Tamron tap in console .match to 5 cameras

[Pistnbroke]

just got the Tamron  100-400  and its real sharp at 400mm  so I got the tap in console to adjust the other focal lengths.
At 400mm the fine focus adjust was spot on or maybe +1.
So here is the problem no one has addressed ..what if you have 5 cameras and could use the lens on any?
Tell me if I am thinking straight....
Leave the lens with FFA on the tap in at  0 on 400mm. Adjust the FFA on the camera in the old way ..lets say +1.
Then do all the other  focal lengths and distances with the tap in. Camera still at +1
Check the FFA at 400mm on all the other cameras  ( -4 or whatever)  and the other adjustment should follow.

Good logic?

[ArendV]

You can only have one set of adjustments (3 focus distances x 1-6 focal lengths) in the lens entered via the Tamron Tap-in console.
So I would do the initial in lens calibration with the camerabody you intend to use most with the Tamron 100-400 via the Tap-in console with the AF fine-tune in camera at 0.
Then for other bodies you can check how autofocus is at your most used focal length and adjust AF fine-tune in camera if necessary.
An alternative is to average the in-lens adjustments for the two most used bodies with this lens, but I personally would not recommend that.
See Brad Hill's blog of 21 May 2017 where he balances the values for his Sigma 120-300 between two bodies. In that respect the Tamron Tap-in console and Sigma USB Dock are similar.
But actually with the results you are having now I would not worry too much.

[Pistnbroke]

What you are suggesting will not work ..I tried the D850 and it was +1  but the D7100 was +6.   Averaging is not any good as it leaves everything wrong and nothing right,
If I set the  D7100 to +6 and the tap in to 0 at 400mm then all the settings should be pulled  by 6 to match the camera  and pulled by 1 to match the D810.

Anyone else got a view

[Erik Lund]

You can only have one set of adjustments (3 focus distances x 1-6 focal lengths) in the lens entered via the Tamron Tap-in console.
So I would do the initial in lens calibration with the camerabody you intend to use most with the Tamron 100-400 via the Tap-in console with the AF fine-tune in camera at 0.
Then for other bodies you can check how autofocus is at your most used focal length and adjust AF fine-tune in camera if necessary.
An alternative is to average the in-lens adjustments for the two most used bodies with this lens, but I personally would not recommend that.
See Brad Hill's blog of 21 May 2017 where he balances the values for his Sigma 120-300 between two bodies. In that respect the Tamron Tap-in console and Sigma USB Dock are similar.
But actually with the results you are having now I would not worry too much.

This is the only possible work around solution - The lens is not 100 % compatible with Nikon obviously,,,

[David H. Hartman]

"tap in console" the most important camera. Do the best you can with the lessor important cameras using AF fine tuning in them. I think a compromise will suck for all cameras.

That's my 2 cents,

Dave Hartman

[Pistnbroke]

Thanks everybody ..we seem to agree that any sort of averaging will see nothing being right /everything wrong.
I can see no difference in  setting one camera at 0 and tap in all the settings  or adjust each camera FFA   for   0/400mm  and then tap in all the other settings.  If I take the first option I still have to do a camera  FFA at 400mm on the other 4 cameras
As clearly  400mm is the critical one I feel adjusting each  camera FFA to that is the best option.
Will let you know how it goes.

[Pistnbroke]

So this is what happened. Using the d7100 with Camera +7 FFA on the 400mm end.
I did the first set of focal lengths at 5ft and made adjustments ...all I can say is be bold if its front  focused put in -10 rather than -2 or you will be there all day. If -10 takes you twice as far as you need try -5 but if its not enough try -20. When you have the 5ft profile done you will see a pattern to it so when you go to the 11ft distance guess ..if it was -20 at 5ft its probably -15 at 11ft .If you don't do this you will be there all day. I did not find the doc movements caused as much change as on the camera FFA.
So with it all tapped in with settings from -20 to +4 I swopped to a D810.
This one needed camera FFA -1 at 400mm tap in on zero at 400 but all the settings from the D7100 remain.
Checked it out and all seemed to be fine.
Just got the other 3 cameras to set but only at 400mm and no tapping.

Saying the lens is not compatible seems wrong to me as the tap in console is there to make it 100% compatible....

[Tejpor]

You would need to calibrate your Nikon bodies by a Nikon authorized service center...

Only after that should you calibrate your lenses, and preferably not in the body!

[Pistnbroke]

Well I got a new test chart and doing it the way I was was not as satisfactory as I thought.
I re set the camera to 0 and then adjusted only the tap in ....only 3 figures needed to be inputted .
Problem is its not compatible with my other 4 cameras even if I move there focus adjust. Seems to be some adding and subtracting going on.
It has been suggested to move the default setting ....this is the amount of focus adjust applied to a lens not saved in the camera memory.
At present my head is all tapped out so will try this later .
As the console only adjust lens to match one camera I think the system is unsatisfactory  unless you have one camera only. Might ring Tamron..that should be fun.

[Pistnbroke]

LATEST CONCLUSIONS

Spent about 3 days on this and came up with the following conclusions.
Set the tap in to zero on everything. Use the camera FFA to find the right offset for each of the 15 offsets required by the tap and then enter them in.Set camera to zero. You can use the rear LCD to review many of the closer distances rather than going to the computer. Many readings will be zero .I only had to adjust 3. This is much faster than putting the lens on and off the tap about 45 times.
Now to the issue of multiple cameras ...I wrote to Mr Tamron ie The angry photographer and got this one line response...

You shouldn’t need the TAP console for one thing, just adjust each camera to the offset go to default as you judge is IN FOCUS

Now the English is wrong but if you change JUST to TO it makes sense.

So I took another D7100 and removed the 100-400 from the saved values list.
When you attach a lens not in the list you can use the default to swing the focus adjust.
As the tap had +10 @400mm I put in -10 and yes it was spot on.
Note the Default value is the one any lens not on the list is set to when attached.
I don't think the lens is making fine focus adjustments within the lens but telling the camera what settings to use as the focal length and distance varies.
this does not solve the problem of having two or more tamron tap in lenses and multiple cameras.

Hope this helps you all.

[Pistnbroke]

The very latest.

Gave up on the Tap in Console for the 100-400 and just used the old method  to set the fine focus adjust at 400mm infinity....Took it to the  Somme Estuary and it was fine. My wife loved it . Picture quality great equivalent to the  N 200-500 both at F8.
Now I can use it on all my cameras . Many days of wasted life given to this thing.