Canon 5Ds: How to calibrate DSLR lenses - AutoFocus Lens Calibration AF Fine Tuning
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- In this video I show you how easy it is to calibrate you lenses and start making sharper images immediately. I use the Canon 5Ds, Focus Pyramid Auto-focus Lens calibration tool and a mini bubble level to get it done. Basically you can calibrate all of your lenses on your lunch break. Enjoy and don't forget to thumbs up and subscribe. More content is right around the corner.
Website - jcristina.com
FocusPyramid - jcristina.com/p...
HotShoe Spirit Bubble Level - jcristina.com/p...
This made such a huge difference for me. I had an older quantaray ef 28-90mm and it would just never get the right autofocus but when I manually focused the shots were great. After doing this, it's like a whole new lens. Thank you!
Thank you for your testimonial. So glad the Focus Pyramid gave your lens a new license on life.. 🍵👍
I just ordered my pyramid, I think it stinks we have to do this. I have almost had a nervous break down with the inconsistent sharpness of my photos! Can't wait for it to get here! With the lock down I have time to do lots of learning!
It’s very easy to use. No worries!!
Great video on lens calibration and making it easy to understand, thank you.
Thank you Dennis.. So glad it helped!
Wow never knew it that you been making videos for 3 years!
I've tried using this but my focus is still blurry on both wide and tele for my 6DMKII with 24-105 .... so frustrating, but thanks for the info!
Thank you. This was the best instructions and it really worked. Great Job!
+Frank Dziedziak you are so very welcome Frank!
Great no nonsense video! Awesome, thank you. Going to try this with my sigma lenses on my 5D MK III
It will work perfectly. Thanks for the positive feedback.
I will also fo this on my 85mm art on mark 3
Thanks to this video I fixed and issue that I had with my camera!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!
Very good tutorial. Thanks, JCristina!
Thank you for the positive feedback. Appreciate it.
If you focus on eyes, then same distance nearer and farther would be in focus, tip of nose and ear holes for example.
I noticed that on some 35mm film cameras near and far is way off, so in typical group photo for example focus on arm edge or belly surface of shirt to get the eyes in focus.
Awesome video, thank you! Never knew how simple it can be
+Charles Ledoux You're so very welcome Charles.
Thank you for that. I never realised it would be so simple.
+WOS Bookings so glad you found this VLOG helpful. Share it with other photographer friends. 👍 Thank you for taking the time to comment.
it would help if you mentioned to get the scale on your screen you need to press the info' button
I think the camera which was used to record this, needs the same calibration as well
So what's the point in taking multiple shots at the start ? When you just need one and adjust from there.
Great, straightforward and easy to understand method, thanks so much! Question: I just bought a used Tamron 85mm f/1.8 lens that backfocuses. Does the Tamron Tap-In Dock do anything over and above the calibration I can do right inside my Canon 6D? Other than firmware upgrades...
Yes. It does allow you to make the modifications
No, DSLR has two optical paths, one to the AF Sensor if separate, one to image sensor.
If the lens is different than other lenses, then each lens would have a separate offset to get it into focus, each time you change lens.
So I can't figure out how you go from the "adjust by lens" menu to the actual adjustment. You don't show that. It just jumps right to the adjustment in your video without detailing how you got there. If I am at the adjustment by lens menu what do I do next. If I push set on that menu it brings up a bunch of different menus, non of which are the same adjustment menu. Your video cuts right to it without showing how you got there. Need to try calibration because my images are always soft or out of focus on my 100-400 when zoomed. No matter what I do.
Mó
I have a Canon RP mirrorless camera and I don’t see these settings.
Do some canon cameras not have this feature?
Mirrorless do not.
Very informative thank you so much.
You're wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
The gage technique generally requires to be quite near the gage, which is rarely the case when shooting in real life, especially in telephoto mode. I've done micro adjustments for years on several cameras and with a bunch of lenses, and sometimes stated that the gage calibration technique was not that accurate in all situations.
I'm not an optic expert, but I'm wondering if calibration done at a few meters is still valid when shooting a model at tens of meters, depending on the lens range...
Actually I ended up using another "field" calibration method, doing it at more usual average distance from the subject.
This technique is to use the live view AF (which necessarily picks up the right focus), then search in manual focus the min and max values where focus peaking is lost, the median value giving the tack focus point of the AF sensor.
