How to test front focus

My Tamron 60mm F2.0 Macro seems to be front focusing quite a bit. I always use center point, focus on eye, recompose, shoot. Seems like the eyes are never really in focus.

I have 2 tests:

Focused on the Flat Focus point in the middle. Obvious front focusing.

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It is really hard to get a close portrait perfectly in focus at f2 on any lens. Just keep that in mind.

Ya, for sure, but with a focus test like this it should be accurate no?

Hardcore wrote in post #9999408
Ya, for sure, but with a focus test like this it should be accurate no?

not necessarily. The way your target is set up, the angle of the camera and your folds would have to be absolutely precise. Also the AF sensor is longer than the AF indicator box. Did you catch the box with the top or the bottom of the AF sensor line? No way to tell. I would try some easy targets in good light, at maybe a few feet and go from there. This test has way too many lines and symbols so there is no way to tell for sure which one the AF sensor is catching.

" I always use center point, focus on eye, recompose, shoot"
Im guessing thats your problem, you cant really do that at f2 and expect sharp focus.Slightest bit of movement and focus is out

Thanks for the replies.

P.S. I don't usually shoot at f2, mostly > f2.8 for portraits.

I've enjoyed reading the threads over lens focus quality, BUT:

I have 10-20 high end Canon lenses for 5D & 5D MII that I have never tested for focus. I find that selected subject, lightening, composition, color, selected aperture/shutter-timing are the elements that I frequently screw up masking (if any) focus problem of the lens.

BTW, only the center AF point measures focus contrast in both vertical and horizontal axes. The other AF points (of the 9) focus either on vertical or horizontal contrast, but not both.

Tim

Here is a way to test for front focus...focus on the box front, and look at the ruler.

I prefer to test using the live view / micro adjustment chart

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk …s3_af_micoadjus​tment.html

You set up that funky image on a monitor and your tripod at the right distance (50xFL) and hit autofocus (using quick mode) with live view on. Examine the image zoomed if nessesary. Then you can twist the MF ring backward very slightly to see if the image becomes more in focus that AF was able to get, if it does you may have front focusing. The interference pattern will be most pronounced when focus is dead on.