Home Forums Gear Photography Do you do microfocus adjustment?

I read about folks talking about doing microfocus adjustment for their lenses. Canon has outlined a process to do this on their website. Do you do this routinely with your lenses or only if there seems to be AF issues?

Cookie's had no issues with her Canon lenses, so we've left them alone. Doing mostly critters, she relies heavily on the auto focus system.

I have not seemed to notice OOF shots (besides those attributed to user error!) but I seem to see this micro focus stuff discussed in some of the photography forums fairly frequently

While it's available on my Canon cameras, I have never used that feature. It take very careful calculations to figure if the focus is in front of the subject, or behind, so I don't mess around with it. But if you do want to adjust the camera's focus with a certain lens, it only affects the specific camera and lens. The change when using the same lens on another Canon camera does not take effect (just the camera that you adjusted, and only when you use that lens).

Before making such adjustments it is best to play around with the ISO, lens aperture, and shutter speed. The reason for this is as follows: if the subject is moving and the shutter speed is too low for conditions, the subject will be blurry or out of focus. In this case you can turn the ISO up, or open the lens further. Watch the shutter speed to see if it's fast enough.

Finally, that is one of the reasons why lenses for sports photography indoors should be fast (f/2.8, f/1.4, f/2, and so on). But that brings the lens price sky high with most lenses.

My understanding is those focus assessments are accomplished in controlled environments with well designed test patterns, lighting, and the most stable of platforms. It's not something one will mess with on the run. My readings also suggest it's best done in the live view shooting modes where one can zoom into tiny portions of the target as displayed on ones viewing screen.

The only time Cookie ever had image quality issues, they were related to filters she initially installed primarily for lens protection. With all the engineering that goes into todays quality lenses, slapping a piece of flat glass on the front is not a step up. Filters were round filed and lens shades/hoods are her method of protection now.

I have with my 200-500mm as the dof can be shallow. I have not with my wide angle lenses.

"My understanding is those focus assessments are accomplished in controlled environments with well designed test patterns, lighting, and the most stable of platforms. It's not something one will mess with on the run. My readings also suggest it's best done in the live view shooting modes where one can zoom into tiny portions of the target as displayed on ones viewing screen."

That ^^ is kind of how I read it as well. Since most of my photogaphy is sports and not shot stationary from a tripod, I don't think it will probably change anything for me

dot-tuning
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1187247

I suspect it's an issue worth exploring if one's doing high end studio work for the likes of a Rolex ad, large portraits for magazine covers, or reviews of high end equipment. With sports, wildlife, or landscape images, high depths of field are desirable, so there's probably some room for slop around ones central target. With Cookie and the relatively stable critters she chases, her focal point is typically the eye. When the highlights are sharp, she's a happy camper. If one can count whiskers or eyelashes and the critter was 50 yards away, I consider it nailed.

The capabilities of today's lenses are absolutely amazing, but one still faces the challenge of dealing with motion in your sports settings. If one is noticing a systematic pattern of focus either in front of or just behind his targets, then it's probably worth a look. Cookie will occasionally take a stab at birds in flight or some other similar action, and most of the blur is due to insufficient shutter speed and/or cameral motion as one attempts to track the subject. It would not surprise me among the pros to find some that use one super tuned camera/lens combination when Richard Petty is approaching and a second as he's departing. Don't want to put that much science though into something that's a hobby here.

Good luck out there and put up some pics,

Great shot ^^

Looks to be a perfect specimen. Great shot.

Well, can I show off too?

Mr. Bugs


Arctic ground squirrels

I don't attempt to fine focus, bad eye's and without the split image of my old Nikon FG, I'm against the wall. Got to wondering if my D-7000 had focus lock. Nope it doesn't. I really liked it. I could focus the subject and then move the camera to frame what I wanted. Wonder why they don't have it any more? maybe all those focus box's in the view finder are supposed to do it. But I can't figure out how to use different focus box's!

I should have said I focus on an eye too, if I can. Sharp eye makes everything look right!