Any thoughts about all that? 🙂
Excellent explanation Jay, I have a request though... do you have by any chance any of the sigma or tamron new devices for focusing? I would love to see that working in a way as you did with these lenses... the tap in focus is not that simple to use!!! Thanks again, best wishes, from distant Uruguay!
So glad you enjoyed the content! As for any third party lenses, they are calibrated in the same way. Simply center and level the camera to the Focus Pyramid Autofocus Lens Calibration Tool, fill the frame with the unit, set your camera to AF and [*] single spot point focusing. Lock up on the center box. Bare in mind if the blue box looks perfectly SQUARE in the photo, you know that you have leveled and squared the camera to the Pyramid perfectly. Check out the shot and see if you need to go + or - in your calibration. Repeat for both WIDE and TELEPHOTO for each lens. I personally do this process once a month or just before a BIG event that I need to make sure my autofocus is dead on! Thanks so much for adding to discussion and for your question Daniela!
Can't you provide the best set up for this camera?
I've been told that the depth of field behind the zero focus point is actually deeper than that in front of the zero point. That contradicts the advice you have given in the video: balance the out of focus areas. Was I told wrong?
Good question. You were not told wrong - the depth of focus behind the central focus is deeper, and a general rule of thumb photographers use is 1/3 in front and 2/3 behind. A researcher I know at the Louis-Lumière school in Paris has done a great deal of experimentation, and he feels it is actually closer to 1/4 in front and 3/4 behind. I cannot speak for the author of this video, but he "might" respond since the full aperture is used for this test, the depth of field is at its minimum, and not really an issue in this test, but I still feel you have a valid point. Perhaps it would be useful to affix something like a 1x1" USAF resoultion chart at the "0" mark, and try to determine what image is most in focus at the center, rather than balancing the out-of-sharpness.
That a real help... Thanks!
+Chris Cosh I'm so glad that the video was helpful to you. Good luck with your calibration. Thanks for contributing to the channel Chris.
Sorry, but angle target can't help to achieve right result. All because of the AF point on focusing sensor and square on focusing screen. AF point can be not centered in square. If you calibrate on angle target, AF point can take and lower near, and higher farther. That's why it necessary to use focusing target with right angle plate.
what was the purpose of using an old film SLR camera? Why not just start out with the camera under test?
I believe I was showing the bubble level of position as reference.
@@jcristina Thank you for still following up years after submitting the video. That's exceptional!
Hi, I'm trying to get the focus pyramid but the link is broken.
Nice explanation (y) Thank you !
Very welcome. So glad you enjoyed it!
why is it not happening by default, such an expensive lenses and I still need to calibrate them..
That’s why the manufacturers put AF FINE TUNING setting I’m the cameras software. So we can do it as it changes over time.
Quick question. On a 70-200 zoom lens, I get the part on calibrating the wide angle part by moving the camera close to the Pyramid to fill the viewfinder. My question, when you do the 200mm calibration, do you leave the camera at the same location, or move the camera way back, until you get the whole Pyramid in the viewfinders. That's the only part that you didn't clarify. No one has done a video showing how to do the Telephoto calibration and the results. Everyone just shows the wide angle part.
Thanks
If you camera allow for two calibration setting per lens than you would calibrate at 70 and then calibrate at 200. If not, I personally calibrate at the range that I mostly use the lens. Example, my 70-200 2.8 L from Canon I calibrate at 180mm because that is where I use it for my portrait work. On the other hand if you use the lens all over the range I would calibrate around the middle. 130-140mm. As for location. No matter where you place your lens, make sure you fill the entire frame with the Pyramid. So if you are shooting at 70, you would move the camera close to fill the frame than if you were shoot at 130mm for example. Simply fill the frame.
@@jcristina, Well, I use my 70-200 L throughout the entire range, so I'll have to calibrate it for 150mm, do a test shoot, then calibrate at 200mm, do a test shoot, and see which works the best, so I can use the lens throughout the entire range. At f22, they are all Sharp. but I want to shoot at f2.8 and get sharp eyes at 200mm. Thanks.
Great info on calibrating lenses. Question: my camera doesn't have a Wide and Telephoto setting for adjustment, what is the best way to calibrate a zoom lens with only one setting?
