Lens calibration, is it necessary or not?

Monday 5 February 2024, 16:08 by Nando Harmsen | 7,229 views | 6 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Every now and then, lens calibration comes up. But what exactly is it, and why would you do it? Is it only for DSLRs, or for mirrorless cameras too? Do you need to have it done, or can you do it yourself?

A camera with a lens is a precisely designed system. Everything needs to be perfectly aligned for the best results. Yet the focus point can sometimes be in the wrong place. If this happens now and then, it is probably down to the photographer. If it happens consistently, the system may have a deviation.

AF fine-tuning can shift the focus point. Only do this if the focus is always off.
This chance of deviation only really exists with DSLRs. This is because they do not focus on the sensor itself, but via a separate AF sensor. If you focus using live view, this deviation is virtually impossible.

A DSLR has a separate AF sensor.

If your focus is off, you will notice that the sharpness is always just in front of or just behind the focus point. This is called front focus and back focus. You can correct this using AF correction. This process has a different name for each camera brand.

• Nikon: AF Fine Tune
  
• Canon: AF Microadjustment
  
• Sony: AF Micro Adjustment
  
• Pentax: AF Adjustment
  
• Olympus: AF Focus Adjust
  

AF fine-tuning on a Canon camera.
You should realise that this is different from lens correction. Mirrorless cameras have little or no problem with front or back focus because they focus directly on the sensor. You will almost never find a correction option on these types of cameras.

You can correct front or back focus yourself with a few tools. It requires precision and plenty of patience. This is fairly straightforward with prime lenses, but more difficult with zoom lenses.

Deviation correction is only possible within certain limits. Is the focus so far off that you need to make more correction than the camera allows? Then the camera and lens need to be repaired.

In most cases, lens calibration is not necessary. If your photo is simply sharp where it should be sharp, you do not need to do this. It is also of no use if you always photograph with a large depth of field.

It is mainly useful when you work with an extremely shallow depth of field. And only when you notice that the sharpness is consistently off.

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