AF Fine Tune = A Band-Aid?
- Thread starter Jessabelle
- Start date
ccoulson
Senior Member
So, I just posted this but it disappeared
I was sitting here reading david busches D7000 manual (not the field guide), and I am almost postiive I have my camera working better than it ever has. It took me about 3 times reading through the auto focus chapter before i understood it and worked out the options that were right for my camera and I am so Excited, Ive been sitting here taking pictures of my socks because there is nothing else to take photos of at 11pm. And they are so sharp and clear and colorful, Im so excited.
I do need to mention that my 35mm is at -14 fine tuning...... this camera just does not like this lens.. My 50mm is spot on with no adjustments now that the camera is back from nikon......
Jessie, Please please please send your camera off to Nikon... The feeling that I had made this huge purchase on soimething that was giving me inconsistent mediocre results while everyone else was getting great results blows... I put off sending it off for about 2 months and I wish I had done it sooner.
This camera is capable of amazing things, and there is a huge learning curve for this sensitive auto focus system.
Please let me know how it comes out!
I was sitting here reading david busches D7000 manual (not the field guide), and I am almost postiive I have my camera working better than it ever has. It took me about 3 times reading through the auto focus chapter before i understood it and worked out the options that were right for my camera and I am so Excited, Ive been sitting here taking pictures of my socks because there is nothing else to take photos of at 11pm. And they are so sharp and clear and colorful, Im so excited.
I do need to mention that my 35mm is at -14 fine tuning...... this camera just does not like this lens.. My 50mm is spot on with no adjustments now that the camera is back from nikon......
Jessie, Please please please send your camera off to Nikon... The feeling that I had made this huge purchase on soimething that was giving me inconsistent mediocre results while everyone else was getting great results blows... I put off sending it off for about 2 months and I wish I had done it sooner.
This camera is capable of amazing things, and there is a huge learning curve for this sensitive auto focus system.
Please let me know how it comes out!
Jessabelle
New member
I sent them the pictures the other night, and am just waiting to hear back! If I don't hear back from them by later today, I'll just call and make arrangements to send it in anyway.
I'm so glad that yours is working for you now! I've read a lot about the 35mm needing fine tuning, actually, but if there is an actual problem with the camera it needs to be resolved.
I'm just kicking myself for thinking it was me all along - I should have a little more faith in my focusing skills!
I'm so glad that yours is working for you now! I've read a lot about the 35mm needing fine tuning, actually, but if there is an actual problem with the camera it needs to be resolved.
I'm just kicking myself for thinking it was me all along - I should have a little more faith in my focusing skills!
Ok, so I just now had some time to take some test shots with my d7000 fresh from Nikon Repair. The results...well...very obvious:
This is a shot with the 35mm 1.8 wide open with no Fine Tune (100% crop)
Same shot with -20 Fine Tune
Hmmm..I'm off to take a few test shots with the 18-105...
This is a shot with the 35mm 1.8 wide open with no Fine Tune (100% crop)
Same shot with -20 Fine Tune
Hmmm..I'm off to take a few test shots with the 18-105...
Jessabelle
New member
Oh no!! That's not at all what you want to see after it comes back from repair! Did you notice an issue with your 18-105mm? I have heard that the 35mm 1.8 is finicky with this camera and requires fine tuning, but -20 is a LOT as far as I'm concerned.
ccoulson
Senior Member
Jessie,
make sure to send your 35mm in with your camera when it goes and let them use it and calibrate it!
Orlando. that stinks man. Mine needed adjustment probably -14 or -15... not 20 but it was still pretty severe.
Keep in mind though that my 50mm needed NO adjustment at all.... works flawlessly, Im just wondering if it isnt that dag gone lens..
I hope things go better with your 18-105, I never really noticed much of an issue with that one anyways.
make sure to send your 35mm in with your camera when it goes and let them use it and calibrate it!
Orlando. that stinks man. Mine needed adjustment probably -14 or -15... not 20 but it was still pretty severe.
Keep in mind though that my 50mm needed NO adjustment at all.... works flawlessly, Im just wondering if it isnt that dag gone lens..
I hope things go better with your 18-105, I never really noticed much of an issue with that one anyways.
Jessabelle
New member
Too late - I shipped the body off yesterday. I asked Nikon if I should send the lenses and they said no.
I guess I'll just cross my fingers that the fix they do to the camera helps. If not, I'll go from there.
This is too much unnecessary stress! I'm starting to wish I hadn't doubted my own abilities right off the bat, and just exchanged the camera body for a new one when I noticed the out of focus pictures.
I guess I'll just cross my fingers that the fix they do to the camera helps. If not, I'll go from there.
This is too much unnecessary stress! I'm starting to wish I hadn't doubted my own abilities right off the bat, and just exchanged the camera body for a new one when I noticed the out of focus pictures.
I took a couple of test shots with the 18-105mm and it seems to be pretty close to perfect.
If I zoom in at 100%, I see I can get away with about -5 adjustment, but cannot tell the difference otherwise. Now, I only took shots at 58mm and had to increase iso a bit to get a better exposure (this lens needs lots of light!!).
Not sure if I should get back with Nikon about the 35mm as I can get very sharp pictures with proper adjustment.
Also, at the distance I was shooting at (and at that aperture), the dof was less that an inch. I'd think that this would be a challenge for any camera.
If I zoom in at 100%, I see I can get away with about -5 adjustment, but cannot tell the difference otherwise. Now, I only took shots at 58mm and had to increase iso a bit to get a better exposure (this lens needs lots of light!!).Not sure if I should get back with Nikon about the 35mm as I can get very sharp pictures with proper adjustment.
