Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 105mm f/1.4E ED, focusing issue

[Bjørn Rørslett]

.. and use the AF-ON function.

[Akira]

.. and use the AF-ON function.

How does it differ from the half-pressing of the release button?

[Michafoto]

Thank you very much for the replies, yes I've used AF-S, but my wife didn't move at all and the speed was 1/1250s so a tripod would have been obsolete, I am photographing professionally for 13 years and the lens should have nailed it handheld. The focus was always straight on the face. And I took hundreds of images with that combination and the result was always the same, the right side was always out of focus. I really appreciate your input and suggestions, I will give Nikon the body with the lens and see what they come up with. And Bjørn I will try out the AF-ON function, thank you so much again!!

[Michafoto]

... and I did always half-press of the release button in between the shots as Akira suggests.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

How does it differ from the half-pressing of the release button?

Providing complete freedom as the lens only will focus on your command and has no volition of its  own (or induced by the shutter release the next time you touch that button). Use in conjunction with AF-C for the smoothest and most fluid operation.

It's an enigma to me why the AF-ON mode isn't a default on the 'pro' class cameras. I have used this mode all the time the functionality has been present on my Nikons.

[Erik Lund]

Thank you very much for the replies, yes I've used AF-S, but my wife didn't move at all and the speed was 1/1250s so a tripod would have been obsolete, I am photographing professionally for 13 years and the lens should have nailed it handheld. The focus was always straight on the face. And I took hundreds of images with that combination and the result was always the same, the right side was always out of focus. I really appreciate your input and suggestions, I will give Nikon the body with the lens and see what they come up with. And Bjørn I will try out the AF-ON function, thank you so much again!!

Well, IMHO you are wrong.

The lens has almost flat field focus, so when you rotate your body to recompose the camera the focus will be off.

If you don't rotate but take a step to the side, well focus will also be off.

[Erik Lund]

... and I did always half-press of the release button in between the shots as Akira suggests.

Yes this is the problem.

He doesn't suggest to work with half pressing! He ask what is the difference to using the AF-On button on the rear of the camera,,,

[Frank Fremerey]

In lens testing., most people "forget" about the camera. You probably have a slightly warped lens mount, perhaps not out by more than 2 or 3 times of the (very) small allowable margin. This small error would go unnoticed with most lenses. Yet this deviation is sufficient to create issues with such a fast, super sharp lens such as the 105/1.4

NPS replaced several mounts on my cameras and lenses. Because I do not use Zoom lenses (I am too stupid for these complex machines) the lens mounts see a lot of wear.

[Erik Lund]

How does it differ from the half-pressing of the release button?

We had a very long talk about this recently here:

http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,4261.msg66034.html#msg66034

AF-S is fully Ok to use as well, of course, when you know the lens and the optical properties of it fully,,, The thread that I link to gives a good perspective on what this is about.
I have recently heard that Nikon might have incorporated some 'automatic' compensations in the AF-system to account for focus shift,,,
Also works on the AF-buttons on the long tele-lenses and the two 70-200 AFS, VRI and VR III

BTW the reason for me not to use the AF-On in the 'old days' was that VR would not activate until you pushed the shutter on the front, then the VR would not have time to kick in and settle before the shutter would fire, all new bodies after the D800 now work correctly, activating VR on the AF-On button,,,

[Michafoto]

Thank you very much Erik, I do appreciate your suggestions very much! I always thought that half pressing the button again will re-focus. I've got a very busy week ahead, a 4 day commission about how the Brexit affects EU nationals from the financial sector in the UK, so many portraits where I can try out the lens again

[Frank Fremerey]

... just out of curiosity, does anyone else experience the same issues with this lens, meaning that it is not entirely sharp in some areas on the edges of the focusing field? Thanks

My 105E works flawlessly well on all three bodies: D3, D600, D500.

[Erik Lund]

Thank you very much Erik, I do appreciate your suggestions very much! I always thought that half pressing the button again will re-focus. I've got a very busy week ahead, a 4 day commission about how the Brexit affects EU nationals from the financial sector in the UK, so many portraits where I can try out the lens again

You are more than welcome.

Use AF-C and keep within the sensor area, luckily the D810 has plenty of Pixels to crop from without loosing much!
Use AF-On only if you feel you have good coordination between thumb and shutter finger,,,

I'm sure you'll be more than happy with the lens as is - It's a mighty fine one.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I applaud that sentiment.

What people now experience is how current lens technology really pushes the envelope and the fail-safe margins almost vanish. For those of us shooting with say the Noct-Nikkor all this is old news.

One really needs to learn one's lenses to the max.

[CS]

We had a very long talk about this recently here:

http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,4261.msg66034.html#msg66034

AF-S is fully Ok to use as well, of course, when you know the lens and the optical properties of it fully,,, The thread that I link to gives a good perspective on what this is about.
I have recently heard that Nikon might have incorporated some 'automatic' compensations in the AF-system to account for focus shift,,,
Also works on the AF-buttons on the long tele-lenses and the two 70-200 AFS, VRI and VR III

BTW the reason for me not to use the AF-On in the 'old days' was that VR would not activate until you pushed the shutter on the front, then the VR would not have time to kick in and settle before the shutter would fire, all new bodies after the D800 now work correctly, activating VR on the AF-On button,,,

WRT your comment about "the old days", does that include the D200 and or the 18-200 and 12-24 zooms? Using the AF-ON button with that gear could interfere with the VR function by not allowing time for VR to lock on? 

[Ilkka Nissilä]

You could still press and hold AF-ON, then press and hold shutter button half way and let the VR settle, finally press it all the way to get the shots. I never felt this was an issue, it allowed the user to lower the battery consumption during focus tracking by electing not to use VR until it was time. But then I guess they realized VR helps with focus tracking by helping the user keep the focus point steady, so it was then changed so that VR is activated at the same time the autofocus is initiated.

I prefer to use AF-ON to initiate AF because it allows modeless use of the camera; no switches to press to access manual focus, or AF on a static or moving subject. Always the same settings. The main drawback is that if a thumb button is used as AF-ON, the active focus point can't be moved by hand during tracking. However, I prefer focus to be independent of shutter button so I don't have to juggle between AF-C, AF-S, and MF. Also on tripod when photographung a static scene I cannot tolerate AF kicking in by accident after I have set up everything and want to take the shots.

Today one can program AF-ON on the lens buttons and front side Fn buttons so the thumb can be set free to move focus point around. However this is a bit too complicated to master for me, having used the cameras in a certain way for more than a decade...  I guess the lens buttons on the new 70-200 will motivate me to experiment.