Micro adjust

Can anyone suggest the best way to micro adjust Canon lenses with a 5 D Mark III I did a search for it but there seems to be so many different suggestions. I really don"t want to spend 110 dollars for Fo Cal Plus. Thanks,
Alan

Before FoCal this was my favourite method - LINK

hollis_f wrote in post #16029760
Before FoCal this was my favourite method - LINK

Thank you

Check out the dot tune method. It can also be automated using Magic Lantern.

I just did mine with a 50D and the Dot Tune method. It works really well and doesn't cost anything except time.

+1 to dot-tune. Very fast and accurate. I don't think it is supported by Magic Lantern for 5D3 yet (perhaps only in their Nightly builds) - but I am sure it will. Under Magic Lantern, dot-tune calibrations is even faster and more accurate.

I love ML DotTune for my 5D2. Unfortunately it is not a camera I commonly use these days and I look forward to the day we get the feature on the 5D3. In fact, as a non video shooter I'd love a cut down version of ML that offered nothing other than DotTune as its only feature, especially if that would get it shipped out the door faster. It's by far the most useful feature of ML for me. If they could do ML-DT for the 1D3 - no idea if that's possible - I'd be thrilled. The other techniques, and I've used several, are quite the chore by comparison. Four bodies, around ten lenses and a couple of TCs are a lot of combinations of stuff to plough through when the weather changes or you begin to have calibration doubts.

FocusTune

http://michaeltapesdes​ign.com/focustune.html

Magic Lantern has so many dire warnings associated with it that, even though I have downloaded it, I have not yet installed it on my 50D. I have, however, done Dot Tune manually and it is still easy, quick and accurate. Even with zooms on a camera with only 1 adjustment per lens, DT puts you right in the middle of the focus range of the lens. Just wanted to make sure no one thought you have to have ML to use Dot Tune.

I know the manual way is the original way, but compared to pressing a couple of buttons it's pretty tedious. FoCal has a similar feature as well, called TurbCal, but you need a PC/laptop to run that, wires all over the place and it's still a logistical exercise to put it all together.

For me the beauty of having DT built into the camera is (or would be) that you can go anywhere in the world, in any conditions of heat, light or subject distance, aim your lens at a suitable target and calibrate it right there whilst barely lifting a finger. For lenses whose calibration varies over differing shooting distance, this would be a snap. Even the manual DT method is a bit tedious, with a gazillion button presses to get through it, and if you go outside +/-20 even more faffing to contend with.

Thank you every one for the great info!

Dot-tune under Magic Lantern is not just faster, but also more accurate. The reason is some lenses have their good MA interval going beyond the official MA range -20...+20. Without ML, dot-tune in such situation will compute wrong (skewed towards zero) result. ML has expanded MA ranges, like -40...+40, where no truncation will take place, hence median MA values will always be accurate.

I've been playing with ML for a couple of years now, and dot-tune is the only feature which I actually used.

I have a DIY freebie chart in my signature, or a very inexpensive laminated version. I use that for all my lenses, it takes no time at all to shoot it, adjust the MA, and try again.