Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid
The SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid from Datacolor is a focus test chart, designed for use with select DSLRs that support autofocus adjustment. The chart allows you to test the autofocus accuracy of your camera, making it easy to fine-tune it for optimum performance.
The SpyderLensCal features a built-in level and tripod mount, allowing you to create precise testing environments. Cameras that support autofocus adjustments include the Canon 50D, 7D, 5D Mk II, 1D Mk III, 1D Mk IV, and 1Ds Mk III, the Nikon D300, D300s, D700, D3, D3s, and D3x, Sony A850 and A900, the Olympus E-30 and E-620, and the Pentax K20D, K-7, and K-5.
- Fast, easy solution for your interchangeable lenses and recent DSLR bodies provides razor-sharp auto-focusing, using modern DSLR autofocus micro-adjustment technology
- Compact, lightweight and durable, with integrated level and tripod mount, making this the most convenient way to adjust your own camera gear
- Save time and hassle of sending your equipment in for service. Now you can check or calibrate your own lenses
- Accurate and repeatable calibration of your lenses and recent DSLR bodies
- Worthwhile investment to ensure your camera is focusing your lenses as precisely as possible
| Requirements |
Camera with autofocus adjustment capability Partial List: Canon: 50D, 7D, 5D Mk II, 1D Mk III, 1D Mk IV, 1Ds Mk III Nikon: D300, D300s, D700, D3, D3s, D3x Sony: A850, A900 Olympus: E-30, E-620 Pentax: K20D, K-7, K-5 Please consult your owner's manual to see if your camera supports autofocus adjustment. |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 41 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
88%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Reliable (15)
- Easy to use (14)
- Small footprint (13)
- Lightweight (8)
- Compact (5)
Cons
- Small viewing area (3)
Best Uses
- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual user (5), Enthusiast (4), Photographer (4), Pro photographer (4), Photo enthusiast (3)
- Primary use:
- Personal (19), Business (8)
- Computer Platform:
- Mac (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (10)
Most Liked Positive Review
A Simple, Effect Focus Aid
The Spyderlnescal is a well-constructed, easy to use device to help fine tune the auto-focus systems on select DSLR's which have that feature. I found it very easy to set up and use with ...Read complete review
The Spyderlnescal is a well-constructed, easy to use device to help fine tune the auto-focus systems on select DSLR's which have that feature. I found it very easy to set up and use with a Nikon D300. The scale was clear enough that I was able to make fine adjustments just using the camera's rear screen.
The kit is all self-contained. It is constructed of heavy plastic which folds into position or flat for storage. It has a built-in bubble level and a brass 1/4-20 thread for a tripod. There is a product manual and a video on the Datacolor site for suggestions on using the Spderlenscal.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
It's okay. Poor instructions, expensive.
I bought this after reading about it in PDN magazine where they listed it as a new product and gave it a good review. I like it but it feels a little flimsy. The ...Read complete review
I bought this after reading about it in PDN magazine where they listed it as a new product and gave it a good review. I like it but it feels a little flimsy. The instructions are also very brief, so although they tell you how it works and how to use it, they don't go into much depth. It's easy to misinterpret the results based on the instructions provided. I found online tutorials to be more helpful. And, in fact, it was through an online tutorial that I learned this isn't really a necessary product to buy in terms of fine tuning your lenses.
YouTube's 'Nikon Help Hotline' channel has two extremely good video tutorials on AF fine tuning. (One focuses on lens sharpness and the other on fine tuning). Had I found these first I would not have spent the money on this product. The problem with this is that it's pretty expensive for what it is, and you can achieve the same thing with a basic ruler (as long as you know how. See aforementioned online tutorials).
The plus-side is that if you don't have the ruler and you want something that comes in a convenient package, this is a great tool to use. With that said, unless you know what you're doing and why, you may end up fine tuning incorrectly and making the lens less accurate.
I would recommend this tool if you want something convenient, but make sure you use it with complimentary instructions found elsewhere.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 41 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Compact
- Durable
- Easy to Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- For general photography
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
An excellent product, that helped me to adjust all my lenses, with very accurately. Very easy to use.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to Use
- Lightweight
Cons
- Flimsy Construction
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
- Travel
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Looks like this little device does the job it suppose to but it feels little cheep and plastic and it has manual missing, I had to look on their website to figure out all the steps how to calibrate my lenses.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to Use
Cons
Best Uses
- Landscape/Scenery
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Nifty gadget, certainly you could make your own, but at [$] worth the price.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
As a Canon user I am always concerned about the focus accuracy of my camera and lenses. The SpyderLensCal is an easy way to check both. I wish they had included a way to keep the camera and calibrator at 90 degrees, but that would have probably increased the cost.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to Use
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Easy to use.
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Camera Calibration
- Camera Maintenance
- Camera repair
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
This product has greatly increased my ability to capture just the right moment in perfect focus because now all my lenses are calibrated to the differences inherent in every lens/camera combination. I would recommend this small, inexpensive piece of equipment to anyone with a camera, regardless of whether it possesses the ability to be calibrated to lenses. Simply by knowing whether your favorite lens is just a little forward or backward of your autofocus can enable you to compensate and get the right shot at the right time.
