So I just got my MKIII bodies...a 1D and a 1Ds. I thought it would be cool to put my lens profiles into each camera. I will say that I haven't noticed any significant issues with the lenses I use...they are all seem to be sharp copies.
I used a target I found online. Stuck the target at 45-degrees, MLU, yada, yada, yada. I did a sample at +5, 0, and -5 with each lens wide open. I ran my primes first...35mm, 85mm, 100mm, and 135mm. Not a single one needed an adjustment on either body. My target definitely showed the focus shift of each setting, so I know my methods were OK. So with 4 lenses and two bodies...8 different adjustment possibilities...nothing needed any kind of adjustment? I see thread after thread what a godsend microadjust is and users making 15+ level adjustments. Is it reasonable to have 4 "perfect" lenses or am I just expecting too much from this function. I do cycle through enough gear that what I'm currently using is gernerally top-notch in terms of IQ, but I was a little disappointed (in a way) that the feature wasn't going to help me make better photographs.
I just got a 7D and it's made a HUGE difference to my 50f1.4 (dialed in +9) which I was never happy with on other bodies. The only other one that needed anything was the 85f1.8 (+2) and the rest are zero as well.
Sounds a little strange to me, at least based on my experience.
This is what I have found on my 7D:
- 70-200 f/2.8 IS = Minus 3
- 60mm = Plus 2
- 135mm = Minus 4
- 200 mm f/2.8 = Zero
- 300 mm f/4 IS = Plus 2
- 300 mm w/ 1.4 = Plus 4
- 24-105 = Plus 9. It is VERY soft at zero. It was sharp at zero prior to its recent (successful) adjustment at Canon for lens creep. So it will be going back to Canon for a focus adjustment.
Many reports note not to focus on a 45 degree target, as the autofocus mechanism may have a problem with that.
It took me quite a while to get a procedure that worked for me (I use LensAlign and like it). I took three images at each setting. If they were not consistent I knew I had a problem with my procedure.
- Widest aperture, on zooms longest focal length. Just what I decided to do. Others may have different ideas.
- As you know, you must move the focus ring between each shot so that the autofocus mechanism moves. I moved the focus ring to infinity each time. This is MOST important.
- I used both a 25x and 50x focal length distances from the sensor to the target - noticed no difference between these two distances.
- ISO 100.
- I also put the eyepiece cover on - not sure if that made a difference or not.
I did come across that link, but honestly did not understand how it worked the first read and didn't make another pass at it. Within the article, the author mentions the standard testing procedure is thorough, just more time consuming. So I followed those basic procedures, but with a 45-degree test target so that I could see where the lens was front/back focusing.
JimboCin wrote:
Sounds a little strange to me, at least based on my experience.
This is what I have found on my 7D:
- 70-200 f/2.8 IS = Minus 3
- 60mm = Plus 2
- 135mm = Minus 4
- 200 mm f/2.8 = Zero
- 300 mm f/4 IS = Plus 2
- 300 mm w/ 1.4 = Plus 4
- 24-105 = Plus 9. It is VERY soft at zero. It was sharp at zero prior to its recent (successful) adjustment at Canon for lens creep. So it will be going back to Canon for a focus adjustment.
Many reports note not to focus on a 45 degree target, as the autofocus mechanism may have a problem with that.
It took me quite a while to get a procedure that worked for me (I use LensAlign and like it). I took three images at each setting. If they were not consistent I knew I had a problem with my procedure.
- Widest aperture, on zooms longest focal length. Just what I decided to do. Others may have different ideas.
- As you know, you must move the focus ring between each shot so that the autofocus mechanism moves. I moved the focus ring to infinity each time. This is MOST important.
- I used both a 25x and 50x focal length distances from the sensor to the target - noticed no difference between these two distances.
- ISO 100.
- I also put the eyepiece cover on - not sure if that made a difference or not.
I used the 45-degree angle so I could see where the focus was falling in relation to my target. I don't think that angling the target would create any focus anomolies because the actual target peice I have is a straight horizontal line. The additional target/distance information is on the side of the page. So regardless of the vertical angle, the AF sensor on the camera is just seeing a black line on a white background.
I'm pretty sure my methods are OK because I did indeed see the are of focus shifting up and down the chart as I made my different adjustments.
I guess the main purpose of my post was to see of anyone else has had a batch of lenses that didn't need a single tick of adjustment. I'm really happy with my lenses as-is, I just found this to be a little odd. I wanted microsdjust to turn me into a Rock Star.
Hey, no worries! You're already a rock star. Must just be the luck of the draw, or you have good lens karma. I may have one lens/camera combination that doesn't need MA; no more than that.
I haven't done any rigorous testing of my lenses, but from what I've seen most of them are pretty spot on. I've noticed a mild bit of back-focus of my 85 1.8 on my 5D (which doesn't have microadjust), so I made a special point of checking it on my 5D2. Only needed +3 (or -3, don't remember the direction), so not too bad. Haven't needed adjustment on any other lens.
Would be cool to do a test though. Got a link for that target pattern?
John, I've used this chart with good results on bodies w/o micro-adjustment. I haven't worked with it on my MKIII or 5DII. I believe your test above looks very good. Can't say I would doubt your conclusion.
You are adjusting those lenses with the aperture wide open and at 50 to 100X focal length from the target? The 85mm sample look shows more depth of field than I would expect. Also, as others have said, the 45 degree target is not recommended by Canon.
I line up three boxes of pasta (cereal boxes will work too ) with the narrow side facing the camera (on tripod) and each about an inch back from the previous one
I focus on the middle box and take a series of shots ranging from +5 to -5.
I then stack and auto align in PS
I then review the images to find the best one.
If the best is near the outer limit (+5 for example) I'll do it again now centered around that value ( 0 to +10 for example) and repeat as needed.
I tried to test two of my L lens, 16-35 2.8 and 24-70 2.8. They are both number one lenses and I tried to do a micro adjustment on both of them on my 5D Marl II and my friends 5D Mark II. We were unable to get a micro adjustment at all either in the + or - area on both bodies. Has anyone had this same experience with their lenses? I guess the question is can you do a micro adjustment on these lenses? I thought I'd ask here first before sending an hour on the phone with Canon. Thanks,------Wigs
) with the narrow side facing the camera (on tripod) and each about an inch back from the previous one