Very impressed with old version 28-75 F2.8 tamron on my D700

[Stany Buyle]

I bought this lens with a Fuji S5pro. On my S5pro it was very bad, totally soft, every picture OOF...
I tried it on my D700, and as it was better though still bacfocusing badly, I was trying to optimise while using the D700 AF fine tuning.
After some tests I came on a value of -15 in-camera AF ajustment, and now I get very sharp images, even @ F2.8.
Another thing that amazes me is that the AF speed of this old version, which has no built-in AF motor like the new A09NII version has, focuses and locks focus way faster than the new version....
Will post some samples soon...

[Leen Koper]

Dear Stany, would you be so kind as to either publish on this forum or tell me privately how to adjust the D700 to a lens?
My manual is in storage as I am reconstructing my studio, and I don't know in which box....

[Stany Buyle]

http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf

Dear Stany, would you be so kind as to either publish on this forum or tell me privately how to adjust the D700 to a lens?
My manual is in storage as I am reconstructing my studio, and I don't know in which box....

Setup menu> Fijnafstelling AF(Nederlandse menu) or AF Fine tune(English menu)
set "Fijnafstelling ON/OF to "ON" //// set "AF Fine tune" to "on"

Goto "Opgeslagen waarde" or "saved value"

and start to try, on tripod, to a fixed subject or an AF ajust printed file as you find one copy here. With this copy you can set your camera to 45° to the paper.
Another option is to buy the lens align system.

When i see severe back-front focusing, I first start extreme: 1 shot with -20, one with +20.
!!! DO NOT FORGET TO CLICK "OK" after each setting you try !!!
When it's clear back or frontfocusing I start shooting again in a closer margin, f.i.:
One shot @ -20, one @ -15, one @ -10, one @ -5, one @ 0.
Check in what margin your results are the best...

Next step: after you know it's f.i. between -15 and -10 :
Take one shot @ -10, one shot ,one shot @ -12 ,one shot @-13 ,one shot @ -14 ,one shot -15 ...
Check sharpness and save.

Your D700 will recognize the lens you mount and automatically apply the AF ajustment until you would change it.
Under "Opgeslagen waarden tonen" you can see the ajustments.
If your body shows the same back-front focusing with every lens you can set your standard to f.i. -1 or +1...

Important notice for your testshots:
Let your camera re-focus before every test picture.
Set your lens wide open.

For checking/comparing the test images:
1.Rename your testshots as follows:
01-28-75-af-20 ("01" as the number of your testshot, "28-75" as the lens you test for AF accuracy and "-20" as the in camera ajustment)
02-28-75-af-19
03-28-75-af-18
etC...

2.Copy the images to a file on your HD

3.After that compare the pictures in ViewNX while setting the view to 100%

Underneath a picture of my AF-chart setup.
The left part of my focus test chart I found here: http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf
on this website: http://www.focustestchart.com/

The backfocus chart I found @ http://www.inconceivableproductions.com ... loads.html



Hope this helps...
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[Leen Koper]

Sounds rather easy. One of these days I will calibrate my D700 to all my lenses. A lot of work, but definitely worth it.
Thanks a lot.

(Usually I only seldom read the manuals of the cameras I own; I just only do it when I there is obviously a problem....)

[Stany Buyle]

[Guy Van Hooveld]

I am not surprised, the Tamron 28-75 has been my bread and butter lens for some time, because the Nikkor was not available when I got my D3. I still use that lens a lot when I don't want to carry the weight of my pro lenses. As you, I had to use the AF tuning to get sharp pictures fully open @75mm. With the proper adjustment, the IQ is on par with the 24-70 2.8, the only issues are a rather slow focus and 28mm is not as wide as 24mm, other than that, highly recommended !

[pam.meier]

I had bought a Tamron 28-75/2.8 last year for the Sony mount. I was warned that it is very hard to get a centered one and in fact I had to send it back as it was still visibly decentered at f8. I then had to spend a lot of money on a Zeiss 24-70/2.8, but never regretted it.

Stany, congrats for having a good copy! Your focus chart looks like a home-made version of Lens Align light. I use it and it makes calibrating your lenses very easy! I´m not patient, so a do-it-yourself version is not for me ;)

[Stany Buyle]

My D700 AF fine tuning method, step by step...:
http://www.fotografie.fr/fotoforum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=482