+Trevor Current Good question. Some people use the middle of the focal length. So, for a 70-200 lenses they would calibrate at around 165mm but I personally prefer to calibrate to the focal length that I use the lens most often. Using the same example, my 70-200 I use primarily in the studio as a portrait lens which I shoot at around 180mm all of the time. So 180mm would me my magic number. The beauty of the newer bodies is the ability to not have to choose. The 5Ds, 70D, etc provide both Wide and Telephoto auto-focus lens calibration setting. So awesome! Thank you Canon!!
Am i suppose to fold up a piece of paper? And set it on the table? I don't have that with a blue square in it..
The Focus Pyramid has a blue rectangle at the targeting point which when viewed through the camera at the right orientation will turn into a perfect blue square. Hope that helps.
Thank you!
So very welcome.
I just found this video. I hate to contradict but the areas behind and in front of critical focus are not the same and shouldn't be used as a way to calibrate critical focus. Use a DOF calculator and you will see that at any given focus distance the out of focus area behind and in front are slightly different. Indicating that critical focus is not equidistant from the areas you deem to be equally out of focus on your pyramid. I would therefore calibrate using "in focus". If you are satisfied with your results, I guess that's all that really matters. It seems that the camera you used to video this isn't focusing directly though. Peace!
AF microadjustment is not to be found on my 5D mark 111 ? help
It’s there. I just calibrated before NY party last night.
Thank you so much for this video. It was very helpful but I still have several questions. Hope you can help me out with them. You calibrated at 24mm and 70mm so does that mean we will be able to take advantage of IMPROVED focus ONLY at 24mm and 70mm and we need to calibrate SEPARATELY for OTHER focal lengths if we wish to take advantage of improved focus with those focal lengths? What about various apertures? You used f/2.8 but obviously we are not always photographing at f/2.8. We photograph at VARIOUS aperture settings. Do we need to calibrate for those separately if we wish to have IMPROVED focus at those apertures? Hope you can clarify this for me. Thanks so much, Marianne.
So glad it helped... Each lens should be calibrated at the (W)ide setting and (T)elephoto if available.. If not only one calibration for the lens is available.
@@jcristina Thank you very much for clarifying
Where can I get one of those focus pyramid things?
JCristina.com or Amazon or B&H thanks for your support.
"Her nose is tack sharp as you can see every hair...." 🤣😂🤣 Sorry but what female model has hair on their nose?? That was hilarious!
Great info Thank you!
You are very welcome!
Thank you
You’re so very welcome.
I'm so confused 😔
You and me both. Smh & Smh
I tried this with a spyderlenscal and followed the instructions but all my numbers on the chart were in focus and I don’t know why, please help!
This video used the Focus Pyramid Autofocus Lens Calibration Tool.. You can find it on B&H, Amazon or over at the JCristina.com website.
JCristina yeah I know it’s a different chart but as the video was helpful and you seem to know a lot about lens calibration I was just wondering if you knew anything about the spyderlenscal? All my numbers on the chart were in focus and I’m not sure this would be different with any other chart
@@kelsxx5558 shoot wide open to minimize depth of field / and be far enough away from the target (?)
Still cant do it :-/ how do you know that is dead center and perfectly aligned
+TeeJay's vids Best way is to center the pyramid to the camera lens (sensor) and look at the rectangle in the middle of the unit. If it's centered it will look like at perfect square in your test images. You can also you a bubble level like seen on the website jcristina.com or use the digital level built into the camera. Hope that helps a bit.
This is great information. I plan on buying a 80D in the near future and was reading up on the instructions. What it doesn't say, and you didn't show here, is what about a fixed lens? Do you just set both wide and telephoto to the same numbers?
+bubblehead7680 Thanks for the comment. Some camera bodies allow you to calibrate for both wide and telephoto so you would have two calibration numbers. If your body only allows for one. My preference is to calibrate at the zoom length that I use the lens most often. If you do not have a specific zoom amount. I would use the middle of the zoom. Example. My 70-200 is shoot at 180mm most of the time for portraits so I calibrate at 180mm. If I didn't I would calibrate right about 120-130mm in the middle of the mm length. Hope that helps. Thanks again for joining the conversation.
What I mean is, say I have a Nifty-Fifty, how does that work setting it up? Essentially any non-zoom lens.
bubblehead7680 on my 70d with a prime (non-zoom) lens attached, I can only adjust at one length on the camera
Why take all those photos but only use one? I didn’t see you used tie plus 10 wide. Did I miss something?
We take all of them to compare which is most out of focus and move inward from there. Looking what’s out of focus compared to what is in focus. It’s much easier that way.
