Hello guys! It's Guts from Pangolin Photo Safaris, and today we're going to talk about
how to get sharper images - out in the field - by using micro adjustments on your autofocus.
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All right! I just got back from a shoot, and I realised something...something is off.
I was shooting a little Malachite Kingfisher on my lowest f-stop.
I wanted to blur the background completely. The boat drifted quite close to the Malachite Kingfisher,
so I got very close. So I realised that my depth of field is becoming
shallower and shallower. I was focusing right on his eye and he was looking
towards me. Looking back at my pictures, I pickled up that more of his head is in
focus, and less of his beak. That means, my camera is actually back focusing a
little bit. You also get the opposite, where a camera would be focusing a bit more to
the front. Guys, please...this has nothing to do with a bad lens or a bad camera.
It's just quite often that the communication between these two, there is
some deviation...and there is a factory tolerance built-in for it. So, you just
need to go and make sure that you are 100% accurate. You need to go and micro adjust
your camera. So, how can I test whether I need back, or front focus, and micro adjustment?
Again, this is just a bush trick...there are a lot of amazing programmes out there.
I'm thinking of something like FoCal. You also have very
accurate testing methods, like Focus Pyramid Tool works well. The lensalign chart
works very well. But this is just something we use in the bush, and it's
helped me a lot, just to get out of trouble. So, what am I going to need to
test for micro adjustment? In all camps and lodges, you will find the following
equipment. Number one is a cup of coffee :)
Just to calm those nerves for getting all your images out of focus.
The next thing will be a ruler, or a measuring tape...and if you can't find that, a book,
a magazine...anything with some increments on it.
I found a measuring tape that I am going use for this demonstration. I am going to put
that on my coffee cup at a very steep angle towards my camera. Then, I am going to set my
camera up - as close as possible - that my lens can focus on maximum zoom...and on the
lowest possible f-stop. With this I am going to keep the camera on a tripod and
make sure all my image stabilizing, vibrating reduction, and all that is switched off.
I will then focus on a point on this measuring tape...in this case I am
going to choose 30cm. It's a nice contrasting bit that I will remember.
I will focus right on 30. Take a picture...and see where my focus is.
I am pretty sure after this morning's results, I am going to have a little bit of back focus
somewhere over here.
Let's give it a try...
Alright. I focussed on the 30, and after reviewing my image, I can see the focus
is just behind that. So, my feeling was correct...it's back focusing! Right, how do
we micro adjust the camera? On Canon, you go to menu. Press your Q button.
Look for your purple or pink setting, whichever way you want to see that.
Then, you search for 'AF microadjustment'. Click on that, and then
make sure you go to 'Adjust by lens'. The reason for that is, if you adjusted by
lens, is that whenever you put this lens back on your camera, that it will
remember your micro adjustment. Press info, and it will give you these two
settings...a 'W' and a 'T'. The W is for wide, when you zoom your lens completely back.
The T is for when you use telephoto - with your
lens zoomed in all the way. Click on that, and there can do some micro adjustment.
I am going to use four increments going towards my camera, because my
camera was doing a bit of back focusing. This is going be a trial and error guys.
You have to shoot and see whether this works for you. Let's give it a go!
All right...on -4, it's still a little bit back focusing, but much better!
So, let's go over a bit more. Now I am going to -8 maybe...there we go.
Oh no, that's a bit too much. You can clearly see now it's front focusing, which means I
need to go back a little bit, so maybe around 6. Let's go to 6.
Take another picture. Perfect! Exact! So, as you can see, it's a bit of trial and error...
but it's a very easy way to micro adjust your auto focus. There are a few things
that you have to remember guys. This is only for DSLR cameras. It's NOT for
mirrorless cameras. Also use a single focus point, otherwise it's going to be all
over the show...trying to focus on a very precise point. Make sure that your f-stop
is as low as possible. Put your camera tripod. Maybe use your timer,
so that there is no influence from you, whatsoever. To make sure that it's
100% still, when the picture is taken. Next time when you put this
lens back on this camera body, it will ask you...would you like to go to your
micro adjustment settings? ...and obviously, YES! When do you need to do this?
After every time your camera has been serviced or cleaned. I do it after every trip,
just to make sure my auto focus is spot-on. I hope this helps. A little bush trick...
out in the field.