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One of the most popular questions we get asked by aspiring wildlife / bird photographers wanting to purchase a longer zoom is which of the two bidding zooms is the best and why? Ultimately the most popular is the Sigma, it is certainly the most popular lens we see here at Cameracal, we calibrate as many as 4-5 per week but does it make it the better choice - yes and no ..read more

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  Sigma recently updated one of their most popular telephoto zooms, the Sigma 60-600mm. This is a direct replacement for the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary and is the most popular lens we see for calibration here at Cameracal with as many as 6-8 per week coming through the studio doors. In the 3 years we have been calibrating this lens using their USB dock the combo of camera / lens has changed significantly from being exclusively used with what was the best wildlife /sport / aviation combo at the time, the Canon 7D Mk2 to more recently the Nikon D500. Normally it takes a little ..read more

How do I know if my lens requires calibration?   Whether you have a new camera/lens, or have one you have been using the same one for a  while, there’s a possibility your equipment may be in need of calibration.   When reviewing a captured image (s) you may find that the image(s) is not quite crisp or sharp.  Or, perhaps the lens is not performing as well as you had hoped. Whilst this is far from ideal, it  is a common problem and one that is easily solved when you know how (or know the right  people to solve it for you).   What does calibrati ..read more

Here at Cameracal we have over the years built up a considerable data on the most consistent and inconsistent lenses (we are still in the process of looking to publish this database sometime in the near future) as in those that not only need calibration (because of lens optic displacement) but also the typical values needed to correct the front / back focus issue. So here's an insight to one of the most common lenses we are asked to calibration Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5 – 5.6 USM II We literally see 3-4 of these a week and over the last 3 years we have calibrated hundreds of examples. Over this ..read more

Unable To Calibrate Rarely do we come across a situation in which we are unable to correct for a front or back focus problem.If problems are seen, this is due to either excessive optic (in the lens) or AF sensor (in the camera) displacement or a combination of both.This normally requires a repair to either the lens or camera. Little did we know that a recent visit by a customer with a problematic Canon EF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM coupled with his 5D Mk IV had already been repaired !!! The customer mentioned that he had dropped his lens but that is was repaired by a Canon authorised repair agent. S ..read more

A Golden Oldie Revived - Sigma 500mm F4.5 APO EX   We recently had a customer send us a combo which to be honest we had never come across before, a Sigma 500mm F4.5 APO EX and a 1DX Mk IV. This lens was first introduced in May 2005 and was considered a classic, considerably cheaper than a genuine Canon 500mm. This was one of the first series of lenses which really brought affordability to the masses and at the time was well received.     The customer had purchased the lens second hand but complained that he was unable to obtain sharp results when used on his 1DX MK IV, judging ..read more

We thought we would post a few of the most commonly asked questions we receive from customers here at Cameracal. This one is Canon camera calibration specific and one we get asked a lot of the time.       What happens at mid-range focal lengths when calibrating a zoom with Canon cameras?   As you may or may not know, unlike Nikon, modern Canon DSLR models (Canon 7D Mk2, 5D Mk 4, 1DX Mk2 - ) allow for calculated Auto Focus Micro Adjustments to be added for either end of a zoom. For instance, for a Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM it is possible to add a calculated va ..read more

We recently had a customer (a pro wedding photographer) come and visit us in the studio. Whilst calibrating their equipment (5D Mk 3 & 5D Mk IV and a sleuth of lenses) they mentioned that they were experiencing problems with both of their cameras and they would intermittently lock up and an error code would be displayed on the cameras rear LCD. Unfortunately, in the panic they forgot to note the error code and instead quickly turned the camera off / on which cleared the fault.   In our time here at Cameracal we have experienced virtually every error code on both Canon and Nikon camer ..read more