Also, at the distance I was shooting at (and at that aperture), the dof was less that an inch. I'd think that this would be a challenge for any camera.
Jessabelle
New member
Could also be a problem with the lens - if my camera body comes back and I'm still having issues with the 35mm but not with the other two, I will take my 35mm to my local repair shop to have it tested and fixed. I sent the camera body straight to Nikon since it's under warranty, but I'll take my out-of-warranty lens right to the local guys since I'd have to pay for a fix anyway!
If, like Courtnie, I get the camera back and the 50mm 1.4 works spotlessly but the 35mm isn't great, then I'll have my answer!
I am going to be super antsy waiting on this!
If, like Courtnie, I get the camera back and the 50mm 1.4 works spotlessly but the 35mm isn't great, then I'll have my answer!
I am going to be super antsy waiting on this!
ccoulson
Senior Member
Jessie,
What shops repair a lens??? Maybe I can take mine in... though I am very happy with mine, since the camera holds the fine tune information for the lens, I dont have to think about it anymore since it is working great!
I hope everyone with this issue gets it straightened out. it really sucks to have this awesome camera and not be able to feel good about it
What shops repair a lens??? Maybe I can take mine in... though I am very happy with mine, since the camera holds the fine tune information for the lens, I dont have to think about it anymore since it is working great!
I hope everyone with this issue gets it straightened out. it really sucks to have this awesome camera and not be able to feel good about it
Jessabelle
New member
There's actually an authorized Nikon Repair Center in NYC, which is a half hour from my house. I've taken a broken lens to them before. Check on the Nikon website to see if there are any near you, and if not, just do a search for camera repair shops by you.
Jessabelle
New member
Just got my camera back from Nikon repair. They adjusted the mirror operation, mirror angle, autofocus operation, updated the firmware, and cleaned the sensor. I'll test it with my lenses tonight! Fingers crossed...
ccoulson
Senior Member
OH YAY!!!
Thats exciting!!! I got really frustrated when I started with my 35mm.. But I swear its the lens, (maybe yours will be perfect) But the rest of my lenses that were backfocusing were PERFECT!!
Make sure you turn off the Fine tuning... My 50mm was front focusing... and I freaked until I remembered that I had the fine tune set to like 15 or something LOL..
Happy for you, hope it is working great now!
happy valentines day!!!
courtnie
Thats exciting!!! I got really frustrated when I started with my 35mm.. But I swear its the lens, (maybe yours will be perfect) But the rest of my lenses that were backfocusing were PERFECT!!
Make sure you turn off the Fine tuning... My 50mm was front focusing... and I freaked until I remembered that I had the fine tune set to like 15 or something LOL..
Happy for you, hope it is working great now!
happy valentines day!!!
courtnie
Jessabelle
New member
I'm not happy - my "nail polish bottle" test showed a lot of improvement, but I'm still having focus issues when shooting real life subjects. When I focus on my husband's eyes, his ears are in focus in the photo. This still happens with a tripod and remote release, and with all my lenses. When I try AF tune, there's no noticeable improvement.
I'm stumped. I really have no idea what else to do other than take the whole shebang to the local repair store. When I called Nikon, I just got a customer service rep reading off of a prompter, so clearly they were no help.
I'm stumped. I really have no idea what else to do other than take the whole shebang to the local repair store. When I called Nikon, I just got a customer service rep reading off of a prompter, so clearly they were no help.
ccoulson
Senior Member
ugh,
It took me two weeks of getting the camera back and really learning how to use the AF system before It all finally clicked and I got the results I wanted. I have read with large aperatures that the best way to get the focus you want is to focus with single point and choosing what you are wanting to focus on.
Im sorry you arent happy, Let us know what they say at the repair shop.
It took me two weeks of getting the camera back and really learning how to use the AF system before It all finally clicked and I got the results I wanted. I have read with large aperatures that the best way to get the focus you want is to focus with single point and choosing what you are wanting to focus on.
Im sorry you arent happy, Let us know what they say at the repair shop.
Jessabelle
New member
My problem is that even with single point focusing square on an eye, I get the ears in focus. If I focus on the tip of the nose, I get the eyes in focus. This happens with all of my lenses, so I thought that it was the camera's problem, but now it's back and supposedly fixed, so I don't know what to think! I will say - it's BETTER than it was, so I am thinking that the residual problems could be due to the lenses, and may be fixed with fine tuning.
I am going to rent the lensalign system and try calibrating that way. Fingers crossed, again - I'm just so frustrated! I want to really love this camera but I'm starting to feel like I can't trust it.
I am going to rent the lensalign system and try calibrating that way. Fingers crossed, again - I'm just so frustrated! I want to really love this camera but I'm starting to feel like I can't trust it.
I'm sorry you're still having problems.
I was disappointed when I got mine back and took my first few shots without fine tuning. CS told me to just send it back (again) and this time send the lenses with it (after telling me not to the first time around)
They also told me that repairs have a warranty of six months, so at least I have some time to consider if I want to send it again
I have to say though, that I'm happy with the results after tuning the lenses.
I hope you get this resolved after fine tuning.
I was disappointed when I got mine back and took my first few shots without fine tuning. CS told me to just send it back (again) and this time send the lenses with it (after telling me not to the first time around)
They also told me that repairs have a warranty of six months, so at least I have some time to consider if I want to send it again
I have to say though, that I'm happy with the results after tuning the lenses.
I hope you get this resolved after fine tuning.