microadjustment advise?

[SteenerMe]

Yo! I am curious about microadjustment.  I am shooting the 5D3 and get sharp shots most of the time but only get sick, tack unreal sharp shots say 1 of 50 if not more. Is this a need to microadjust? Is it possible to get that tack sharp focus more often.  To be the norm not every so often. Dont get me wrong the shots are def usable for my clients but for me the ones that just pop off the screen are what get me excited. And i do shot wide open to smaller aperatures and variable shutter speeds and have found no correlation as to when these amazing sharp shots happen. They are all over the board when it happens.  And this is with all my lenses.  Any advice is appreciated. Thx

[Mt Spokane Photography]

49 of 50 sharp images is a amazingly good result.  Lenses do not focus the same every time, even under perfect conditions, there is considerable variation.  This means that shots taken at close distances at wide apertures will show variation, so your microadjustment needs to be for the average case, and some images will be out of sharpest focus.
 

Here is one I took this morning just checking the focus accuract of my 100L at close distances.  I focused on the edge of the flower, and it is the only part in focus, which means its focusing fairly accurately.
 

 

[SteenerMe]

Im sorry but what i meant was I get 1 out of 50 or so that are insanely sharp. The rest are def very usable. You just know when its nailed and id like to see that much more often...

[RLPhoto]

NO.

[ajw123]

If you are concerned, i think there are some websites that show how to test if your lens is focusing correctly (e.g. http://regex.info/blog/photo-tech/focus-chart).  I don't know how valid these tests are, but they seem valid.

Let me know how it goes!

[canon816]

I would definitely recommend micro adjust, but also keep in mind that shutter speed and aperture also play a very significant role. 

I have several lenses that I can shoot wide open and get tack sharp results, but I also have some that I need to shoot at a smaller aperture to get the same crisp results.

I also shoot at faster shutter speeds then most.  The old saying is shoot at a shutter speed that is at least as fast as the reciprocal of your focal length.  I.E if you are shooting 200 mm.... shoot at 1/200 or faster.  I tend to shoot at speeds even faster then the reciprocal of my focal length and the percentage of tack sharp keepers went way up as well.

You can adjust the MA easily on your own for free or you can invest in some software.  I used to go down to the lake and get really low to the water and shoot moorings with the aperture wide open.  It is easy to see the line of focus against the water and this will roughly calibrate your MA.  Its not foolproof, but free.

I now use FoCal software.  It takes all the complications out of lens calibration and works like a charm.  It is the best calibration tool out there and at a fraction of the cost of Lens Align... (Which I don't recommend.  It is very difficult to use and takes FOREVER, IMO)

Good luck

[Astro]

well microadjustment is only really usefull for prime lenses... just as a reminder.

and you should see if you need microadjustment or not.
because the focus is slightly off then but other portions of the image are tack sharp.

if the whole image is not that sharp then it´s nothing you can cure with microadjustments.

[Jamesy]

I now use FoCal software.  It takes all the complications out of lens calibration and works like a charm.  It is the best calibration tool out there and at a fraction of the cost of Lens Align... (Which I don't recommend.  It is very difficult to use and takes FOREVER, IMO)

Good luck

What version of FoCal software do you use - there appear to be three versions; Standard, Plus and Pro.

[SteenerMe]

I will try out the focal. Thx. Not sure about it only being good for primes. Why would the 5D3 have it for both end of zooms then? Ill give it a shot regardless. Just looking to get the best product out of my gear.

[bkorcel]

You can use it on zooms...just remember that you calibrate on wide and tele.  Calibration in between will not always be accurate.  You can run a test mid way between to see what the value might be in caomparison to the wide and tele numbers.

Though honestly in wide zoom setting the DOF is so large that AMFA is not really needed unless your lens is WAY off spec.

I will try out the focal. Thx. Not sure about it only being good for primes. Why would the 5D3 have it for both end of zooms then? Ill give it a shot regardless. Just looking to get the best product out of my gear.

[Cfunkexplosion]

I'd also recommend the FoCal software.  I've found it pretty useful and worth the cost.  I'm using the pro version.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Im sorry but what i meant was I get 1 out of 50 or so that are insanely sharp. The rest are def very usable. You just know when its nailed and id like to see that much more often...

I use FoCal software, and have since January.  It will not only help you find the best AFMA point for your lens, but will let you see how much variation in focusing accuracy it has.  If there is too much, a trip to repair is likely needed.
 
There are other factors affecting focus as well.  For example. wide open lenses need AI Servo and not one shot AF set.  No one is perfect, and with the very shallow depth of field, just leaning forward or backwards a tiny amount will affect sharpness, while AI Servo will adjust for that.

[canon816]

I now use FoCal software.  It takes all the complications out of lens calibration and works like a charm.  It is the best calibration tool out there and at a fraction of the cost of Lens Align... (Which I don't recommend.  It is very difficult to use and takes FOREVER, IMO)

Good luck

What version of FoCal software do you use - there appear to be three versions; Standard, Plus and Pro.

I use the Pro Version.  It gives you more information and access to analysis results along with many other testing parameters and options.  (Still easy to use and has the fully auto test, just gives you more to work with) (the 5DIII isnt fully automatic but still allows you to perform the same test but you just need to manually adjust the MA.  Turns a 2 minute test into 4 minutes... so no biggie)

[canon816]

well microadjustment is only really usefull for prime lenses... just as a reminder.

and you should see if you need microadjustment or not.
because the focus is slightly off then but other portions of the image are tack sharp.

if the whole image is not that sharp then it´s nothing you can cure with microadjustments.

Not true at all.  The AFMA works just fine with zoom lenses.  You just calibrate it at max zoom, which is where your DOF will be the narrowest.  It wont matter if it is off a little at MIN Zoom because at shorter focal lengths the DOF is so much larger that it will be a non issue.    Also, the 5DIII allows you to AFMA for both ends of a zoom lens.

[Jamesy]

Does the FoCal software tell you what parameters to put in the camera once its tests are complete?