Should everyone Microadjust!

Hi all. I bought a used Canon 300mm F.4 L just over a year ago. Which I am very happy with. I bought a 7D six months ago which I am also very happy with. With my 1.4 Teleconverter they all work brilliantly together. I have read alot about Micro adjustment and just wondered do most people do this. I am happy with my set up but just wonder if it could be slightly better. I am not very technical and am worried if I try to do it I might change a system that already works. Should I just stick with what I have or is it the norm to do this with every camera/ lens set up or only when the user isn't happy with the results. Any thoughts much appreciated! Thank you

There's more information about it here:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com …Microadjustment​-Tips.aspx

The one thing I would say is that only people with the 1/5/7d series (and the 50d) will be doing it, because other cameras don't have the option! Don't forget you can always change it back if you find it's worse afterwards, there's nothing permanent...

Microadjust is a great feature, IF you have a good method to do it properly. Even with specialized software (FoCal) and using Lens-Align and such to do calibrations, at times I find it can be really difficult to nail down the perfect number. But generally, even small adjustments can make a great difference in the best IQ. It is the first thing I do when I get a new lens after my quick round of sample shots.

But yes, microadjust is a really good feature to use when you have it. Ever single lens I have is not "0". They range from +/- 2 up through about +8 I believe is my most, my 70-200 with the extender. And it has improved the IQ drastically with the 70-200 (more than it already is!). FoCal gets my vote for the best calibration method, hands down. It shows you clear as day your ideal microadjust value.

Like so...

I don't screw around with it, I'm pretty sure I'd mess it up.

rick_reno wrote in post #14734388
I don't screw around with it, I'm pretty sure I'd mess it up.

It's not too difficult Rick,, just time consuming. You can always undo what you've done.

I think if you truly want sharp and consistent images you should. Especially if you shoot wide open IMO. Its easy and you may be pleasantly surprised by your results

Invertalon wrote in post #14734378
Microadjust is a great feature, IF you have a good method to do it properly. Even with specialized software (FoCal) and using Lens-Align and such to do calibrations, at times I find it can be really difficult to nail down the perfect number. But generally, even small adjustments can make a great difference in the best IQ. It is the first thing I do when I get a new lens after my quick round of sample shots.

But yes, microadjust is a really good feature to use when you have it. Ever single lens I have is not "0". They range from +/- 2 up through about +8 I believe is my most, my 70-200 with the extender. And it has improved the IQ drastically with the 70-200 (more than it already is!). FoCal gets my vote for the best calibration method, hands down. It shows you clear as day your ideal microadjust value.

Like so...

As you can see, for this lens... +4 results in the highest resolution tested. Pretty clear to see.

Is there a place in the US to order FoCal from?

Nope, it is sold directly through him. It is a single-man working at this program, not a company. I have been using it since the earliest beta versions, and it's amazing. I bought the Pro one myself (I think cost me like $60?) and love it. I sold my Lens Align for like $100ish so it paid for itself and is a MUCH superior product.

The pro-version also does aperture sharpness testing, AF consistency, etc... Does quite a bit. Sadly, the 5D3 is not fully supported yet, but hopefully in the future. It still works, but you have to manually change the AF values and not all features work. All other bodies are though, I believe.

http://www.reikan.co.u​k/focal/focal.html

I'll definitely check it out. Thanks.

It is a definite yes from me. If you are going to spend all this money on kit, surely you want it to operate at 100%. As others have said, can always be undone. First thing I do with a new lens is MA, when the 5DM3 arrived, did MA on all lenses including extender.

Ian.

rick_reno wrote in post #14734388
I don't screw around with it, I'm pretty sure I'd mess it up.

I'm the same way, I was thinking about sending my camera to Canon with my lenses. I hear its pretty pricey though?

What do people think they'd screw up? I don't get it.

I have FoCal, and I generally dont mess with it anymore. If I test my lenses, and they nail focus at a very high rate, then I wont touch a working setup.

I nail focus at fairly high rates, even outer points, though I am aware of the weakness. If you ever screw it up, the set it back to 0, it's not that hard lol.

Invertalon wrote in post #14734378
Microadjust is a great feature, IF you have a good method to do it properly.

This.. MFA is a deal breaker for me. I will never own a body that does not include this feature but thats me. MFA can be a disaster if done poorly leading to images worse than before. Sure it can be reset back to zero but thats assuming you know you did it poorly in the first place.

I tried just about every free mfa method on the net and I never got consistent results. FoCal made it dead simple and it improved every lens I own that required adjustment, the improvements could definitely be seen. All the cool metrics and charts are a nice bonus to a geek like me.