Do autofocus front/back focus microadjustments change over time?

Asked 8/6/2011

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I’ve set AF front/back focus microadjustments for several lenses on my camera. Do these calibration settings usually stay stable, or should lenses be checked and readjusted regularly? Can front/back focus shift over time, and if so, is that normal or a sign of a problem?

microadjustment autofocus back-focus front-focus lens-calibration

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

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No. Well, I've never seen it happen.

If it does, I would suspect an imminent mechanical failure.

What I did see once is front or back focusing change between focus-distances. In that case the lens focuses well at one distance but is off at another. Since I've only see it once, it may a defect rather than tolerance error.

Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1620

15y ago

AI Answer

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In normal use, AF microadjustment for a given lens should stay stable and usually does not need regular readjustment. A noticeable change over time is not typical; if it happens, it may indicate a mechanical issue or an impending fault rather than normal drift.

One complication is that some lenses may focus accurately at one subject distance but be slightly off at another. If you see that, it’s more likely a defect or design tolerance issue than something you should expect to keep recalibrating for routinely.

So, in most cases: set it once, then only recheck if you notice a real focus problem, after a repair/impact, or if performance seems inconsistent at different distances.

Do autofocus front/back focus microadjustments change over time?

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