D7100 and Tam 150-600 problem

J

J-see

Senior Member
mikew said:
With the amount of research i have done there is a problem that Tamron are aware off but cant or are reluctant to fix,one guy sent his back twice with no fix and then the third time it was with Tamron for a few weeks,he contacted them and was told they where waiting for a new circuit board from Japan,this board never turned up so he took his lens back unfixed.
If the Sigma 50-500 was a little sharper at 500mm its the lens i would have,it handles better for me and to have 50-500mm in one lens is great.
Click to expand...

I also read posts about people sending it in for repair, getting strange answers but never anything fixed.

I don't get enough freezes for it to bother me that much although one freeze at the "right" moment can get me all worked up for a while. A bit like when noticing my eye-piece dropped, for the zillionth time.
 
M

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
If i had to consider any external fault it would be ambient temperature in my case,like you just lately i have not had it very often,we do though have members from warmer climates with the problem to some degree,maybe the wrong grade of lubrication in it.:D
 
L

Love Nikon

Banned
I have had similar refusal to focus problems with a 18-140 and 7100.
When I buy a lens I set the back focus and test it ...
BUT have found that with a new lens it runs in and the back focus moves ..now I know/think this should not affect the focus modules ability to lock but both the 18-140s I own changed from +12 to -5 and an 28-300 changed from +5 to 0.
The 18-140 now both work perfect .I have a card with letters and lines at 35% grey to test for the problem
..worth checking your BF after a few hundred shots...
 
J

J-see

Senior Member
It might be worth checking into.

What I changed on the D810 is disabling the AF fine-tuning for the Tam. The times it froze was during my testing of the AF when it was set to +5 or something.
 
L

Love Nikon

Banned
I would have said its more than worth checking into ..having the back focus right is critical ...why would you want the real focus point to be say 4 inches in front of what you are shooting???
With long lenses I put a lump of high grain wood on my block paved drive at a normal shooting distance in your case use 600mm at max aperture and focus on the wood ...then check if the wood or the blocks are in focus..or you can put a 2ft rule alongside and read the markings on your computer at 50 or 100%....you must have this cock on.
 
J

J-see

Senior Member
My focus is right on the D810. I had it set to +5 when I started shooting it because both Tamrons on my D750 required adjustments. But it turned out I didn't need any adjustment on the D810, for none of both.

It's possible fine-tuning or "wrong" tuning might affect the freeze. Or maybe make it occur more often.

Besides good weather it's the only variable that changed for me.
 
M

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
When i first got the lens before its first visit to Tamron it didnt need any adjustment in the D7100,after the focus adjustment in the lens by Tamron it now needs +9,see what it needs when i get it back this time.
 
S

sharp shooter

Senior Member
A few things I have found using the Tammy & 7100 -
I have found 'user error' to be the culprit.
Here is my check list :-
1 - Use Back Button Focus (it separates the focusing from the shutter)
2 - Turn off IS - sometimes at the long end, the image and IS is dancing around and the focus does not land accurately.
3 - Make sure the distance limiter is OFF
4 - Try to hold the camera/lens very steady (rest left hand against a post or tree)
5 - Make sure AF is turned ON
6 - Make sure there is enough light.
7 - Autofocus on a big 600mm lens is whole different animal to little 200mm lenses
 
M

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
sharp shooter said:
A few things I have found using the Tammy & 7100 -
I have found 'user error' to be the culprit.
Here is my check list :-
1 - Use Back Button Focus (it separates the focusing from the shutter)
2 - Turn off IS - sometimes at the long end, the image and IS is dancing around and the focus does not land accurately.
3 - Make sure the distance limiter is OFF
4 - Try to hold the camera/lens very steady (rest left hand against a post or tree)
5 - Make sure AF is turned ON
6 - Make sure there is enough light.
7 - Autofocus on a big 600mm lens is whole different animal to little 200mm lenses
Click to expand...

All good things to check and consider but i have had it happen at 150mm in good light so it sort of discounts most things but a lens problem,it now never comes up with canon so it looks like a Nikon/Tamron problem.
 
J

J-see

Senior Member
It's a lens problem indeed. I have it with both cams but at the moment it still is doing well which is strange at the least.
 
M

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Latest update,the paper work with my lens says no fault found :D but as a precaution they have replaced the USD assembly which i take to be the motor unit,i feel this is a good response as if the lens will not focus the drive unit should come under suspicion.
 
N

NIKONIAN_DREAMWEAVER

Senior Member
The "USD" is Tamron's 'Ultrasonic Silent Drive" (auto-focus) mechanism. So, it sounds like the problem is solved and it was probably caused by the USD, if that's all they did...

Glad you got it fixed! :)
 
M

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Thought i had put this thread to bed but it seems not, been out this morning and got focus freeze,only once but thats how it started in the first place,ime stuck at the moment as my dealer is on holiday and i dont want his staff to have to sort it,so i have at least a week to decide on a replacement as ime pretty sure i have come to the end of the road with this lens.
No matter how much i like it and how good it is its only good when its working.
 
J

J-see

Senior Member
I can't say I have had many freezes on the D810 and D7200 and I'm almost convinced it has something to do with the light, or lack of it. Don't ask me how that's possible but she freezes a lot more during low light.
 
M

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
J-see said:
I can't say I have had many freezes on the D810 and D7200 and I'm almost convinced it has something to do with the light, or lack of it. Don't ask me how that's possible but she freezes a lot more during low light.
Click to expand...

Even if that was the case low light should cause the focus to hunt not freeze,bright sun this morning for its first freeze.
 
Top