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Archive 2015 · Df calibration?

  
 
Chris Dees
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Df calibration?


I got myself a nice, low mileage Df (8 months old and less than 8000 clicks).
After testing it every lens needed a AF adjustment between -15 and -20
24G, 58G, 85G and 300PF and I didn't tried my F4 zooms yet.
Should I send it in for AF calibration now it's still under warranty?



Jul 02, 2015 at 02:47 PM
chuhsi1
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Df calibration?


I wouldn't Unless there was something else to fix under warranty.


Jul 02, 2015 at 02:59 PM
workerdrone
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Df calibration?


Only if you want to be without your new toy for a while and spend some more money for no real benefit at all - as long as it's within +20 and -20 on all your glass then Nikon has given you the tools to correct yourself




Jul 02, 2015 at 03:07 PM
cadman342001
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Df calibration?


Hmmm, tricky one, let's assume that those same lenses are good and only need 0-5 on another body and then you get a "bad" one that is outside the range provided? what happens then?

I have just sent my D800 in for AF calibration and sensor clean. It is 3 years old and the AF was off. Test yours with a printed focus chart to see if it is the body, ie the AF or the lenses. I would suggest the body if all your lenses need a similar adjustment. Check using Live View as a base (uses contrast detection) defocus the lens and see if the AF module (phase detection) is as good without dialling in any AF fine tune values.

Ultimately, I presume that even though it is in warranty, as you didn't buy it new it won't be covered as the warranty is not transferrable.

Andy



Jul 02, 2015 at 08:36 PM
Chris Dees
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Df calibration?


cadman342001 wrote:
Hmmm, tricky one, let's assume that those same lenses are good and only need 0-5 on another body and then you get a "bad" one that is outside the range provided? what happens then?

I have just sent my D800 in for AF calibration and sensor clean. It is 3 years old and the AF was off. Test yours with a printed focus chart to see if it is the body, ie the AF or the lenses. I would suggest the body if all your lenses need a similar adjustment. Check using Live View as a base (uses contrast detection) defocus
...Show more

On my D810 those lenses need indeed much less adjustment (o to -5).
AFAIK overhere warranty is a bid different. I'm almost sure warranty is transferable, you only need the original receipt/invoice (and I have).
I'll check with the repair centre.



Jul 03, 2015 at 02:05 AM
cadman342001
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Df calibration?


Exactly. I've heard lots of people comment on lenses on the 810 being spot on or not needing much fine tune adjustment.

Good luck with the warranty, that is how it should be regardless of how many owners, if it is within the warranty period it's within the warranty period, and don't forget to take pics before you send it in if you have to post it just in case of "impact damage"

Andy



Jul 03, 2015 at 03:02 AM
Chris Dees
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Df calibration?


I called the service center and made an appointment to bring the camera together with one of the most affected lenses (in this case the 58G). It's only a 20min drive.
It will take them a few days.
Although I'm not the original owner, there are no problems with warranty (over here it's a product warranty).
I'll keep you posted.



Jul 06, 2015 at 07:23 AM
Gene_C
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Df calibration?


Chris Dees wrote:
I got myself a nice, low mileage Df (8 months old and less than 8000 clicks).
After testing it every lens needed a AF adjustment between -15 and -20
24G, 58G, 85G and 300PF and I didn't tried my F4 zooms yet.
Should I send it in for AF calibration now it's still under warranty?


You could set the default focus setting to -15, that will remove -15 from your all of your current settings allowing your current settings to be close to zero. Subtract the entered default from your current settings and you should be right on without need to re-calibrate. I have done this a couple times when adjustments are extreme.

Gene




Jul 06, 2015 at 07:56 PM
aut0maticdan
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Df calibration?


geniousc wrote:
You could set the default focus setting to -15, that will remove -15 from your all of your current settings allowing your current settings to be close to zero. Subtract the entered default from your current settings and you should be right on without need to re-calibrate. I have done this a couple times when adjustments are extreme.



I've heard that idea but it doesn't work that way. If his default is -15 and then he sets his 58 saved value to -3, it becomes -3, not -18. The default is only used when there is no value saved for a particular lens. It does not contribute to a net calibration.



Jul 07, 2015 at 09:40 AM
Gene_C
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Df calibration?


It's not an idea, it's a global adjustment that effects all lenses. Here is a post from someone else that used the adjustment to his advantage. I am doing the same thing on my D750, all of my lenses are meticulously adjusted spot on.

"I spent days trying to fine tune all my lenses (all about -20), with poor results, not good for all apertures.

Finally I tried the DEFAULT setting, removing all saved values for each lens, putting just -8 as default.

