proper use of LensAlignPro for manual lens

[Larry Truex]

Greetings and this may be a general question, but most important to me. When setting up the lens pro to check a Zeiss 85mm ZE manual focus lens...do I include in the camera frame image all the chart and scale in the camera frame? I know you don't focus on the scale, and my impression is compose the chart filling the camera frame. My confusion involves the set and alignment...for you bulls eye center the chart, putting the scale off to the side.
Larry

[MichaelT]

Hi Larry,

Because you are testing a manual lens, we can break some rules that are only applicable to AF systems.

Working backward, there is actually no reason NOT to focus on the "0" line of the ruler. With an AF system we cannot do that because we would have no way to assure that the AF system would actually focus on the "0", and not the "1" or "2" or whatever. When testing a manual lens where you are actually testing the camera's manual focus system as well as the photographers eye/hand coordination and capability. And in this case we have some human intervention that is capable of knowing that it is the "0" that is our target.

So back to the beginning...I would use the "E" sighting hole and align the camera with that, and then feel free to test the focus by actually focusing on the "0" line.

All of the above is applicable only if the camera/LensAlign distance is rather small where the "0" line is a sufficiently large enough target for your eyes to manage.

At normal distances, I would use the normal AF procedures in the sense of focusing on the actual LensAlign focus target pattern.

Also please take a look at this Manual Focus Video with a Zeiss 100mm (http://videos.lensalign.com/LensAlign/LensAlign-Video-User-Guide/6830310_fnpyr/1/584913023_iqkgb/Large)

Hope this helps.

[Larry Truex]

I'm coming back to this first question later, for next is a most complex question and how to approach the subject.

[Larry Truex]

Mr. Tapes my being a person that wears classes I set up my camera carefully for viewing screen adjustment, and consider the internal adjustments would actually fine tune where my lens are slightly out of focus by my adjustment to the film plan...ooops wrong camera sensor plan of my DSLR camera, while wearing eye glasses. But is there adjustment realitive to the view screen adjustment that should be taken into consideration befor using LensAlign tool...which I'm impressed with the quality of this tool design and leads me to ask if the scale angles are applied for different effects.

[MichaelT]

But is there adjustment realitive to the view screen adjustment that should be taken into consideration befor using LensAlign tool...

Sorry Larry, but I do not understand what you are asking here. Can you explain it another way, please.

...which I'm impressed with the quality of this tool design and leads me to ask if the scale angles are applied for different effects.

Thanks for your kind words. The ruler angles allow the display of the DOF to be stretched or compressed for best viewing. So it is a personal decision for you to make as to which viewing angle is best for your "reading" of the DOF data. I recommend the #3 position and the best overall position. This PDF file (http://www.lensalign.com/resources/pdf-Ruler-Angles.html)also might add some information.

MT