LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

I am blown away. Now I realise why I have not been able to achieve critically sharp focus in many images shot wide open. Michael Reichman addresses this issue very coherently at the Luminous Landscape. As an indication of how out of whack certain combinations of lens and body are, see the following corrections that I had to make to three Nikon bodies and the Nikkor 200mm f/2.

D700 -14
D700 -11
D800E -16

All my other lenses have needed smaller adjustments (every single one of 21 combinations of camera and lens has been a back focus issue!) but the D800E needs significantly more correction than the two D700s. Mind you, a particular challenge is how to deal with zoom lenses. The Nikkor 70-200 and D800E partnership needs -15 at 200mm and -8 at 70mm. Hmmmmm. I still haven't decided what setting to use. Another issue yet to be checked with such large adjustments to correct for back focus Is whether or not focus at infinity can still be achieved.

So there is still some work to do. But I cannot recommend this bit of kit highly enough. If I could give 10 stars I would.

One recommendation.......don't rely on live view. Instead, do take a range of images with a number of variations of off focus starting point and view at 1 to 1 in Lightroom or an equivalent. It is quite clear that there is a significant amount of error between successive images in terms of focus point achieved. Therefore, in order to get a statistically meaningful mean/average I found that I was having to average out 10 images or more for every adjustment. Yes, this is a tedious process but if you are keen on image quality then there is no alternative, except maybe lose your entire camera system whilst the OEM deals with the matt for you.

Best investment I have made in any photographic tool or device. Many thanks to Michael Tapes.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

I rented this item along with several lenses for 3 big commercial shoots 2 weeks ago. To my surprise, the AF on the three lenses was off by quite a bit.One lense was actually back-focusing by 2 inches...hmm. I learned that my camera body was back-focusing by about 1 inch across the board and applying that to any lens attached!These 3 lenses were Nikon's prime glass averaging about $1600 each. The lesson I learned is that all lenses, regardless of manufacturer, may have build tolerances. This build tolerance also applies to the camera body AF system...so both lens and body need calibration.I suspect that zoom lenses would benefit the most from a LA calibration, so much glass to move around. Rental lenses also get more use and abuse.The LensAlign is very easy to use as long as one doesn't follow the LA manufacturers instructions. As others have noted, the instructions are UNNECESSARILY complicated and misleading. Just Google reviews and watch the Luminous Landscape Video review article....so much easier.I setup the LA on a lightstand and camera on a ballhead tripod. Just shoot tethered to a laptop/desktop screen for easy "live" adjustments. The whole process took about 1 hour for 5 lenses.Afterwards, always be sure to shoot a few images with each lens to confirm and verify lens/body combo is shooting as sharp as possible before doing paid gigs..right?ALL my lenses are now razor sharp and I have piece-of-mind that AF is working as it should.All the lens adjustments are stored in the camera body by lens serial number. So when you attach the lens, the camera body retrieves your fine-tuned AF adjustments on the fly. Couldn't be more simple.I took 1 star off for the new construction of the MK2 version. The unit I rented was the older and much stiffer construction MK1 model. Never the less, the new version works just great and the ruler is probably easier to read over the older model.Oh yeah, the new one costs less too! Highly recommended for the pro.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

Honestly, it feels like this device is way more expensive than it's worth. You put together the apparatus yourself, so it seems there can be minor variations in how well it's assembled that can affect results. The system comes with only assembly instructions, and no usage instructions(!). It's really disappointing you have to scour the internet to actually find instructions.

When it comes to the actual calibration, I was left wondering whether or not the measurement was even really accurate or not.

Overall, great idea, poor execution (dubious reliability and construction), coupled with a high price. Not recommended.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

I had thought about buying the preceding model of the LensAlign, but could never talk myself into it. I was recently doing some product photography and started to suspect that one or two of my lenses (the ones I was using) were front-focusing on my D300. The LensAlign confirmed my suspicion and I was able to dial in the right adjustment. It was easy to construct from the new flat-pack design. My only complaints would be (1) the numbers on the ruler scale do not necessarily correspond to the increments in your camera's lens adjustment dialog (I wouldn't expect them to, since I'm sure every adjustment-capable body is different, but a table online that contains conversion factors would be helpful), and (2) glare on the ruler surface in certain lights (it does say in almost the last assembly instruction step to remove a protective layer of something from the ruler, but I couldn't see one and there was no 'pull tab' for it, so I skipped that step and only noticed the glare in certain light). Bottom line: it removed most of the guesswork from fine-tuning my lenses for my camera body.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

