[DavidSKAF3]

The guy who sold me the 16-45 f/4 yesterday sent me a message saying that originally he used the lens with a K-7, and it delivered very sharp results.

But when he got the K-5, he said he did not get the best, expected sharp results with the same 16-45 until he made some camera setting adjustments.

Why would this be?

Do you feel you need to make deliberate changes to your camera's deeper settings depending on the lens? My instinct is to leave everything neutral. Actually I don't even know what my choices are. I guess I mean like deeper menu options for sharpness or contrast or whatever, not just shutter/aperture/focus parameters.

Or would this be just a K-5 thing with the 16-45 in particular? Or maybe his particular K-5 or 16-45 or whatever?

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Last edited by DavidSKAF3; 11-24-2013 at 06:48 AM.

[TenZ.NL]

I think he ment auto focus adjustment (menu C4, 26) because his combo was front- or backfocussing. I wouldn`t worry now, just go out and take some shots, if you feel your pictures aren`t sharp then you can allways fiddle around with the AFadjustment. For exact finetuning you would need a focuschart and a tripod.

[DavidSKAF3]

I think he ment auto focus adjustment (menu C4, 26) because his combo was front- or backfocussing. I wouldn`t worry now, just go out and take some shots, if you feel your pictures aren`t sharp then you can allways fiddle around with the AFadjustment. For exact finetuning you would need a focuschart and a tripod.

Well, if it turns out I need it, I do have a low-end Manfrotto travel tripod from Best Buy. I actually kind of like it, even though it's simple. Not many bells and whistles, just a lightweight durable tripod that collapses pretty small. Thanks for the reply!

BTW what is back-focusing? Are there places where you can get in trouble with the law if you get caught doing it? LOL

[baro-nite]

My 16-45 did not AF accurately (back focus) with my K10D. But when I got a K-5, no problems. I did not have to do any AF adjustment.

[TenZ.NL]

Well, I have a low-end Manfrotto travel tripod from Best Buy. I actually kind of like it, even though it's simple. Not many bells and whistles, just a lightweight durable tripod that collapses pretty small. Thanks for the reply!

BTW what is back-focusing? Are there places where you can get in trouble with the law if you do it? LOL

Should be enough. Here is some reading and a downloadable focuschart: Jeffrey Friedl's Blog
Front- or back focus is when you focus on a certain point but the camera/lens focus is a little off, no voyeurism involved here

You can read about in the link.

[DavidSKAF3]

My 16-45 did not AF accurately (back focus) with my K10D. But when I got a K-5, no problems. I did not have to do any AF adjustment.

Thanks for both those links to back focus explanation! It really explains the issue and is very helpful! I am new here and I am finding this site to be extraordinarily friendly and helpful! Thank you guys, so much! What about all those compact cameras I used to use? Do they have focus discrepancies nobody knows about from mass production?

[TenZ.NL]

Could be allthough you would have, in theory, less sample variation. DSLR`s are more vulnerable because of the very nature of the concept (changing lenses on a mount, all being loose parts and not nescessary produced or assembled at the same time) OTOH, most compact are dirt cheap and might be less carefully assembled then a DSLR I guess.

This is just guessing, I`m not into the assemblyprocesses of both types of camera`s.

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Last edited by TenZ.NL; 11-24-2013 at 07:30 AM.

[EarlVonTapia]

What about all those compact cameras I used to use? Do they have focus discrepancies nobody knows about from mass production?

Cameras with smaller sensors have a much larger depth of field. I will let a math nerd do all the calculating, but suffice to say, when you have a massive depth of field, front/back focusing issues just tend to not be noticed.

This is also why it's hard to get those fun depth of field effects with smaller cameras.

There's also the issue of manufacturing tolerances. Lenses have a range for their tolerances. So do the bodies. Combined, it can lead to noticeable front/back focus issues..

Here is my favorite article on the subject:

LensRentals.com - "This lens is soft" and other myths

I wouldn't worry too much about it. These issues are just a part of the game. I once bought a lens brand new that needed adjustment on my K30. Fed up with the hassle, I sold it at a loss. The buyer later reported to me that he tried it out on a few of his bodies and found no adjustments were needed. Go figure.

[DavidSKAF3]

Thanks for your comments. I find as I read about it that there's quite a lot of talk in particular about the 16-45's errant tendencies and design weaknesses. Going back a long ways!

Hope I get a good copy!