Micro focus adjust?

joeseph wrote in post #16620191
would be good to have a poll option "Have it, used it ONCE per lens"

This

joeseph wrote in post #16620191
would be good to have a poll option "Have it, used it ONCE per lens"

Bingo.

I used it on my 135 and 24. The 24 I thought was sharp at 100% crop but at plus 7 it got even better. I had to hardly move the 135. I set them informally and have left them that way.

joeseph wrote in post #16620191
would be good to have a poll option "Have it, used it ONCE per lens"

This is also my experience.

I bought FoCal, set up and spent 3 hours MFAing two bodies and 10 lenses. Some needed no adjustment, some needed more than others.

My 400 F5.6 needed enough to make it the lens it was capable of being, without it, not so good.

windpig wrote in post #16620453
My 400 F5.6 needed enough to make it the lens it was capable of being, without it, not so good.

That was my experience with my 100-400. Before MFA I was sorely disappointed in the performance of this lens. Even after several trips back to Canon, both the lens and body, it just never performed. When I picked up the 50D and finally was able to adjust the lens, it shined. The difference was dramatic even though the adjustment was not huge.

I think MFA is a fantastic feature but only to those that take the time to understand hot yo use it. It can screw things up just as quickly as fix them which is why I think Canon puts in the warning.

I was very meticulous with trying the dot tune method with my a couple lenses. I must have done something wrong, while i performed the process perfectly, had the setting for the average indicated MA/accuracy, in practice the lenses seemed worse! I put them back to zero. I should try again i guess.

just going thru the book and playing with everything couldnt see a difference at a computer screen level never fiddled with it again...

You missed "Have it, use it when necessary" which would be my answer.

I have about 8 lenses and only 2 need it.

I got the 5DIII for Christmas and soon after I checked and MFA'd all my lenses. All were within the DOF.

The Mk2 brothers needed +4 to +6 on one end and zero on the other (different end for different lens), the nifty kept changing so I left it at 0.

Have it, used it once per lens.

I use MFA on my 5DIII with my 100mm f/2.8L macro, 70-200mm f/4L IS (expecially zoomed in at close range), and Sigma 35 f/1.4.

Can't imagine using that body without it.

I also own a 40D, and never noticed front/back focusing issues with those lenses... not that there's much you can do about it anyway with that body... But with a 5DIII I needed MFA to nail focus.

I'm not trying to sound like a hard ass. But the fact that canon puts mfa into these bodies, is kind of an admittance that their qc is not tight enought from lens to lens and body to body. I know, I'm asking a lot. It would be like having to calibrate your speedometer on a brand new car, or check the timing constantly.

On my 40D the 70-200 f2.8L would front focus, and I rarely used it. When I bought a 7D I used the micro focus adjustment and was happy with the lens. With the 5D Mk III the lens focuses without mfa. But I am glad I have it just in case.

As far as speedometers go, I believe in the US they are required by law to be within a certain tolerance on new vehicles. The camera police haven't caught up to them yet!

It's a fact that you get sharper images from lenses that have been MFA'd. Why on earth would someone that has the capabilities to MFA choose not to? You spend good money on your lens, why not get the most out of them?

Ok. The data has convinced me to at least try it with my weakest lens. I have a typical 100-400L that I wish were a tad better wide open at 400mm. The only issue is that I didn't plan on using that lens on my 6D. I kept the 60D for just such purposes. If this works, I know I'll want a 70D. Then, with my luck, the lens won't need MFA on the 70D.