I purchased the product to use for my telephoto lenses but found that it does not work well when used for anything but prime lenses,, I returned the product with no problems which I am thankful for,, I can recommend the item for prime lenses though

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

In brief, the LensAlign tool is useful, albeit rather expensive, if one has only casual for its function. If one is checking several lenses, it is very convenient. For casual use, it would not be difficult to jury-rig something to provide a similar function from a well imprinted ruler and a decent target on which to focus. The LensAlign offers additional value in the kinds of marking on the ruler that make it easier to locate the actual focus position.

The biggest weakness of the LensAlign is the simplest to remedy: The documentation is quite poor, and even misleading. Taking it literally will make life much harder than it needs to be. One of LensAlign's claim to fame is cute trick to help assure that the plane of the test is perpendicular to the line of sight from the camera. Unfortunately, the documentation does not really describe how to use the trick! See the "How to use it" tab on the web site http://michaeltapesdesign.com/lensalign.html.

Much is made of the need for the plane of the target surface of the LensAlign to be parallel with the image plane (sensor or film plane) of the camera. This is true, but for the setup recommended (reproduction rations of 1:25 to 1:50) and the small size of the LensAlign itself, this is a non-issue.

Here is a Quick Start Manual:
* Place the LensAlign on tripods and adjust the height of the center of the large circular target and the center of the camera's lens are the same.
* Place the LensAlign and camera positions so that the two are a reasonable distance apart. See the Distance Tool on the above web site. For a 35 mm camera frame, the default is a reproduction ratio of 1:25.
* Face the LensAlign so that its target face is approximately perpendicular to the line of sight to the camera
* Point the camera so that the lens approximately points to the large target circle
* Use a level to get the target face of the LensAlign to be vertical and the axis of the lens horizontal.
* The Missing part: Sight from the back through the pair of holes at the center of the large circular target and adjust the orientation of the Lens Align so that the camera's lens is centered in the view. To do this, begin with the eye close to the back of the Lens Align for a coarse adjustment and then back away to narrow the field of view to improve the alignment.
* The Misleading part: Adjust the lens align so that BOTH holes, front and back, are visible by the camera. This is a very sensitive adjustment that the LensAlign is pointing at the camera. However, it does NOT assure that the camera is pointing at the LensAlign. Very large misalignments of the camera are possible that keep those two holes aligned. You are reduced to centering the large target in the camera's field of view to get the camera pointing at the LensAlign.
* Focus the camera on the targets of the LensAlign. Either do this manually or BE SURE that the auto focus is really choosing the targets on the LensAlign, or the whole process will be corrupted. For a reproduction ratio of 1:50, it may be a bit of a challenge to get a camera's automatic focus on the target and not be confused by other things, such as the measuring scale.
* Take photos and proceed as described on the web site.

The sparse documentation explicitly says that LensAlign cannot be used with a rangefinder camera (e.g. Leica MP), but this is not correct. The procedure above will work very nicely. It is true that you cannot sight through the two alignment holes of the LensAlign with the camera, but that is not needed. What is true is that using the LensAlign in macro-mode will not work, but that is a completely different problem.

If one wants to test lenses in macro mode, where the dept of field might be only a few mm, then a more elaborate procedure is needed than that described above. In that case, the more complex procedure of the web site comes into play, and the cute part of seeing the 2 holes from the camera comes into play. Still the procedure does not assure that the image plane is accurately parallel to the LensAlign plane, as described above. In addition, it is not clear that the construction of the LensAlign is accurate enough to assure measurements of depth of field to within a few mm. The rectangular structure is not very rigid. If millimeters really count, a more robust instrument is probably needed, like a tool that Edmunds Optical offers, although that is much more expensive than the LensAlign.

