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by Bill Dix on Sun Jun 25, 2017 11:11 am
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Bill Dix
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I have just purchased the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary, which I plan to use on my D500, and D7200 backup.  I normally use the Nikon AF Fine-Tune adjustment feature with all of my lens/camera combinations.  I will use the Sigma USB dock to update the firmware of the lens (assuming it isn't already updated out of the box), and then will use the dock for AF Fine-Tuning of the lens.  (This sounds like a very cumbersome process).  My question is:  which do I do first: the Nikon AF Fine-Tune, at, say 550mm, and then the Sigma Dock adjustments at various focal lengths/distances?  Or the other way around.  Will one counteract the other?  Apologies if this has already been addressed in a previous post; I couldn't find it.
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by aolander on Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:43 am
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No, you do not want to use AF Fine Tune and adjust with the Sigma Dock.  Use only one, Sigma Dock preferably, as you can tune different distances.
Alan Olander
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by Ed1946 on Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:36 am
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Bill Dix wrote:I have just purchased the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary, which I plan to use on my D500, and D7200 backup.  I normally use the Nikon AF Fine-Tune adjustment feature with all of my lens/camera combinations.  I will use the Sigma USB dock to update the firmware of the lens (assuming it isn't already updated out of the box), and then will use the dock for AF Fine-Tuning of the lens.  (This sounds like a very cumbersome process).  My question is:  which do I do first: the Nikon AF Fine-Tune, at, say 550mm, and then the Sigma Dock adjustments at various focal lengths/distances?  Or the other way around.  Will one counteract the other?  Apologies if this has already been addressed in a previous post; I couldn't find it.
Check out EJ's review of the Sport version and what he did for fine tuning. 
viewtopic.php?f=57&t=256043&hilit=sigma+150+600mm+review
 

by E.J. Peiker on Thu Jul 06, 2017 12:06 pm
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Set the in camera AF-Fine tune to zero and do all the adjustment through the zoom and distance ranges with the dock - it is a long and involved process and after you are done, do it again as some of the adjustments can slightly impact other adjustments. When I do a Sigma 150-600 for a client, I spend 5 hours in total labor time to accurately do one of these. These lenses require VERY different settings at different focal lengths and distances and therefore make a single adjustment like you can do with just the AF-Fine Tune very sub optimal.
 

by Bill Dix on Thu Jul 06, 2017 1:09 pm
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Thank you all.  I've done one round of the Sigma adjustments at all distances and focal lengths (except infinity -- I'm not sure how to set a target at infinity); then went back after making the adjustments and checked a second time.  It looks pretty good, but I may do it again since I don't think the target I used had fine enough gradations.  

An interesting side line:  after I installed the Sigma Optimization Pro software, my Nikon View NX-i stopped working; basically froze up my computer each time I tried to use it.  After much trial and error, I discovered that once I uninstalled the Optimization Pro, the View NX-i started working again.  I've  had to use a second computer with the Opt. Pro loaded on it to avoid the conflict.
Bill Dix

billdix.smugmug.com/AvianImages
 

by E.J. Peiker on Thu Jul 06, 2017 1:18 pm
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Bill Dix wrote:Thank you all.  I've done one round of the Sigma adjustments at all distances and focal lengths (except infinity -- I'm not sure how to set a target at infinity); then went back after making the adjustments and checked a second time.  It looks pretty good, but I may do it again since I don't think the target I used had fine enough gradations.  

An interesting side line:  after I installed the Sigma Optimization Pro software, my Nikon View NX-i stopped working; basically froze up my computer each time I tried to use it.  After much trial and error, I discovered that once I uninstalled the Optimization Pro, the View NX-i started working again.  I've  had to use a second computer with the Opt. Pro loaded on it to avoid the conflict.
Weird on the NKI issue - have not experienced that here.

As for infinity, it is impossible but you can just go 50% farther than the previous measurement.  if you don't have a very long alignment ruler that could be tough though.  I use the long Lens Align ruler for that.
 

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