Can this be done with 3rd party lenses? I am getting ready to buy a Sigma 50mm ART for my Canon 5D4. Also, where do you get one of those pyramids to do these adjustments. Thanks and nice video.
Yes
Great video thanks!!!!
Thank you for taking the time to add the positive feedback.
awesome TIP
So glad you found it helpful.
Hi, One quick question, I have Canon 5DM4 and Sigma 150-600mm lens. How do I calibrate this with
Focus Pyramid Auto-focus Lens calibration tool ? I tried but not able to do it. Appreciate your help. Thanks, Krishna.
You want to fill the frame with the pyramid so you will need to move far back especially at 600mm. Then use as directed. Remember it easier to make sure both the top and bottom are equally out of focus. The top 20 should be as out of focus as the bottom 20, so on and so forth.
@@jcristina Thanks, Appreciate your feedback and help. Krishna.
You’re very welcome.
Does it matter how far the subject must be from the lense or are all shots taken from the same distance. I was under the impression 24mm distance on a 24mm lense then 70mm at the 70mm setting?
Oh it's dependent on filling the frame I see that now
Hi, where can I buy that pyramid that you used in this video? thanks.
The Focus Pyramid Autofocus Lens Calibration Tool can be found directly at jcristina.com or of course AMAZON or B&H PHOTO/VIDEO and other photographic retailers around the world. Thanks Alex for the question and adding to the discussion.
What I'm still so confused about is when calibrating, how far should the camera be from the test chart. Now I've read where it's said you should take the focal length and times that by 50. So if I'm calibrating my 70-200 and what to calibrate at 200 mm, that would be approximately 30 ft. The chart will not fit the frame. At that distance I could never see any back, or front focus. Is the 50 x focal length for sharpness only and not for back and front focus calibration?
Great question. I've been doing this since I invented the Focus Pyramid years ago and that may be mathematically true, it is not needed. I calibrate my 70-200 inside my studio at no more than 10 feet or so and it's very accurate. I normally calibrate at the bottom 70 and then at 180mm as I don't like the lens at 200mm. If I will be shooting only portraits with the lens for the entire weekend, I will only make sure my 180mm is dead on. I want eyelashes to be crispy sharp. Some of my bodies allow for 2 points of calibration and others like the 5DMK2 only allow for one.
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate your time. I've been racking my brains with these two new Tamron G2 lenses that are paired with the Canon 80D. I calibrated both lens 24-70 and 70-200 at about 10 ft, maybe 6-8 ft for the 24-70. I used a cheap $6.00 chart I bought months ago on Amazon lol. I'll be getting yours, it looks sharper. Everything looked good, minor adjustments only. Took some shots around the house, they looked great on my computer. Then shot my brothers kids and neighbors Easter egg hunt and almost none were sharp with my 24-70. I think what you said about calibrating for what you'll be using it for makes sense now, I just never realized I should do that. In either case, I have my eyes set on the A7 III, providing I can sell two Tamron lenses. Again, thanks for your time, great videos.
Thanks so much for your support and if you need anything never hesitate to ask.
How about manual focus? No calibration needed? Example landscape shots.
Absolutely.
I have the standard "Ball Head" tripod and it is not easy to use to do this procedure, what do you recommend using? Looks to me like a Fluid, or Pistol Grip head would be the best for more accurate settings.
Honestly I would recommend using a bubble level like jcristina.com/product/hotshoe-spirit-bubble-level to make sure everything is straight. Also the Focus Pyramid has an interesting feature that the BLUE [] focusing mark in the middle actually turns into a perfect [ ] square is lined up correctly. Thanks so much for the comment Mike. Appreciate you taking the time!
Having issues getting my 24-70mm f2.8l to focus without being soft. Is there any alternative to shooting the pyramid?
+Antony Blair you can use a ruler at an angle and get close but the result will vary. The Focus Pyramid works because it's a constant so you don't hunt around trying to get the focus right.
The necklace on the mic.....
Sad. I know.
I make youtube videos (makeu tutorials /haul's). I have a Canon T5i and would like a lens that will give me the bokeh effect and also focus on products I put up close to the camera. What lens do you recommend? Thanks SO much!