I shoot infrared often so my lenses have to be calibrated for the different focal point for this spectrum. Only with the LensCal have I been able to get a true calibration for my lenses with all my camera bodies. I would certainly recommend this product to a friend or associate.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Reliable
Cons
- Lousy Instructions
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
The product worked as described. It's reassuring to know your lens focuses properly. The build quality is ok compared to the other brand which is cardboard. Why that company stopped making the previous version is anyones guess, maybe because it sold for [$]? For the [$] bucks the spyder costs its a good deal. My only complaint is the lack of decent instructions and what is available from Datacolor is a waste of paper, I'm sure they read the reviews especially those from B&H customers. For me it comes down to the math and common sense. I checked the calibration on my Nikkor 105 macro, it was spot on. To make sure I blew out the numbers in my D700's AF Fine tune. As expected the focus was out of whack on both ends of the scale. I brought the arrow back to zero and focus was fine. So it's one lens down and a bunch to go.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
- Poor information
Best Uses
- Very active photographers
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
SpyderLensCal is a good tool if you can get around the sales pitch, find the basic instructions and have a basic knowledge of technical photography. If you own one of the few cameras that have the capability of lens to film plane adjustments and if you work a lot on location were you bump and bang your gear constantly, it can be very useful. If you are an average weekend shooter, this tool is not for you, unless you like to play with toys. The pros: Once the pieces are in the correct place the correction process is quick, straight forward and accurate! The cons: The equipment comes with no manual, you have to download it from their web site, then the link to the manual doesn't work, your best bet is to Google SpyderLensCal, this will take you to the site where you can download a printable manual. The video is nothing but a sales pitch, telling you how "easy" it's to calibrate your lens, you will not miss anything by skipping it. Your best choice for camera to target support is a long table or any long surface that will keep your target and camera on the same plane, if you have "plenty of time" in your hands, you can use two tripods or a tripod and a light stand. Follow the basic instructions to focus on the target according to the lens that you are calibrating, then, you have to use the most important tool, (not included in the kit) "a tape measure". To fine tune your focusing you have to measure the minimum distance of the lens in use from the film plane (marked in your camera body) to the focusing plane of the target (the vertical face) with a tolerance error of no more than 0.25" in. After this, everything else is peachy. I would have given this tool a higher score, but the lack of proper instructions and the deceiving "anybody can do it" took some of the bang from it. I will recommend this instrument to people that have a good technical grasp of lens to camera relation. Definitively not for amateurs or photographers with no knowledge on the subject, at list, until you read a few things before diving in to it.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
- Setup
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Very helpful to get your lens calibrated to your camera. had issues with one lens and this helped improve the hit count. used it to calibrate the other lenses.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Reliable
Cons
Best Uses
- Macro Photography
- Portraits
- Studio
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
I always thought something was a little off with a few of my lenses. This solved the problem! It is easy to setup and use. All of my lenses are now calibrated to my cameras!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Easy To Use
- Folds away
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Home
- Portraits
- Studio
- Traveling
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Great product to perform AF adjustments. Easy to set up and much more accurate then the print your own found on the internet. Better instructions would have been appreciated, maybe a best practices or FAQ.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Reliable Performance
- Small Footprint
Cons
- Expensive
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
This product does what it is supposed to, and I like the features like a bubble level, a threaded insert to mount it to a light stand or tripod, and it folds flat for storage. But for [$], its overpriced.... $25 would be a much better price for this product
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Small Footprint
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Simple to use, seems to be effective.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Used to micro adjust my lens
Decent price,give it a 7 out of 10
not defined enough to get the detail i am looking for
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Small Footprint
Cons
- Difficult to use
- Small Viewing Area
Best Uses
- Lens Calibration
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
The best thing about using this tool to calibrate focus, was learning which of my lenses were off. I was happy to know that most of them did not require an adjustment.
The difficult part that requires lots of testing, is knowing if the changes you made are actually improving the focus accuracy.
My perception was that by using this device, you could easily see numerically, how much to adjust. You can't, and need to rely on your eye's ability to see where the sharpest parts are, and guess on how much to adjust in camera.
This is difficult to do, and made me feel as if I could have made things worse.
The instructions are weak and you need to rely on trial and error, and your own eye.
I wish the video tutorial gave us more details on how to interpret where the best focus is, and how much to adjust based on findings.
I'd feel more confident with my adjustments, if this were the case.
I felt it was worth the try, but I think lens focus calibration might just be better left for a professional who has experience.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Reliable Performance
- Small Footprint
Cons
- Small Viewing Area
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
The DIYers can definitely save the $ and build something themselves, but for me, I didn't have the time or inclination. Like many said - smaller than expected.
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to set up
- Good results
Cons
Best Uses
- Obvious
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
Used to calibrate my D300
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate
- Simple
Cons
- Guide lock cheap
Best Uses
- Check all your lenses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
I was able to re-calibrate my lenses, as they all seemed to be just "a little off" in focus. Since then, all my pictures are clear as a bell.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
This little gadget certainly gets the job done, but it's more flimsy than I was expecting. It's also like the Mona Lisa: in person, it's smaller than you'd expect. Personally, I would have found it more helpful had the incremental lines on the ruler been printed using thicker lines.Overall, it's very helpful calibrating the camera's AF system to my lens collection, but, now that I've seen it and spent a few minutes using it, I could have easily made something myself for the cost of a few index cards.If you have money to spend, it works as advertised, but I'd recommend saving your [$] for some other gadget and made a homemade rig for this task, instead.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Easy
- Reliable Performance
- Small Footprint
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Datacolor SpyderLensCal Autofocus Calibration Aid:
It was quick to set up and to check that all of my lenes were focusing correctly. Great not to ship my boby and lenes to a service center to have them calibrated.
- Primary use:
- Business
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Care & Cleaning
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- Original: $4.99
- Save: $0.50
- Price: $4.49
What's in the Box
- Quick Start Guide
- 1-Year Limited Warranty
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