Microfocus Adjustment?

Beepcake

Beepcake

Beepcake

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I'm on the verge of buying a new camera after an extended hiatus, more than likely the 60D. Now one thing I've seen a few people complain about with the 60D was the removal of the microfocus adjustment, which is something I've never even heard of (used to have a 20D and it didn't "exist" back then to my knowledge).

When I bought my old 24-70L I heard they had front/back focus issues so I tested it with a calibration printout thingy, and all was fine. If all wasn't fine I would have sent it back to be re-calibrated or replaced, simple. Has the quality control/calibration on modern lenses/bodies become so bad that "fixing" it with MFA has become the norm, or is this being rather blown out of proportion?

I can understand being able to rectify slight focus issues in the field being a godsend for pros, but from some threads I've read you'd think it's impossible to focus a lens at all without MFA :)
 
Hey Steve :) Long time no see.

It's being blown out of proportion it just means you'll have to get the lens calibrated if its not right. Things are no better or worse than when you had the 20D :)

Tom.
 
rG-tom said:
Hey Steve :) Long time no see.

It's being blown out of proportion it just means you'll have to get the lens calibrated if its not right. Things are no better or worse than when you had the 20D :)

Tom.
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Indeed.. been much longer than I thought, but fingers crossed I'll pickup a new camera in the next few weeks - I believe there's a big camera show in Japan at the start of Feb, so just holding on until after that just in case.

At least microfocus adjustment gives me something else to blame for my out of focus shots ;)
 
rG-tom said:
:) Gotta blame something

Have to go for a pint at some point, it has been like 5-6 years! :)
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It was the end of 2007 when I sold all my gear, thinking I'd get another camera in 6-12months .. how time flies :(

You still living trafford centre way?
 
Beepcake said:
I'm on the verge of buying a new camera after an extended hiatus, more than likely the 60D. Now one thing I've seen a few people complain about with the 60D was the removal of the microfocus adjustment, which is something I've never even heard of (used to have a 20D and it didn't "exist" back then to my knowledge).

When I bought my old 24-70L I heard they had front/back focus issues so I tested it with a calibration printout thingy, and all was fine. If all wasn't fine I would have sent it back to be re-calibrated or replaced, simple. Has the quality control/calibration on modern lenses/bodies become so bad that "fixing" it with MFA has become the norm, or is this being rather blown out of proportion?

I can understand being able to rectify slight focus issues in the field being a godsend for pros, but from some threads I've read you'd think it's impossible to focus a lens at all without MFA :)
Click to expand...

It's quite common in my experience to get a duff lens or body, especially wide aperture primes where I'v had a few now with varying degrees of error (both Canon & Nikon).
MFA is a useful feature from my experience for times when your shooting at wafer thin DOF's and focus accuracy needs to be bang on.
If you not shooting at exceptionally thin DOF's and your having focus issues then imo the lens needs to go back.

But to answer you question about quality control, I haven't been into photography for long enough to compare, however I am less than impressed so far. For example, it seems the 24-70L is one of the very few lenses that seem to wear out and focus begins to get gradually less accurate until it then needs to go to Canon service, considering how much the lens costs I can't believe Canon haven't resolved this issue.

My first copy of my Nikon 50mm focused perfectly at close up distances, yet the whole frame would be blurry if trying to focus on distant scenes.

I'v also had a couple Sigma and Tamron lenses that were completely duff, while the Tamron was due to manufacturer quality control issues, the Sigma was due to shoddy design.

Also, one thing to consider is high MP camera's will show AF errors or camera shake much more apparently when viewed at 100% or heavily cropped.
 
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If I was shooting teeny tiny DOF then I'd hope the thing wasn't moving so I'd always AF then take shots either side with MF to be on the safe side.

I do wish Canon would stop "nerfing" their cameras purely in software though, all the extra video stuff the 600D does could be done with a firmware update to the 60.. *grumble*
 
as said above MFA is great as a stop gap before needing to send stuff back. Presently i havent got any lenses that need adjusting. so i am happy in that respect and shoot quite narrow DOF sometimes, Personally my keeper rate is quite high so would have to be anal about MFA to start looknig at lenses and MFA is next to useless on a zoom anyway.
 
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