Bottom Line: Use with the Quick Start and you will be happy.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

I am yet to calibrate all my long lenses but having done my 300mm i found it a bit fiddly (and need a bigger house to do my 600mm in doors)I am not sure i can see much difference but for the cost its cheap to check all is well.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

The LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System works, and it works well. I thought it would be difficult to set up, but that was not the case. It setup quickly and provided the necessary information to insure my lenses were in proper focus, or if not, I was able to quickly calibrate my camera (Nikon D300) to that particular lens so I would get sharp images every time. By capturing the alignment images and saving them, I can compare the lenses in the future to see if anything changes. I do recommend tethering the camera and using an external monitor for best results, but that is not necessary. I have recommended this item to members of my camera club.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

It looks fragile when you grab the parts to mount it but it's a masterpiece of engineering/design. The TPA makes life easier and it's the reason I bought it over the competitors (actually I bought the competitors version but as there is no way to guarantee the parallel alignment with your camera sensor, I think it is useless).
The packaging is small considering its size.
It takes some time (and space) to check/calibrate everything.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

In using this product, I learned some of my high aperture lenses do in fact need micro-adjustment when used on my camera body. Given the importance of achieving optimal image sharpness, not to mention the high cost of lenses, I think a product like this is highly worthwhile and reasonable value.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

this is an excellent tool to properly calibrate the focus on wide aperture lenses, like the 85/1.4 or 50/1.2, where half an inch makes the difference between a perfectly focused picture and a completely blurred one.

The MkII improves on the old design by forcing a parallel alignment of the lens to the target - there are two holes on the target, and you can only see the correct spots on the back plate if the lens is perfectly parallel to the target. then you make AF microadjustments in the camera (for Nikon at least; I have no experience with Canon's cameras) until you see the proper focus and the depth of field around it. When properly focused, there should be a bit more depth behind the focus point than in front of it.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

The product is easy to assemble and after watching the tutorial video on-line using it was a breeze. I have tried alternative free methods of micro-adjusting my lenses (file size of a photo or interference pattern on the LED screen) but finally decided to bite the bullet - this thing is worth its weight in gold. My EF 1.8 had to be adjusted by -10, EF 24-105 by -3, and as a result I get much sharper images. The bottom line I am a much happier photographer and [$] is a small price to pay. I am giving it 4 stars because it ought to be made of plastic. Regardless, it works well.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

The quality is not very good for the price and it doesn't come with instructions on how to use it only how to assemble it. You have to go to there web site for the instructions. If I had it to do over again I would not waste my money!

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

it's a useful product, but the material is not sturdy enough and too small to see even in live view 10x zoom mode (with correct measurement distance that i got from other sources). very limited instructions manual.
its easier to use it on top of small tripod with center column :)

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

easy to use, accurate and reliable. perfect for the professional photographer kit.

in 10 minutes I set focus to three lenses.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

I was able to use a LensAlign MkII to calibrate the focus on my fixed focus length lenses. When I tried it on my zooms I found that my D300 front focused on one end of the zoom range and back focused on the other so I left the focus adjustment setting at 0. It's great for fixed focus length lenses, not so much with zooms.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

Nice lens calibration system. Easy to use and setup. Instructions could have been a bit clearer on testing. Specifically on zoom lenses. Website doesn't really give you an idea of which focal length (or multiple) or a good attack on zoom lenses.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

Sent it back with out using it. I expected a precision metal device that was built and ready to use. Instead, it is a knock-down needed to be assembled mostly card stock device. Definitely not worth[$]. $15 bucks maybe.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

I was amazed on how off the calibration was on several of my lens'. Now if I don't take a sharp image, it's photographer error.

Comments about LensAlign MkII Focus Calibration System:

Before I ordered the LensAlign MkII, I went to a local shop with the intention to buy the Datacolor SpyderLensCal. It was cheaper, had a bubble level and folded neatly. However, at least the one in the store was sloppy and would not stay properly aligned. The target plane and the zero point on the ruler would not stay lined up and it was obvious that the slightest breeze would throw it out of adjustment if it were used outside.

I assembled the LensAlign MkII with no problems, watched the videos on the website, checked the distance recommendations and got to work on my Canon 7D and four lenses. I dialed in everything from a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM to a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM. It worked great. The only downside is that it feels like it would not take repeated assembly and disassembly. It's also highly priced for a one or two time use. This is probably best for a group of folks to split the cost and share.