So much for my D600 being the dustier camera in the family

I FINALLY got around to setting up and playing around with the Reikan FoCal program. I tested my 50mm on my D600 and D7100 and came away with some interesting results for aperture sharpness, fine tuning, etc. But since I own a D600 the Dust Analysis in FoCal was another reason I bought the program.

I bought the D7100 as a backup when I sent my D600 in for shutter replacement back in July. I haven't cleaned or blown the sensor on either since then. Probably the same number of shots between the two. I thought it was funny that my D7100 had more dust than my D600. Maybe the D7100s have a dust issue as well. Either way I'm not really bothered by the results just thought I'd share. It's unfortunate about all the D600 owners, but throughout this whole situation I've never been affected by the dust in my work. Just affected by knowing it was there.

D600 @ f16 with my 50mm counted 7 spots



D7100 @ f16 with 50mm counted 12 spots

Was there any oil on either Nikon? I hope they give you a ton of enjoyment without any serious issues!
Cool test, thanks for sharing the results with us! I'm always interested in hearing how well different Nikon models are holding up!

I think the general thoughts are clean and care for your sensor, it gets messy up to about the first 10K shots and then pretty simple to keep it clean after that. Always remember your sensor loupe and swabs are your friends.

PapaST said:

I FINALLY got around to setting up and playing around with the Reikan FoCal program. I tested my 50mm on my D600 and D7100 and came away with some interesting results for aperture sharpness, fine tuning, etc. But since I own a D600 the Dust Analysis in FoCal was another reason I bought the program.

I bought the D7100 as a backup when I sent my D600 in for shutter replacement back in July. I haven't cleaned or blown the sensor on either since then. Probably the same number of shots between the two. I thought it was funny that my D7100 had more dust than my D600. Maybe the D7100s have a dust issue as well. Either way I'm not really bothered by the results just thought I'd share. It's unfortunate about all the D600 owners, but throughout this whole situation I've never been affected by the dust in my work. Just affected by knowing it was there.

D600 @ f16 with my 50mm counted 7 spots

D7100 @ f16 with 50mm counted 12 spots

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I was looking at getting this program and was wondering what version of the program did you buy?

Recommendations?

I bought 1.9.0... since then it's updated to 1.9.1. Updates within the same revision are free so I just updated to 1.9.1. I have the Pro version.

So what is your thoughts on the software so far. I looked into it but haven't purchased yet.

PapaST said:

I bought 1.9.0... since then it's updated to 1.9.1. Updates within the same revision are free so I just updated to 1.9.1. I have the Pro version.

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Krs_2007 said:

So what is your thoughts on the software so far. I looked into it but haven't purchased yet.

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@PapaST

My question is similar to Krs_2007's.

It seems the program can do a lot automated things but I think the d7100 can use only one setting per lens.

Were you able to fully utilize the program or not som much?

Krs_2007 said:

So what is your thoughts on the software so far. I looked into it but haven't purchased yet.

Click to expand...

I like it but I don't think it's for everyone. The learning curve for the initial setup is a little tough but once you get going it's not so bad. If you follow the detailed documentation then learning the new concepts on how it operates isn't too difficult. For Nikon users the process is not FULLY automated (like it is for Canon) but the amount of input it needs from you is minimal. I guess the real question is just how much does the fine tuning help your photography, if at all? If you think it would help and don't mind the setup and work then this program is for you.

Besides the fine tuning and dust analysis I think it's helpful to have information about the aperture sharpness for each lens you own. For instance, on my D600 my 50mm 1.4D lens is weakest at 1.4, much improved at 1.8 but sharpest at 2.2, then back downhill to 3.2 where it's almost as bad as 1.4 then back up but never as sharp as 2.2. On my D7100 that same lens has different characteristics. Not hitting its sharpest till 7.1 and 2.8 is probably my sweet spot for the lens on my D7100.

It has other tests that I haven't even explored. If you like tinkering with your gear then this one is a no brainer.

whistlingpete said:

@PapaST

My question is similar to Krs_2007's.

It seems the program can do a lot automated things but I think the d7100 can use only one setting per lens.

Were you able to fully utilize the program or not som much?

Click to expand...

Do you mean one fine tune adjustment per lens? If so, yes, I believe most cameras are like that. My D600 will only save one fine tune adjustment per lens so if I'm testing my 150-500mm lens then I'd probably test it at 500mm since that's probably the focal length I use most.

Utilizing the full program wasn't a problem. Once you catch onto the concepts it's fairly easy to get going. Working distance can be an issue since the distance for your target varies by the lens you're trying to test.

Great thanks. Are you finding that you have to fine all of your lenses?

Krs_2007 said:

Great thanks. Are you finding that you have to fine all of your lenses?

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I've done 2 lenses so far and I've fine tuned both. I certainly don't think it hurts to fine tune your lens but I wonder JUST how much it improves IQ. I'm sure it helps, but to what degree I'm not sure. Either way, I bought it so I'm going to use it. But I don't think people should be worried that they're using glass that just isn't tuned properly.

Here's a snip of my 50mm 1.4D lens results. To give you some scale, the little circle is about 2cm wide. The "target" I was shooting was over 14 feet away. The top was the lens from factory and the bottom is the lens fined tuned to -12. I can see a difference but how much of a difference does it make??? I don't know.

Great thanks for the info, I can see a difference