Lens focus adjustments

What does everyone one do for fine in-camera adjustments for
individual lenses? I see that Datacolor and LensAlign have kits, but
they are pricey for what you get. Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?
I know you can make these, but I'd rather just buy something. Or does
anyone have a really simple DIY method to make one?

Too many of my photos have serious focus issues, and I'm trying to
figure out the reason. It can't all be bad glass.

On Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:57:25 -0800, Bill W
wrote:

What does everyone one do for fine in-camera adjustments for
individual lenses? I see that Datacolor and LensAlign have kits, but
they are pricey for what you get. Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?
I know you can make these, but I'd rather just buy something. Or does
anyone have a really simple DIY method to make one?

Too many of my photos have serious focus issues, and I'm trying to
figure out the reason. It can't all be bad glass.

This might help you
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...tChardOnly.jpg
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

On 2015-01-08 01:57:25 +0000, Bill W said:

What does everyone one do for fine in-camera adjustments for
individual lenses? I see that Datacolor and LensAlign have kits, but
they are pricey for what you get. Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?
I know you can make these, but I'd rather just buy something. Or does
anyone have a really simple DIY method to make one?

Too many of my photos have serious focus issues, and I'm trying to
figure out the reason. It can't all be bad glass.

If you really don't wan't to buy a LensAlign, head for your local Home
Depot, Lowes, or OSH and buy a yard or meter stick. That should be the
basis for your tool. Using one of those you won't have to bother with
measuring a target track.Next make a set of three focus targets, one
for placement at the distance from the lens where the focus should be
good. Then you want one you can adjust away from the primary focus
target, and one you can adjust towards the camera. That should give
you a basic set up.
Also check:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/how-tos/troubleshooting-repair/digital-camera-how-to-perform-your-own-lens-calibration.html#b
or
http://tinyurl.com/k5l5p4m

and
http://petapixel.com/2013/03/12/ghettoca-a-diy-lens-calibration-tool-for-micro-adjustment-enabled-dslrs/
http://tinyurl.com/lqxs4lc

--


Regards,

Savageduck

Eric Stevens wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:57:25 -0800, Bill W
wrote:

What does everyone one do for fine in-camera adjustments for
individual lenses? I see that Datacolor and LensAlign have kits, but
they are pricey for what you get. Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?
I know you can make these, but I'd rather just buy something. Or does
anyone have a really simple DIY method to make one?

Too many of my photos have serious focus issues, and I'm trying to
figure out the reason. It can't all be bad glass.

This might help you
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...tChardOnly.jpg


Hi,

That is very helpful, so thanks.

Years ago, for some reason, the U.S. Government Printing Office issued
various photo focus targets, both high and low contrast, printed on fine
paper stock,at the very low price of $3.-. It is dated June 1973, and
the number is NBS SP-374. I remember how useful they were, including
equivalents for how many lines per millimeter were sharp = pairs seen as
pairs and not one line. The lines were printed with a raised technique,
like fine stationery, so that you could actually feel them.

Mort Linder

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Hi,

In the old days of no money, we used to tape a newspaper page to a flat
wall, then photograph it from a 45 degree angle, with the focus on an X
drawn onto the page. By looking at the negative or slide, you could
readily see if the focus was correct or off, and if off in which
direction and by how much. What is cheaper as a test than a newspaper
page?

Mort Linder

Savageduck wrote:
On 2015-01-08 01:57:25 +0000, Bill W said:

What does everyone one do for fine in-camera adjustments for
individual lenses? I see that Datacolor and LensAlign have kits, but
they are pricey for what you get. Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?
I know you can make these, but I'd rather just buy something. Or does
anyone have a really simple DIY method to make one?

Too many of my photos have serious focus issues, and I'm trying to
figure out the reason. It can't all be bad glass.

