Need help nikon AFS-D 300 f2.8 MK2

[oddb1ts]

Hi all
Looking for some help, I just bought a used nikon afs 300 2.8 ED mk2 , Not sure if it is me or the lens  .
Anyone have any problems with auto focus hit and miss ?.. been testing and i can not get 3 shots sharp in a row , on a D500 i tested with no micro adjust got ok pictures , so set about adjusting the camera to lens ,
First few shots were set at -1 and seemed to be good till i got to the computer ,  sharp then soft then sharp , this was with my tripod and ball head , so went and got my gimbal thinking it was the ballhead ?
Same thing sharp then soft ?. so setup a few targets and tried again to adjust the camera , this time i got nice sharp pictures at -4 , Back to my garden hide , and a few pictures later sharp and soft ?.
I added a 1.7x teleconverter and with 0 micro adjust i got some good pictures ?..

I get the lens set and something seems to move ?. and loose focus ?.. my 300 f4 afs is tack sharp with a micro adjustment of +20 ,and i know if i get a soft shot it was my fault ..
But this 300 2.8 has me beat . what should i try next ?.

many thanks..

[MEPER]

What if you use "live view" to focus?

I have some back focus problems with my AFS 35/1.8 DX on my D5200 if I used the viewfinder but using "live view" focus was always spot on.......
I know it is a totally different lens but maybe similar problem?

Using Z50 focus is spot on...... which is probably similar to use "live view" on SLR.

[oddb1ts]

Thanks , will give this a try ..

[Wally]

I assume your camera's AF mode is set to AF-S not AF-C?

[oddb1ts]

[quote author=oddb1ts link=topic=9800.msg166563#msg166563 date=1610564507, on a D500 i tested with no micro adjust got ok pictures

I assume your camera's AF mode is set to AF-S not AF-C?

i always use af-c for birding ,but yes switched to af-s and it is the same,?. it is so hit and miss , 
Set it up in doors last night , then changed to my 300 f4 took 4 pictures of items , the 300 f4 was sharpest but hard to tell the difference ?. the focus looked to be the same on both lens ,but one picture from the 2.8 missed focus slightly ? so tried it again and 1 out of 4 was out of focus ?.  With the f4 all were in focus.
-4 seems to be the optimum setting for the 2.8 ?.  will go out the backyard today and try at longer distances , if it still misses it will go back to the shop.

[Birna Rørslett]

You do have the AF point(s) placed in the proper location within the frame? Remember the camera really doesn't *know* what image sharpness entails -- only about maximising a contrast function.

[oddb1ts]

You do have the AF point(s) placed in the proper location within the frame? Remember the camera really doesn't *know* what image sharpness entails -- only about maximising a contrast function.

Yes thanks . locked to centre for the tests..

[Erik Lund]

Please share some images of how you 'test' and the results, will make it much easier to comment and help 

[golunvolo]

Following the thread because I have a similar problem with the 2.8vrII version. The more I use it, the more accurate it becomes. It doesn't like to sit around idle... Maybe they both need cleaning/lubbing/adjustment of the motors or af system?

[Erik Lund]

If the lens sits on a shelve or what ever i might stiffen up and become unreliable or end up outside the parameters of the 'self' calibration area.

You can take the lens to Nikon Service to have them calibrate the lens, an also the camera in question,,,

All sorts of things can happen over time and one is the SWM focus motor, the surfaces degrade or get 'dirty' over time of course dependent on what environment it has been exposed to,,,

Here is Nikons how to:

https://nps.nikonimaging.com/technical_solutions/d500_tips/af/auto_af_fine-tuning/
Nikon AF cameras always priorities to get the sharpest possible result and that is when the AF sensors see best peak sharpness.

Regardless of : Depth of Focus and Depth of Field.

In the software/firmware there are of course several rules build in for how the camera and lens software interpret the data and how the mechanical and electronics behave.

Also lenses have very different rendering in front of the focus plane and behind the focus plane so really tricky for the camera to guess where to compensate,,,

Using Live view is also an option, but often I am shocked at how narrow Depth of Focus is for the high mega pixel cameras!
Tripod setup must be quite stable, since the whole procedure involves touching buttons unless someone can figure out how to do it remotely

Good AF target and parallel to the sensor

Sensible distance from camera to target

[oddb1ts]

If the lens sits on a shelve or what ever i might stiffen up and become unreliable or end up outside the parameters of the 'self' calibration area.

You can take the lens to Nikon Service to have them calibrate the lens, an also the camera in question,,,

All sorts of things can happen over time and one is the SWM focus motor, the surfaces degrade or get 'dirty' over time of course dependent on what environment it has been exposed to,,,

Here is Nikons how to:

https://nps.nikonimaging.com/technical_solutions/d500_tips/af/auto_af_fine-tuning/
Nikon AF cameras always priorities to get the sharpest possible result and that is when the AF sensors see best peak sharpness.

Regardless of : Depth of Focus and Depth of Field.

In the software/firmware there are of course several rules build in for how the camera and lens software interpret the data and how the mechanical and electronics behave.

Also lenses have very different rendering in front of the focus plane and behind the focus plane so really tricky for the camera to guess where to compensate,,,

Using Live view is also an option, but often I am shocked at how narrow Depth of Focus is for the high mega pixel cameras!
Tripod setup must be quite stable, since the whole procedure involves touching buttons unless someone can figure out how to do it remotely

Good AF target and parallel to the sensor

Sensible distance from camera to target

Hi thanks , will post pictures when i get the chance,
Tried again today , lens must be faulty , settings is now at +4 at f2.8 so thought to my self depth of field , ?  well set up tripod , mirror lockup etc and tried from f2.8 to f11 , when i reached f11 i was back focusing ? . so setup my f4 , all same settings apart from the f4 start point , and the lens stayed in good sharp focus at f11?..  with the f11 i thought i would not see the micro adjust and everything would be sharp but the focus moved with the f stop ? .
Anyway i give up , awaiting reply from the shop to see if they will get it serviced or give a refund  .

[MEPER]

Seems the good old "screwdriver-AF" has some advantages over time.......
Hope we will see an adapter for the Z-mount that can drive these old lenses........
It would give new life to my AF 300/2.8 ED-IF. 

[chambeshi]

The AFS-D 300 f2.8 MK2 is commonly classified as a "AFD" Nikkor with aperture ring etc, but it is not s'driver.

It is one of the earliest AFS releases.

Seems the good old "screwdriver-AF" has some advantages over time.......
Hope we will see an adapter for the Z-mount that can drive these old lenses........
It would give new life to my AF 300/2.8 ED-IF.

[MEPER]

The AFS-D 300 f2.8 MK2 is commonly classified as a "AFD" Nikkor with aperture ring etc, but it is not s'driver.

It is one of the earliest AFS releases.

Yes, I know.....I just tried to "praise" the good old Nikkor s'driver lenses.....as their AF capability will probably survive longer than the AFS it seems......just a shame that Z-bodies can't drive the s'types :-)
It should be possible to make a ZF-adapter with that capability. Sony has made one for their own system it seems......

[oddb1ts]

Thanks all for replies , it seems to be working fine now ?. set to +4 getting good accuracy  from auto focus now, after the shop saying to send it back for a check-up . might just do that in the near future and as i  have 6 months warranty i am in no hurry as i am having fun with it and the garden birds,
This lens has a character of its own , the sharpness and bokeh . lets hope it stays this way ,
Will post a couple of pics when i work out how and find file sizes allowed etc ..

thanks again ..

Oddb1ts..