>Yes, that was my point..no matter how good the testing
>methods, there are going to be differences in AF Fine Tune
>values which are a function of f stop and focal length. It
>would be great if Nikon cameras allowed for different AF Fine
>Tune values at different focal lengths and f stops. With
>previous bodies I've never felt the need for it, but the
>D800/e resolves such amazing detail, that it would be nice to
>be able to do.
>
>Michael

On the main topic, I'm going to sit down and do some tuning today and I use Lens Align (and recently supplemented by their software). Thankfully my main job today is my 500mm prime (and TC14, TC17) so I don't have to deal with the zoom issue. Are you guys seeing large differences in optimum settings for example at 70 vs. 200mm on zooms? Surely the 200mm setting is the most important since the DOF will be narrowest there, so that's what I do. And likewise I just tune at the largest aperture, again on the theory that is the least forgiving.

I have been tuning all my cameras for years now, long before all this D800 AF business. Particularly with the 500mm being so unforgiving, that got me started way back when with my D300, then D700, D7000, D4, and now D800E. I also tune my 70-200 and 24-70 and my D800E is sitting at -5 in all but one case, even with TC14/17.

As an aside, I was processing some D7000 images today with 500mm and TC14 and boy is that tuning value at +10 sharp! I think when you have a good value dialled in, you really notice it on a long lens. It is much harder for me, evaluating real world images afterwards, to settle in on "did I really get a good value established" on shorter lenses like a 70-200.

Anyhow, my untuned D800E with 500VR has seen a lot of use already, is very sharp, and is delivering crazy resolution so I'm expecting modest adjustment values on the order of +5 for the TC14 and perhaps near zero on the TC17 and sans TC.

Best regards, SteveK

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