D5100 "soft" focus real issue or propaganda

S

shaahir

Senior Member
Hello people,

am new to this forum and kind of new to the DSLR business..
i recently bought a Nikon D5100, really proud of the quality..
when i was surfing the net, i found some bloke saying that this particular model has some focussing issues.
am using the 18-55 kit lens and am planning to buy a 35 mm 1.8.

before investing on this lens, i would like to know if there really is any focus related issues..

the link below related the focussing issues

Fixing Nikon D5100 Auto Focus Defect - YouTube


i use the af-s center spot for stills.

thanks..
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I shoot the D5100 and have never had any problems with the auto focus. In fact it has been one of the sharpest cameras I have seen. Many people here shoot the D5100 and I have never said they have had a problem with it.
 
S

shaahir

Senior Member
thanks for the really fast reply.. i was kind of frustrated when i saw this video.
i really love the high iso to noise ratio of this camera.
i can now buy the 35mm f1.8 for portraits.

thanks
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Welcome to the forum

If you fill out your profile we can better answer any questions that you might have.
You can do that at http://nikonites.com/profile.php?do=editprofile

Some useful links
Nikon Product Manuals available for download
Nikon | Imaging Products | Digitutor


Thanks

There is a section for the best D5100 pictures here in the D5100 section of the forum. You should look at those. Some really great photos. Also there are my photos located here. http://nikonites.com/project-365-daily-photos/11298-dons-daily-dabblings.html#axzz2TlWTzHCo
 
S

shaahir

Senior Member
Thanks for the help, actually am from Mauritius, was searching the web for the particular ''issue'' and i found this forum. i'll will definitely fill my profile information tomorrow. i found this forum very helpful and interesting for newbie dslr users like myself.

regards :)
 
W

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Remember that there are plenty of people using video to spout off on the internet. Some know what they're talking about, but a lot of them don't.

This forum, by its established contributors is 1000% more reliable than any one video posted on the internet. If there is really a problem, sooner or later, likely sooner, you'll hear about it here.
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
WE have people from all over the world that are active in this forum. It is great to see photos from all over the world and from different eyes.

Post often.

Guidelines to adding a photo to your post.

1. Resize photo to 1000px on the long side.
2. Resolution set to 72px

These guidelines will be good for viewing on a computer but will not be good for printing. This will help safeguard your copyright.







​
 
R

Rexer John

Senior Member
I went into my D5100 body and made a slight adjustment to the auto focussing because I wasn't totally happy with it.
There are two hex screws inside the body with access through the lens opening.
Don't mess about with it unless you are 100% confident in calibrating it.

Take several photos using live view and then the same picture with normal autofocus.
Try at different distances between camera and and subject, and at different focal lengths.
If you are happy with both images you don't have a focussing problem.

My camera is definitely better after calibrating it but different lenses have less or more front or rear focus bias.
The D5100 doesn't let you adjust for different lenses but I believe some higher end cameras have a digital setting to allow for these differences between lenses.
 
S

shaahir

Senior Member
@Mr Rexer John:
i watch a video on youtube "picturing" the same issue that you are relating..
am posting a picture below.. i focussed on the eye, and witness no issue with it.
care to explain the real issue.
a simple tutorial that will put forward the issue that you discussed will be helpful;
thanks..
f8 - 1/320 - iso1600
Capture.JPG
 
Last edited:
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I'll just point out my experience with my D5100, which I had until just recently. There was no issue with the auto-focus, but the camera's internal "Sharpness" setting was set quite low at the factory.

Bumping the Sharpness setting to +7 in the setup menu increased the image quality sharpness of my 5100 significantly. And I *do* mean significantly.

Two different things there I know, I just wonder if there might have been some confusion... *shrug* Just thought I'd point it out.
 
S

shaahir

Senior Member
Horoscope Fish said:
I'll just point out my experience with my D5100, which I had until just recently. There was no issue with the auto-focus, but the camera's internal "Sharpness" setting was set quite low at the factory.

Bumping the Sharpness setting to +7 in the setup menu increased the image quality sharpness of my 5100 significantly. And I *do* mean significantly.

Two different things there I know, I just wonder if there might have been some confusion... *shrug* Just thought I'd point it out.
Click to expand...


thanks mate.. guess sharpening goes with Jpeg.. raw is not affected by in-camera sharpening. i think they set it up so that, to my speculation, the shots look more... natural.. also, am really going to invest in a decent tripod.
as for the sharpening issues, i set mine to 6 units in natural. boost the saturation by 1 unit too.

thanks for all this help though. Got me to a higher emotional level with my D5100..XD
 
R

Rexer John

Senior Member
shaahir said:
@Mr Rexer John:
i watch a video on youtube "picturing" the same issue that you are relating..
am posting a picture below.. i focussed on the eye, and witness no issue with it.
care to explain the real issue.
Click to expand...

Before I adjusted the camera, when focussing on any object, the focus point was perfectly in focus.
So why make any adjustment I hear you shout.

Well... The focus point was in focus, but the depth of field was 2 thirds in front of the focus point and 1 third behind.
I believe this is called front focussing or front focus bias.
Have a look at this link
My camera would focus great in live view but on normal auto focus, it would focus on 2 & 1 in front of the and 1 behind.
I guess I was a bit picky because all lenses have their own bias but my lenses were varied between correct and a front bias. Now they are much more centred.
 
L

Lappers

New member
On my second D5100 & both suffer from poor focus problems. Usually the subject matter is out of focus but the background will be in focus even if the subject fills a good part of the frame. Nikon try to hide behind the use of a Tamron lens, that is until I sent shots taken with Nikkor 18-105 & 18-200 lenses.
 
D

Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Lappers said:
On my second D5100 & both suffer from poor focus problems. Usually the subject matter is out of focus but the background will be in focus even if the subject fills a good part of the frame. Nikon try to hide behind the use of a Tamron lens, that is until I sent shots taken with Nikkor 18-105 & 18-200 lenses.
Click to expand...

If you had two that did the same thing I would be looking at how and what you are shooting. What are your settings and what type of shots are you trying to do. Post an example of the problem here.
 
Top