If you really don't wan't to buy a LensAlign, head for your local Home
Depot, Lowes, or OSH and buy a yard or meter stick. That should be the
basis for your tool. Using one of those you won't have to bother with
measuring a target track.Next make a set of three focus targets, one
for placement at the distance from the lens where the focus should be
good. Then you want one you can adjust away from the primary focus
target, and one you can adjust towards the camera. That should give you
a basic set up.
Also check:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/how-tos/troubleshooting-repair/digital-camera-how-to-perform-your-own-lens-calibration.html#b

or
http://tinyurl.com/k5l5p4m

and
http://petapixel.com/2013/03/12/ghettoca-a-diy-lens-calibration-tool-for-micro-adjustment-enabled-dslrs/

http://tinyurl.com/lqxs4lc



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"Bill W" wrote in message
news
What does everyone one do for fine in-camera adjustments for
individual lenses? I see that Datacolor and LensAlign have kits, but
they are pricey for what you get. Anyone know of cheaper alternatives?
I know you can make these, but I'd rather just buy something. Or does
anyone have a really simple DIY method to make one?

Too many of my photos have serious focus issues, and I'm trying to
figure out the reason. It can't all be bad glass.

With the use of a focus chart like Eric posted, I found the "Dot Tune"
method to work very well.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1187247

On Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:35:03 -0500, Mort wrote:

Hi,

Hi

In the old days of no money, we used to tape a newspaper page to a flat
wall, then photograph it from a 45 degree angle, with the focus on an X
drawn onto the page. By looking at the negative or slide, you could
readily see if the focus was correct or off, and if off in which
direction and by how much. What is cheaper as a test than a newspaper
page?

For focus accuracy, you should focus on a high contrast object that is
PARALLEL to the sensor. Those AF points are bigger than depicted. If
the target is at 45 deg, then the AF point may focus on the part of
the target that is closest to the camera, thus front-focusing a bit.

W

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http://www.avast.com

On 1/8/2015 12:23 PM, Wally wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:35:03 -0500, Mort wrote:

Hi,

Hi

In the old days of no money, we used to tape a newspaper page to a flat
wall, then photograph it from a 45 degree angle, with the focus on an X
drawn onto the page. By looking at the negative or slide, you could
readily see if the focus was correct or off, and if off in which
direction and by how much. What is cheaper as a test than a newspaper
page?

For focus accuracy, you should focus on a high contrast object that is
PARALLEL to the sensor. Those AF points are bigger than depicted. If
the target is at 45 deg, then the AF point may focus on the part of
the target that is closest to the camera, thus front-focusing a bit.

W

With the exception of certain types of pohotgraphy, such as forensic &
scientific, it is rare that the focus plane is exactly parallel to the
focal plane.



--
PeterN

On Thu, 08 Jan 2015 17:38:32 -0500, PeterN wrote:

On 1/8/2015 12:23 PM, Wally wrote:
On Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:35:03 -0500, Mort wrote:

Hi,

Hi

In the old days of no money, we used to tape a newspaper page to a flat
wall, then photograph it from a 45 degree angle, with the focus on an X
drawn onto the page. By looking at the negative or slide, you could
readily see if the focus was correct or off, and if off in which
direction and by how much. What is cheaper as a test than a newspaper
page?

For focus accuracy, you should focus on a high contrast object that is
PARALLEL to the sensor. Those AF points are bigger than depicted. If
the target is at 45 deg, then the AF point may focus on the part of
the target that is closest to the camera, thus front-focusing a bit.

W

With the exception of certain types of pohotgraphy, such as forensic &
scientific, it is rare that the focus plane is exactly parallel to the
focal plane.

Having spent 30+ years doing forensic photography I can say that I
cannot recall a single occasion when I have had to set up the camera
so that the image plane is parallel to the object plane. There have
been occasions when it might have been useful but, when needed, I have
always had software to correct errors in parallelism.
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

In article , Eric Stevens wrote:

Wally:
For focus accuracy, you should focus on a high contrast object
that is PARALLEL to the sensor. Those AF points are bigger than
depicted. If the target is at 45 deg, then the AF point may
focus on the part of the target that is closest to the camera,
thus front-focusing a bit.

PeterN:
With the exception of certain types of pohotgraphy, such as
forensic & scientific, it is rare that the focus plane is exactly
parallel to the focal plane.

Having spent 30+ years doing forensic photography I can say that I
cannot recall a single occasion when I have had to set up the camera
so that the image plane is parallel to the object plane. There have
been occasions when it might have been useful but, when needed, I
have always had software to correct errors in parallelism. --

Talk about missing the point...


--
Sandman[.net]