a mystery. Can't figure out despite several hours with. It seems back focusing sometime but then when I dial in a MA number it gets bad only to be perfect at 0. Several shots later, I feels it back-focuses again!

All this using DotTune method. I have the Focal but it was registered for my Canon bodies. Yet to change



Aug 30, 2014 at 12:05 AM
CanadaMark
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


AtomicPunk wrote:
That's what is nice about the USB Dock from sigma. You can fine tune AF from multiple focus distances.


Yeah the Sigma dock is great. The only thing I don't like about it is it still requires repeated, time consuming, guess and check. I hate that kind of stuff. At least they offer a solution though. Hopefully the next version of the dock can auto tune the lens.



Aug 30, 2014 at 01:36 PM
BenV
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


I really wish sigma could have figured out a way to add a usb port to the lens itself, that way you could just fine tune while testing. I'm sure they thought about it, but wasn't feasible.


Aug 30, 2014 at 02:54 PM
coresare
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


My AF fine tuning values with the D810

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 A .. +15
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G ...... +3
Nikon 85mm f/1.4G .... +3

Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 ..... +10
Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 ..... +0
Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 ...... -4



Aug 30, 2014 at 07:21 PM
Birdbrooks
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


Sigma 35 f/1.4 Art at +8 except furthest point +6. It hummed tack sharp at zero on my D800, so this was interesting to see. Maybe any upcoming Sigma dock firmware updates will adjust for the D810.

My other Sigma Art lens , the 24-105 f/4, is sharp at zero settings. (This is a hell of a good, sharp, totally underrated lens with super fast and quiet O/S.)

My Nikon 80-400G is spot on without adjustment-- sharper than on the D800, where I was getting great shots at -35 yards or so; now on the D810 further distance shots are much sharper.



Aug 30, 2014 at 07:54 PM
Waki
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


I own Michael Tape's LensAlign software, I own Focal (some of the worst software I have seen developed and I had over 30+ years in the software industry) and I have tried DotTune.

AF is a wonderful thing but its a mechanical thing and no matter what its not 100% repeatable. I have software reports from the products above and experience that back this up. No matter how much I tuned, I still found times that I questioned the settings I was supposed to follow. AF is like a grenade or nuclear bomb, close but not precise.

I decided last year to AF fine tune at distances I work at and shoot at. IF NEEDED. So I test my lenses using a mannequin dummy's head (eyes, nose and mouth) in the studio and a brick wall at 90, 45 and 15 degrees. Thats it. I adjust based on what I'm focusing on and where I want the front and back focus to be. Simple and it works for me better than anything I have bought or tried. I've found my lenses do not need all that much help with AF if any. I tested my D4s and D810 last week with 6 lenses and a few of them really "popped" with slight adjustment. Otherwise they were fine. Yes, I tested a Sigma 35 1.4 Art which I pretty much zero'ed out with my D800 and the dock. It was one that was fine really but on a hunch I went ahead and worked up to +7 and man, the images really popped there so I left it. On the other camera, it was fine with no adjustment. I try all the lenses with values up and down the scale but most time find little need to adjust now.

I'd suggest you shoot, observe and not get too caught up in AF fine tune. Use it like anything else, when you need it and don't just adjust for the sake of adjusting or because you can.



Aug 30, 2014 at 08:22 PM
coresare
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


Waki, my latest chart I'm using is as follows. I was shooting rulers and other things before. Large ones..small ones.. but I prefer this way as the camera is unable to focus onto the faint horizontal lines and affect focus point. It's just printed pieces of paper with lines...Different size focusing lines for different distances. Maybe one day I'll make a better one. I put it in live view mode and place the black line directly in the center of the focus point.




Aug 31, 2014 at 10:41 AM
fetopher
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


Very interesting results, all. I'm anxiously awaiting Focal's software update to fully test things. In the meantime, perhaps I'll look into something like coresare's method.


Sep 04, 2014 at 10:02 PM
fetopher
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


For those who are interested, the updated Focal is out with D810 support:
http://www.reikan.co.uk/focalweb/index.php/2014/09/focal-1-9-8-released-nikon-d810-support/

I ran through a couple lenses and my results are mostly similar to what I was getting with the Dot Tune method.

-17 with 50mm f/1.8D

-6 with 135mm F2 DC

Anyone else have numbers to share?



Sep 20, 2014 at 08:49 PM
slrl0ver
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


fetopher:

Thanks for sharing.

I've used FoCal a lot and I think it actually tends to not pick the best AFMA. If you ask me, the AFMA where the focusing is most consistent is probably better than the one where you might get a sharp peak and then some variance.

Looking at your 50 f/1.8 that to my eye (based off the graph) I think the best is -15 actually, it looks the focus results are clustered right on top of each other.

- slrl0ver



Sep 20, 2014 at 09:16 PM
slrl0ver
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · D810 and Auto Focus Fine Tune


fetopher,

Did you rotate the camera to align the AF-point to the center or actually "translate" (shift) the camera+tripod? If you rotated the camera/lens it's possible the image is actually a bit warped (i.e. not parallel to the camera/AF sensor).

I am curious for those with zooms on D810 if you get different AFMA values between wide and tele range. Sadly, Nikon doesn't let you apply two correction values like Canon.

- slrl0ver




Sep 22, 2014 at 11:11 PM





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