view finder focus less accurate than live view.

I have a d5100 with a sigma 50mm f1.4. First off, no front or rear focus problems with the lens. Shoots great outside very aharp at 1.4. I have been having problems hand held in lower light. After experimenting I have noticed at the same shutterspeads and ISO I get a much better picture (in low light) when using the live view to focus. I use the single servo and single point focus. All in aperture priority @1.4 any ideas why?

Thanks

Welcome...Read your manual it might be in it...

Did you try this --> Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment

KWJams said:

Did you try this --> Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment

Click to expand...

Thanks for that link Ken. I just adjusted mine, will see how it goes.

The diopter adjust ment would not matter in auto focus. Correct? The diopter in just a mechanical adjustment to correct what your eye sees relative to the sensor.

I did of couse consult the manual and my Busch's Guide book as well as a prety thorough internet search befor posting. I am baffled.

All test shots are in auto focus. The only thing I change is switching between live view and the view finder to find my single focal point.
the live view is consistently better.

That is correct, it only adjusts what you see through the view finder. It is difficult to come to any other conclusion with the situation other than what you see through the view finder may not be as clearly focused as you think it is. Never heard of a focus difference between the two. Could your shutter action be affecting the final image? Could it be that when looking through the view finder and you trigger the shutter in a way to flinch or something like that??????
As a former Marine rifle and pistol instructor getting a spot on sight picture doesn't matter much if the trigger gets jerked or the shoulder muscles braces for recoil at the last millisecond.
Try using the timer release while looking through the view finder and see if there is any difference.

Thanks for your thoughts Ken and my respect to the you for serving in the Marines! Were you at Ft. Benning Ga?

I have had the same thoughts you had. I did try shooting from a tripid with remote and it makes it better. But not equal. I need an expert opinion here for sure. When I set the ISO high enough fot a 1/200th of a sec exposure shouldn't that take most of the hand held problems away? But the problem is so consistant. Could I be blocking a sensor the camera uses to focus or is must of that don ttl? I know there is an illumination light for the focus on the right but am i missing somthing else?

HOORAA!

Thanks, Camp Pendleton

Can you post some images with exif information.

Do you have any filters on the glass?

Does it happen with different lenses?

Having never heard of a problem like this we can only try to narrow it down.

markw35151 said:

I have a d5100 with a sigma 50mm f1.4. First off, no front or rear focus problems with the lens. Shoots great outside very aharp at 1.4. I have been having problems hand held in lower light. After experimenting I have noticed at the same shutterspeads and ISO I get a much better picture (in low light) when using the live view to focus. I use the single servo and single point focus. All in aperture priority @1.4 any ideas why?

Thanks

Click to expand...

You talk about single point focus and using live view to set it. When using the view finder you can move the single point focus point the same as you would in live view. If you look in the view finder you will see a grid of black dots One will be red which is the focus point. You can adjust it's position to be over the the part of the photo you want in sharp focus. Does this help?