I would suggestion a fast Macro Lens. Say 90mm or 100mm f2.8 for example. I own both and would work well for what you are describing.
actually this is not right - on any given focal length and focus distance the area still in focus in front of "perfect focus" and behind of "perfect focus" is not the same - In a normal scene it is more like 1/3 of the area in front should be in focus and 2/3 behind should be in focus - that is a fundamental optical princip of depth of field - Getting closer the ratio narrows but it stil favors the area behind the focus point - so the 20 on the scale and in front and the 20 in the back should not be equally out of focus either. You center line 0 should be tack sharp and some what more behind that line than in front should be in focus.
+Ruben Forlaget Rhodos Thanks for contributing Ruben.
+Ruben Forlaget Rhodos This was my first reaction to this method, you are correct with the 1/3 depth of field rule. In other words what +Joseph Cristina is teaching is not correct as the true focus point will end in front of where it really is if you follow the teaching in this video.
I feel like 95% of people don’t know wtf they’re doing with their cameras when anything remotely technical is involved. That’s fine if you’re starting out and still learning- but what’s with the hoards of shooters with $3-$4K bodies and another $6K-plus worth of lenses not having a clue about lens calibration, or what the “specs” (that they pay dearly for) actually *mean*? People treat photography like it’s an arts and crafts project. And where, on top of that, only a few people actually have an original idea-and rest are busy copying each other. “Just shoot at f/1.4. cuz it makes the background so artsy-blurry and apply the Lightroom present that has the low contrast sun flare option... whatever that means... and your wedding clients will... Totally. Lose. Their. Minds. OMG.”
What did you want to say with all this vomit?? Serious people are talking Focus adjustment here.
@Ruben Forlaget Rhodos Can this be done with 3rd party lenses? I am getting ready to buy a Sigma 50mm ART for my Canon 5D4. Thanks appreciated.
Why is not working on Canon 1200D? :(
:( I didn't realize that. Sometimes Canon does not put Auto-Focus Lens Calibration capability into their lower cost bodies sad to say. Their upper end cameras not only allows for 1 auto-focus lens calibration setting but two. Both Wide Angle and Telephoto calibration so you can really dial in focus at both ends of the focal range which is really fantastic! Thanks Thrasssh for commenting!
Can this be done with Nikon also
Absolutely. They call it AF Fine Tuning.
Not very well explained. Why did you do pics of the -5 -10 +5 +10? Are we supposed to adjust the camera for each of these?
Dial in so that the top 20 and bottom 20 are equally out of focus. Do the same for 10 and 5.
Thank you
You’re so very welcome.
I got my Canon 6D back from the repair shop last week. It needed a shutter replacement. Today I took it out for a critter drive. I saw a beautiful fawn with its mother. I took what I thought were going to be amazing shots. I got home and everything was off focus. So I figured something during the repair must have shifted and it just needed a little calibration... when I looked at the settings I saw all my micro-adjustments are set back to zero... for every lens I own... why would Canon delete all my micro-adjustments... I'm not looking forward to doing this again.
I bet they reset the camera and updated the firmware. I personally update my lens micro adjustment once a month of just before important shoots.
Nice explanation but too expensive cardboard, I think Gary Fong's diffuser was the greatest business until this, but there are free calibration charts to download or using a rule just putting the camera on 45 degrees.
Absolutely you can use a rule, 45 degrees is not the ticket, but it will get you close. The problem is consistency over time. I personally was never able to get the angles just right every single time. This device just takes the guesswork out of it an allows you to see changes in your lens calibration over the course of weeks, months or even years by providing that consistency. Thanks Alex for commenting and have a wonderful start of your November. Many blessings!
JCristina Thanks for your attention.
You said let's go and ended up the same place 😂😂 anyway very informative video...
:)
JCristina should make an updated video with the correct settings. A lot of people has seen this video and didn’t realized that those settings are wrong... the method to calibrate Is OK, but the settings are wrong...
+Javier Pineda Every lens will have different settings so I’m not sure what you’re referring to. Thanks Javier.
This makes me not want to shoot anymore.
😂
guess you can't calibrate the 50 lens
My advice is: sell your archaic DSLR and buy a mirrorless and forget about that nonsense back- and frontfocus problems.
Yeah yeah, I know it's not important and nobody cares but .... tacs are not sharp! They are pointy. ;)
🤣
Very nice, but why post a video to teach and not answer a single question?
As you see there are some that disagree. It would be helpful if you addressed that.
do you really need a bubble when the 5dsR has one but in? Why can we not use that one?
thanks
You can. Of course vi prefer analog but internal is good.
@@jcristina ok thanks