Trying to get my Tammy 150-600 microadjusted.

I have been working with my Tammy 150-600 to try to make it take sharp pics on my 7DII. This is my latest effort. I don't think it is as sharp as I want it to be, but close.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qYdH​T3

It looks like you have it really, at least the shots I see on your Flicker. If you have the eyes in perfect focus, then you can't do anymore than that, I don't think.

How did you do your adjustments, I know the 7D mkII has where you can adjust for the wide angle and the telephoto also. How far did you do these when you did your last test?
Very nice shot too, I too (now) have the 7D mkII and the Tamron 150-600mm, I love them, together the shots are so sharp that I can't really sharpen them because they get that over-sharpened look. They are almost too sharp really. I've only had my camera for less than a week, so I haven't had it out probably as much as you.

I still think that you are there, but maybe you are being too critical. heheh

Great stuff anyway!

Randy

Joel, beautiful shot. It looks to be very close if not there.

I am looking to join you and Randy in the 7D mk II and Tammy 150-660 club this Wednesday. You shot and report give me high expectations for the combo.

Looks good to me.

I took the shot at about 30 feet. My micro adjust was +13 on my 7DII at the telephoto end. I haven't tried to adjust the short end yet since I almost always use this lens at 600mm. If it were a 600 prime, then I would get just as much use out of it as I do now.

Don't get fooled by adjustable lenses when it comes to birding. You will ALWAYS use the longest setting.

Yes, I think I am close too, but when I take shots with my 70-200 with the 2X TC III I get the feathers on the birds to have more detail. Of course I am only 400mm at that point. I want the 600mm to be just a sharp. Not quite there yet, and maybe the Tammy is not capable of it. I guess Canon charges those super high prices for a reason for 500 and 600mm lenses.

Great shot looks good to me also.

You need to shoot at F8 for maximum sharpness and use a tripod + gimbal for maximum acquisition rate

It looks as if you're dealing with a dof issue rather than a sharpness issue. I shoot my backyard birds at 23'-26' distance at 500mm-700mm and depending on which way they sit I can never get the entire bird in focus. I shoot from f/8 to f/13 and still deal with the focus (or sharpness) falling off from the focal point of the lens/camera.

Duane N wrote in post #17409687
It looks as if you're dealing with a dof issue rather than a sharpness issue. I shoot my backyard birds at 23'-26' distance at 500mm-700mm and depending on which way they sit I can never get the entire bird in focus. I shoot from f/8 to f/13 and still deal with the focus (or sharpness) falling off from the focal point of the lens/camera.

Dear sir,
Same opinion here as Duane N. Since you make changes in your finetuning I think you know what you are doing. A lens can have issues about backfocus-frontfocus. (My prime 500mm (Sigma) had those problems with 7D and not the slightest problem with 5D – However I have no experience with 7DII) There are sufficient tutorials how to check those minor deviations.

Watching the picture above I don't think you have reason to doubt about sharpness. However I'm not sure if you know the online “DOFMASTER.” This online calculator, as well in feet as in meter, calculate the dof you will achieve concerning your settings. Untill yet there is no support for 7DII.
But I think it can give a fair idea of achieved dof.
If I look at the calculation hereby (not knowing your chosen diafragma) I think you have a very correct dof. If the distance from sharp eye of the bird to the end of tail is more then 3cm (0,09feet) then I'm sure you have a wonderful picture. Provided you where aiming at the eye.

I think the only way to avoid your concern is doing like in macro photography en make sure the bird you want to photograph is sitting parallel to the lens.

Wow, .17 ft. for a DOF. That is thin. I need to close that aperture some when the light is good.

Thanks for the tip guys

The 7D figures should be just fine to use as the sensor size is what controls the DOF not megapixels. The Canon APS-C sensors are within .1mm in length and width measurements. When this is converted into an area it should still be in the rounding error range or quite close to it. Testing wide open is correct you then need to select the correct aperture to achieve the DOF you have in mind.

I also did an adjustment on my 1D mkIV and my Tamzooka, I also did it at (only) 30 feet to see what it would accomplish, I had it SUPER sharp! That means it was sharp at close ranges up to 30-ish feet, longer than that and it didn't looks sharp at all. (I had it -15)
I deleted that adjustment, went back to zero, and left it, now, magically, it is all fine for my 7D mkII, I may mess with it some later, but there is no need right now, at least for me.

"Don't get fooled by adjustable lenses when it comes to birding. You will ALWAYS use the longest setting."
As far as you saying that, I for one actually use my lens as a short one too, and a lot, I did when I used to own a 100-400mm too, so for me, and I know of others that also use it on the short end, but, like you, I do usually use it at the 600mm end. I am around birds that are backyard, and wild in the woods, and I always see them up close, and especially larger birds, I use that Zoom to make sure I can get it all in.

Randy

guntoter wrote in post #17409755
Wow, .17 ft. for a DOF. That is thin. I need to close that aperture some when the light is good.

Thanks for the tip guys

That's a good idea Sir. And remember the achieved dof is not only diafragma but works in combination with distance to subject.

Marc

Might I suggest to you Joel that you Google the term "Lensalign" and look into a piece of hardware that can save you a lot of headache/heartache in the world of microadjusting. I purchased this product about 2 years ago and have never regretted it. It's not as glamorous as some methods, but works quite well.

guntoter wrote in post #17409281
I have been working with my Tammy 150-600 to try to make it take sharp pics on my 7DII. This is my latest effort. I don't think it is as sharp as I want it to be, but close.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qYdH​T3 Yard Birds-2974 by J Ownby Photography, on Flickr

It's impossible to tell how sharp or well-focused your lens is from a picture of that size without more information. If the original at flickr is a 100% crop, and you're at 600/6.3, then that's pretty good, and you can get sharper results in the future at f/8 or even f/9 (above that, diffraction is counterproductive if you don't need the DOF). If it is a downsample from from 20MP to 2MP, then it is soft, but that can be due to processing as much as it is due to the lens. In any even, it is only barely soft as presented at about 2MP on flickr, and looks like it would sharpen very easily without adding significant noise.