All lenses now give perfect focusing, at all apertures and focal length, tested with Lensalign!

Maybe this is not the solution for all cases, but I suggest to try! Wink "

Vincenzo

Note that after a default setting is made, each lens is still adjustable using the normal MF adjustments. It will now have the default adjustment added to it.



Jul 07, 2015 at 10:13 AM
aut0maticdan
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Df calibration?


It is an idea, though. Its certainly not what the manual says. Of course, I have tried it. That's how I've drawn this conclusion. You are the one anonymously quoting another forum member as if that makes it true.

I will quote what is in my d750 and d800 manual...

Default: Choose the AF tuning value used when no previously saved value exists for the current lens (CPU lenses only).

In fact, I just tested it again in case it came with some recent firmware update, and its still the same. Takes 3 minutes to test. Grab a target and a lens that has some fine tuning applied. Moderate fine tuning is better: inside of -10 - +10. Take three shots with default off. Take 3 shots with default +20. Take three shots with default -20. Compare. Very clear they average the same with only the normal PDAF variance from shot to shot. Not clear enough? Test again in reverse. Set default to your saved value. Take three shots with the lens's saved value set to 0; three set to +20; three set to -20; three set to the same as the default. These will be all over the place with the 0 and matching looking the same as each other and your previous set of tests. Make sure you shoot wide open. Its so obvious.

The thing is fine-tuning of PDAF is not so straightforward. The person you quoted just stumbled into observing that phenomenon by chance, but their conclusion based on that observation is incorrect.



Jul 07, 2015 at 10:43 AM
Gene_C
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Df calibration?


Well, you clearly present evidence , I just did a cursory search to find out more about the adjustment, the post is what I found . I currently have set a minus or plus default setting, I forget which in my D750 in order to correct the same condition. All I can say is it works as I described it for me. I use both Focal and Lens Align II. The default settings added clearly showed the effect when calibrating, maybe I will do some more testing just to verify what I am seeing.


Jul 07, 2015 at 10:59 AM
aut0maticdan
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Df calibration?


Are your values pretty low?

Going on gut, I feel like the d750 makes smaller adjustments with fine tuning or at least is less noticeable than changes on my d800 due to resolution differences. For example, I found the DotTune method pretty much useless on the d750 (or at least more trouble than its worth) because I'd get the green dot through almost the full calibration range.

I bring this up because due to variance, on average, there may not be much difference between -5 and -8, for example, on the d750. I've had some difficulty getting the 58 just right on the d750. I ended up around +3 to +5 using the crosshatch pattern and comparing to live view, but was regularly missing in practice. I am around +8 to +10 with the moire fringe method and that's a bit better. That being said, its all kind of arbitrary and it really takes some time shooting to get things consistently great. Calibrating in my AC'd apartment and then going outside to shoot on a hot/humid evening... blah. I've cranked it up to +18 when I had trouble hitting on eyes in some conditions. Hopefully Nikon can make this a thing of the past by mixing in some last millisecond CDAF tuning with each shot down the road. Or maybe I need to stop down a little bit



Jul 07, 2015 at 11:27 AM
Gene_C
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Df calibration?


I have a couple lenses that are up around 20, hence my reason for trying default which seems to work well for me regardless although I intend to confirm what I am seeing one of these days. I test my lenses at the recommended distance for Lens Align II. If I focus on something 20 feet away I can change MFA whatever way I want and don't see much difference as far as focus goes. I can see why adjusting a 58 would give one fits if you are serious . One more thing, have you noticed when applying the default focus setting, that when you change lenses that the setting remains? It is global. TBH, Nikon's explanation for that setting doesn't even make sense.


Jul 07, 2015 at 02:21 PM
aut0maticdan
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Df calibration?


In practice, I don't use a default setting, since I take the time to calibrate each lens and I'm under the impression that it makes no impact if you have a custom value for a give lens.

BUT! I may try using it to see if it has any impact on the dot for my 50/1.2 AIS.



Jul 07, 2015 at 02:55 PM
Gene_C
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Df calibration?


When I use default, I only use it to move all lenses away from the +/- 20 limit. If you have a lens that is way off, it may not work for you.
Once I have all of my lenses more or less in the center of the range I leave the default setting as it is and proceed to calibrate each lens on top of the default setting. It works for me .



Jul 07, 2015 at 03:46 PM
Chris Dees
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Df calibration?


Already got my Df back (kudos to NSP/NPS, brought it yesterday).

The repair note says:
Mirrors and AF adjusted
24G and 58G checked and OK (as expected).

Everything seems fine (zero fine-tune) and I will do real testing/adjustment this weekend.



Jul 08, 2015 at 03:34 AM





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