I took my D700 to the local official Nikon service for check, clean and adjustment because it front-focused with most of my lenses. In the service, both the mirror and the af mechanism were adjusted. Unfortunately, this had only a minor affect to the focusing and the problem remains. According to the service, the body is now in factory specs and the problem must be in the lenses. However, I find it hard to believe that most of my lenses are front-focusing quite a bit.
Below are the "Default" AF Fine Tune values that I am using with different lenses at different focal lengths at the moment. The lens specific values equal approx. 2.5 times these values, i.e., +20 at the maximum.
AF-S 24 mm 1.4G
24 mm, +3
AF-S 35 mm 1.4G
35 mm, +4
AF-S 85 mm 1.4G
85 mm, +6
AF-S 14-24 mm 2.8G
14 mm, +1
24 mm, +7
AF-S 24-70 mm 2.8G
24 mm, +8
35 mm, +3
50 mm, -1
70 mm, +6
AF-S 70-200 mm 2.8G VR II
70 mm, +3
85 mm, +1
105 mm, +2
135 mm, +3
200 mm, +6
I have obtained the values by the "Dot Tune" method and have checked them by other methods. Also, the values seem to work quite well in normal photography as well.
To me it looks like that the body must still be out of the specs. I mean, what are the odds that all the six lenses are front-focusing more or less in a similar way? However, to confuse more, I quickly tested the 35 mm and 85 mm primes with my father's old D40, and they looked like to front-focus with that body as well.
So, I am quite clueless what to do next. Should I take the lenses to the Nikon service? Or should I just keep using my gear with the above AF Fine tune values?
My concern is that after the service the lenses would be more messed up or hurt some other way.
I will most probably replace my D700 by the successor of D810. So, I might wait and reconsider the situation once I have the new body. On the other hand, the three primes are still under the warranty for a few days/months.
What would you do?
Best regards,
Tommi