D600 - tack focus / sharp.

[RaymondC]

<p>Got my D600, shutter count for first frame at #2. Looking at a portrait at the eyes, the D600 isn't as sharp as my D70. Does that matter, is that the job for in-camera fine tuning?</p>

<p>Edit. What AF settings would you suggest? It was AF-S at focus priority. Took me a while but I have now switched it to AF-S, singular centre sensor like my simple dandy camera. </p>

[RaymondC]

<p>I know it isn't on tripod, but I did side/side with same lens 85 1.8 AFD handheld. D70 vs D600. D600 is only JPG for now but should still be in focus. Haven't sort of software yet for RAW support. </p><div></div>

[User_6502147]

<p>Ray, if you want to test your camera you need **solid** support....and everything needs to be same. Put it in the live view and magnify your focusing spot....adjust it manually. If your AF gismo is off, you may need to adjust. I'm having some serious doubts that D70 is better...though I could be wrong.</p>

<p>Les</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>Ok, I'll do some controlled tests. The D70 was sent back for a focus calibration when it was fixed for BGLOD. Now strong as ever. Could we not use live view, I don't really use that when I shoot. </p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>Do consider also that you're comparing two different resolutions, and the AF-D 85 f/1.8 seems to be shot fairly wide open at a close focussing distance, which isn't exactly where it will shine (mine is very sharp around f/4 at somewhat longer distances, though). Lighting also looks somewhat diffuse, which is not exactly going to help (can you use a speedlight?). But most important to realise, when looked at 100%, photos from a D600 may look softer than a photo from a D70. But either downscale the D600 to match the resolution of the D70, or vice versa, and the advantage of the higher resolution should become quite obvious.</p>

<p>Not saying it's not the AF that needs a touch of calibration, it could be. But before going down that road, just make sure to get your expectations right. 6MP is a forgiving resolution for technique and optical flaws. 24MP, a lot less so.</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>When you talk about adjustments, the user manual does focus adjustment thru the menu is not intended for use all the time. I've just tested my 50mm 1.8 AFD. -20 setting looks sharper than 0. Tripod, lens at f/4 etc. A box with post labels on a book shelf perpendicular. </p>

[elliot1]

<p>All things being equal, the two cameras should give pretty much identical images, especially with regards to sharpness.</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>I just tested my 85mm 1.8 AFD it too like the 50mm 1.8 AFD looked better with adjustment at -20. Haven't fine tuned it. I tested in differences of 5's. Looks like the camera might be a bit off. </p>

<p>So, how important is adjustment? Is blocks of 5 units ok. </p>

<p>Do you guys suggest adjustment thru the menu or at the service centre?</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>This is the 50mm, at -20 adjustment and at 0. Under tungsten lights lol.</p><div></div>

[elliot1]

<p><em>adding to my statement above,</em> the D600 has obvious advantages over D70 (especially with regard to high ISO performance and dynamic range) but when it comes to sharpness, assuming accurate focus on both cameras, you should not see any difference at normal print sizes.</p>

[Michael R Freeman]

<p>Carefully read Wouter's response above. You may indeed need to apply some focus calibration, but you also need to compare apples to apples. So if you are going to compare your D600 images to your D70 images when viewed at 100% as a standard for "tack sharp", you need to first downsample the D600 image to the same resolution as the D70 image. In other words, in your 1:10am picture of the batteries viewed side-by-side, they should appear at approximately the same size at 100%.</p>

<p>Be careful when you pixel peep. All may not be as it appears. :-)</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<blockquote>

<p>So, how important is adjustment? Is blocks of 5 units ok?<br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I guess they're 'in' single units for a reason..:-) but I suspect single units are too small to consistently detect a difference, but blocks of 5 may be a little big?<br>

<br>

Indeed your images may be sharper at -20 than at 0.... however, it's equally possible your images are much, much better at -10 and start getting poor again by -20....<br>

<br>

........or are gradually getting better from +20 >0>-20 but haven't peaked, implying there's not enough adjustment in AF Fine Tune and a trip to Nikon is needed to bring 'it' back into an adjustable range. </p>

[kari_oinonen]

<p>Ray -, adding to what others have said. When testing 70 vs 600, you should do test photos at the same distance. When doing comparison, scale the battery to equal size - due to Mpix differense. For best results, do testing and calibration for normal shooting distance.<br>

Focus calibration is done once and camera remembers that setting for that type of lens. So you have the calibration done once and it is activated when that lens is attached. No more menus at this stage.<br>

If it shows that all of your lenses need (+ or) - 20 or more for af fine tune setting (and this is to the same direction), then it may be time to contact service. In that case it may be the camera that needs calibration.</p>

 

[RaymondC]

<p>I have three FF lenses. <br>

The 85mm was tested at +20, +10, 0, -10, -20. It was best at -20. The 50mm was tested at 0, -10, -15, -20, it too was best at -20. But I haven't tested at -18 or if it's better at -25.</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Just an observation. The focus on the two battery images is <em>obviously</em> not the same. You can tell that from the colour of the LoCA halo around the highlights. The D70 shows a green halo while the D600 shows red/purple. This seems to indicate that the D600 is back focused compared to the D70. However, with a 3D object like that battery, it's easy for the AF to lock onto an area that's slightly different from where you thought the AF was aiming.</p>

<p>Basically you need a 2D focusing chart (or flat rule) set at a slight angle to the focal plane. The colour of LoCA fringing is then a pretty good way to tell if the lens is in or out of focus, and in which direction.</p>

<p>BTW, almost all 85mm wide aperture lenses shift their focus on stopping down. So do you want it focused dead-on at maximum aperture, or down a couple of stops? You can't adjust for both.</p>

 

[mike_halliwell]

<p>So why can't the AF module manage to correct focus shift on stopping down? It's gotta be a predictable variable....no?</p>

<p>Where in the EXIF data can you actually find the physical distance the camera <em><strong>thinks</strong></em> it's focused at? </p>

<p>So, if you took a set of images with a stopped down lens at different stops, you'd see the apparent distance change....?</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>The degree of shift varies between lens models Mike, and is also non-linear. Most of the shift occurs in the first 2 or three stops from maximum aperture. It can easily be seen in <a href="http://www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/549-nikkorafs2414ff?start=1">this review of Nikon's 24mm f/1.4 AF-S lens here</a>. Scroll down to the "bokeh fringing" section near the bottom of the web page and run your mouse over the aperture numbers.</p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>Even your -20 on the 50mm is not great IMO. I found there were a few lenses that needed some serious AF fine tuning, but most were pretty close. All the lenses I shot it with were sharper than your -20, esp. on a sharp lens. Just send it to Nikon for AF adjustment, that looks off to me.</p>