The Ultimate 5D2 Micro Adjustment Workbench

It works and never lies!

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Playing with the Toys.......

Good job on a free method that looks like it works great...

Awesome.

I MA set my 1D3 with a simple set of three batteries, and I never took a picture.

I focussed on the middle battery each time, then pressed SET for live view and looked at the scene at 10X. My goal in MA settings was to get the target battery sharp and the other two equally fuzzy. All shots were at 50X the focal length, -or- the distance I most often use the lens at in some cases.

The result was that very few of my lenses needed any MA, and only one (the 85L) needed as much as 5 or more.

One interesting outcome was that neither of my two non-ring USM lenses could be reliably set for MA. Both my 50/1.4 and 50/2.5 CM showed so much shot to shot error that entering any MA number seemed fruitless. All of the ring USM lenses I have were much more consistant.

JeffreyG wrote in post #7835067
Both my 50/1.4 and 50/2.5 CM showed so much shot to shot error that entering any MA number seemed fruitless. All of the ring USM lenses I have were much more consistant.

My 50/1.4 was like that a bit but my 35/1.4 was far worse especially at about 3 metres.

Quad wrote in post #7835275
My 50/1.4 was like that a bit but my 35/1.4 was far worse especially at about 3 metres.

Strange that,

I have seven ring-USM lenses and two non-ring USM lenses.

My ring USM:
35L
85L II
135L
300/4L
17-40L
24-105L
70-200/2.8L IS

All of these lenses focussed consistently over and over when I set up my MA. I also set up the 135L, 70-200/2.8 and 300/4 with my 1.4X TC.

JeffreyG wrote in post #7835345
Strange that,

I have seven ring-USM lenses and two non-ring USM lenses.

My ring USM:
35L
85L II
135L
300/4L
17-40L
24-105L
70-200/2.8L IS

All of these lenses focussed consistently over and over when I set up my MA. I also set up the 135L, 70-200/2.8 and 300/4 with my 1.4X TC.

Strange and rather annoying. They are the two lenses I have the hardest time focusing manually as well. At least consistently. In day to day work their autofocus does works fine enough. It is just in a test situation if I activate the autofocus they do not always settle in the same spot.

Manual focus works well with long fast and short slow (like 45/2.8 ) so the manual focus part of it is likely not perfect vision and low DOF. Luckily it is consistent and I can now adjust the focus ring and hit manual focus most times.

Still that autofocus things does bug me and your mentioning that it is sometimes that way for you gives me a sense of relief in a sort of perverse way. You know misery likes company and all that.

I guess I am straying off topic too much. Great looking test bench you have there I like the little heads.

Sweet!

love this!!!

Later,
_Mark

It looks like you are pointing in the center on a 45 degree angle ? How far away

Rich S wrote in post #7836495
It looks like you are pointing in the center on a 45 degree angle ? How far away

'bout 5-10 cm more than each lens's minimum focusing distance, AF center point only, assist points turned off, a variation on the Tim Jackson method. Tripod, cable release, lens center point at the height of the 15 on the ruler, focal plane parallel to the target.

Set up precisely, I got more exact, predictable and consistent results than I got with the Westfall unofficial Canon method. The Pinnochios add perspective.

Not finished yet, going to try every method until the results don't budge the MA numbers.

Are you going to try from a bit farther away as well? not just at MFD + a little bit? Or do you think that would matter?

symby wrote in post #7837342
Are you going to try from a bit farther away as well? not just at MFD + a little bit? Or do you think that would matter?

I've found that evey Canon dSLR that I've ever owned has the most difficulty accuratetly focusing close to MFD, so I often MF when I know I'm close to MFD.

symby wrote in post #7837342
Are you going to try from a bit farther away as well? not just at MFD + a little bit? Or do you think that would matter?

i've learned not to MA at the MFD. The reason why is because even if you're able to get it tack sharp here, the added effects of the MA will be seen at farther distances.

I sent my Sigma 50 in for calibration and they fixed it. I did my microadjustments close to the MFD and then had to go to a shoot.

Looked at my pictures when i got home and found that at the distances I was shooting my subjects at, the camera was now backfocusing (subject very slightly oof with background perfectly in focus... and this was shooting at f/4-5.6).

The smallest amount of MA in the wrong direction will be magnified at longer distances. I agree you should try to MA at distances you typically work at.

^^ That makes more sense to me.

Doing the microadjustments at a set distance does not guarantee that they will be as impressive at a longer distance.