Sigma dock basic questions, being used with D810

[bill_brooks]

<p>I enjoyed the Sigma Art lenses 35 f/1.4 and the 24-105 on my D800 without any fine tuning. I am now shooting a new D810, and am in the process of fine tuning the 35 f/1.4 with my Sigma dock. Despite much searching incl. the Sigma site, I am in need of answers to a few basic questions and would appreciate any help:<br>

--So far I have no need to fine tune any other lenses, but if so, should I make sure that "AF fine-tune (On-Off)" is turned to "Off" in the D810 set-up menu, or does that not matter?<br>

--Perhaps having that setting to "On" with a setting of 0 (zero) on the D810 would pre-empt any bolloxing up of my dock settings? If I need to fine tune other lenses it would be nice to not have to remember to change that setting every time I pop lenses off and on...<br>

By the way I am finding the 35 f/1.4 to front-focus just a bit. I realize Sigma may update the firmware for the D810, but not the case so far.<br>

Also worth noting as an aside is that the Nikon 80-400 G, a lens I love but that had a bit of "personality" on the D800 as far as locking up focus, is doing so like a champ on the D810. I'm getting sharper long range images, and no fine tuning for that lens.</p>

 

[michael_bradtke]

<p>I would think that having any focus fine tune on the camera would be counter productive to the focus tune you do to the lens with the dock</p>

[bill_brooks]

<p>Michael, That is indeed my concern. While I wouldn't try to fine tune my Sigma lens in-camera and also with the Sigma dock, I may have to also fine tune one or more of my Nikon lenses, and that's why I want clarification on how to best set that up when I'm also using Sigma lenses that have been dock-tuned.<br>

The question is, better to turn off the fine-tune feature in the set up menu when I have a Sigma dock-tuned lens on (more fussy) or simply add it to my tuned lens list with a "zero" setting?</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

The AF micro adjust settings are individual for each lens unless you choose to have it used as a general setting for all

lenses. For your lenses, if you apply it just to individual lenses leaving it at zero should mean thee is no adjustment

applied.

[bill_brooks]

Ellis, i think we're also talking

about separate issues... I'm

trying to determine *how to leave

my camera settings on AF tune in the set up menu*

when I am using a combination of

untuned and tuned Nikon lenses

along with Sigma lenses that have

been docked on the Sigma dock.

[ellis_vener_photography]

If I understand you, You just leave it turned on, and for your sigma lens leave the setting at zero. If you have an overall

setting that gets applied to all lenses you should reset that to zero.

[bill_brooks]

<p>Ellis, I am thinking that is the correct way, thanks. Right now I have AF Fine Tune setting in the Set Up menu turned to "off", and the Sigma lens is behaving properly according to my dock-tune. (My current Nikon lenses aren't exhibiting the need to be fine tuned on my copy of the D810).<br>

If one of my other Nikon lenses need an on-camera fine tune, I'll just turn the on-camera AF Fine Tune setting to "on" and see what happens, following your suggestion to leave the Sigma lens set to "0". Thanks again for your input.</p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>Is the Sigma lens "intelligent" enough to recognise what camera it's attached to and adapt it's AF accordingly? Seems to me that applying AF fine-tune to a lens would be a global adjustment that would remain the same whatever camera body it was attached to. The camera can recognise an individual lens, but AFAIK it's a one-way communication. I fear that adjusting the lens to one camera body would affect its performance on another camera.</p>

<p>What was wrong with camera body AF fine-tuning?</p>

[bill_brooks]

<p>Rodeo Joe, good question.. I would assume the lens is making adjustments as I change the settings relative to it's own mount, that would show up on whatever camera I'm using it to compare settings, and it is indeed showing the adjustments on my D810. I just don't see anyone, from Sigma on down, stating exactly how to set my selections in-camera-- Sigma just states "calibrate your lens using your normal procedure" or something close to that. Vague.<br /> I'm not convinced the Sigma dock is any better; it's certainly not more convenient than camera body tuning to the lens... but I got caught up in the Sigma dock hype, and I'm trying to get the best set up possible, whether it involves the dock or not.<br /> Could it be that my Nikon D810 would not recognize adjustments to the 35 f/1.4 Art lens in some way (even though it recognizes the lens itself and lists it in my AF Fine Tune list in the Fine tune menu)? I have to admit I haven't simply tried in-camera Fine Tuning my Sigma lens...<br /> ...Probably because I've been caught up in trying to use this Sigma dock the "right way". Whatever that is!</p>

[kari_oinonen]

<p>Could this be of any help: there seems to be af fine-tune parameters in the lens and in the camera. The Sigma dock seems to manipulate lens paramaters. Af fine tune in the camera effects parameters in that camera body for that lens type.<br>

I do not know if the camera can distinguish two lenses that are of the same model, but have different serial numbers.<br>

If I remember correctly the Sigma dock is able to do more adjustments than a camera based single paramater system (-20...+20) can do.<br>

Suggestion: adjust the lens in the dock as best and then use camera body adjustments if needed.</p>

[bill_brooks]

<p>I've adjusted the Sigma Art 35 f/1.4 lens with the Sigma dock at 4 ranges. It's more cumbersome than shot comparisons done with AF Fine Tune in-camera, as the lens goes on and off the dock and the camera for each setting change, but it does work... and the main feature of the dock is that different ranges can be fine tuned.<br /> My shot comparisons with the D810 in-camera AF Fine Tune, both turned on and off, do not reveal any differences, most likely as I left the in-camera setting at zero (0). I'm satisfied with the shots I'm getting so far. Thanks to Michael, Ellis, Rodeo Joe and Kari for your input!</p>