Please help with P30 problem

[bohngy]

Hi all, I would be VERY grateful if you would help me out with this problem... as I'm not sure where to begin to get it sorted!  

Today I received delivery of a refurbished P30 in the UK, in mamiya fit. I'm using it with a 645 AFD (not AFD2) and am having some problems with it producing sharp pictures.

I noticed that objects I focus on are soft. Sometimes the objects behind plane of focus are alot sharper sometimes it's objects in front! - so it doesn't appear to be a single front/back focussing issue (does it?)

So I set up a little test. I put the camera on a tripod and shot tethered. I auto focussed on the top of a guitar head (the sixpence to be precise), about 60cm away and shot with the 55mm 2.8 AF lens at a variety of apertures. The viewfinder showed the headstock in focus... the pictures only begin to reflect this at f11!

Here are the results, a screen grab of C1 v4.
[attachment=8005:attachment]
Please could you help me out? This is the first foray MFD - I've shot heaps of MF film, and know equivalent DOF is narrow, but this looks like a focussing problem to me!  

Many thanks in advance, Benj

[bohngy]

Please ignore my previous post... I was trying to add the attachment!

[Nick-T]

My guess is that something is out of alignment. It could be the back itself, the camera body, or the mirror.

First thing is to do the ruler test. Set up a ruler running away from the camera on a flat surface and shoot it from roughly 45 degrees above, wide open. This way you can work out wether you are getting focus in front of, or behind where you expect, (it will be one or the other).

You did mention that you thought you were seeing front AND back focus but at the risk of being impertinent I'd that was down to user error

Nick-T

[bohngy]

You did mention that you thought you were seeing front AND back focus but at the risk of being impertinent I'd that was down to user error

Nick-T
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=216312\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for the reply Nick-T, I'm fully prepared to admit user error wrt seeing front AND back focus as I don't think that's possible!

pictures of the ruler to follow...

thanks

[tho_mas]

pictures of the ruler to follow...
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=216315\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

in this case it's front focus. You can see it on the bottom of the capture.

The viewfinder showed the headstock in focus...
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=216307\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

100% sure about that?

[RobertJ]

What happens when you manual focus and the viewfinder appears to show perfect focus?  If the files are soft, then maybe it's misalignment problems...

[tho_mas]

What happens when you manual focus and the viewfinder appears to show perfect focus?  If the files are soft, then maybe it's misalignment problems...[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=216320\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

What I have in mind is the plastic frame that crops the image format of the P30 in the finder. Don't know how to mount it in the Mamiya finder... for the Contax there is no way to mount it wrong. But I would check this first.

[Guy Mancuso]

With the mask . Looking inside in this order frame , mask than focusing screen on top of it than make sure it latches correctly in place. Make sure you have the diopter set to your eyes than go from there.

BTW the mask tab and focusing screen tab are on the right side when looking in. The focusing screen should be almost flush with the frame

[gwhitf]

Hi all, I would be VERY grateful if you would help me out with this problem... as I'm not sure where to begin to get it sorted!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=216307\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

My suggestion:

1. Camera on tripod.
2. Normal lens, 80.
3. Camera set to autofocus.
4. Focus on something very close; almost minimum focus distance for that lens.
5. Use autofocus to focus on the object, confirm with light.
6. Move diopter to achieve sharpest viewfinder image.
7. Tether camera.
8. Set lens to wide open, say, 2.8.
9. Lay ruler out on table, falling away from you.
10. Shoot ruler downwards at 45 degree angle.
11. Pick a ruler mark and shoot a frame.
12. Check monitor to see how camera actually focuses.

[yaya]

Whatever the fault is, someone will have to fix it, hopefully under warranty, so;

1. Call Mamiya dealer
2. Call Phase dealer

(If they're from the same place you've saved 1 phone call)

good luck

Yair

[tho_mas]

5. Use autofocus to focus on the object, confirm with light.
6. Move diopter to achieve sharpest viewfinder image.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=216343\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

In this case - if AF has, say, front focus - you set the diopter to the front focus. No? I think you should set the diopter to match the marks on the screen. And check everything first with manual focus. If that's okay, there is something with AF. If it's not okay, there is something with the alignment of the screen or the back.
Anyhow... basically "yaya" is right...

[skywalker_shiva]

I had the same issue when i bought a brand new Leaf Aptus 65 for my Hasselblad 503.

All was hunky dory in the viewfinder but all the images were out of focus by a fair bit.
It was focussing a bit behind the object.

I removed the focussing screen and refitted it but it made no difference.

I sent the body for a sevice, they realigned the mirror and now the focus is tack sharp.

I can't comment on the auto-focus bit but use manual focus and test if the mirror is alright in the first place.

I can understand your anxiety coz thats how I felt.
Hope you can get it fixed soon.

Cheer up till then.

[JDG]

Hello,

Based on the images provided, I dont think it looks like a focus alignment issue (although if it is it will show very clearly in the ruler test.)  It looks more to me like softness due to light diffraction from the aperture  You will always see softer images when you are wide open or closed way down... sharpest images will occur at f/11 because that is the sweet spot f the lens.

Of course, Yair is right, your dealer is the one who can fix the issue for you, not LL.

[TMARK]

I had this issue with my AFd and my P30+.  The AF on the AFd is really, really bad.  It locks on the wrong point on the first lock, then will lock correctly on the second try.  I noticed this when I would rent backs for this camera before I got my P30+.  I believe that with film it wasn't as critical.  

I sent my AFd in for a check up and was told the AF was fine, but I don't really believe that.  I bought a second AFd and its a little better.  I manually focus.  90% acurate without using the focus confirmation in the VF.

Good luck with this.

[clawery]

This is all good advice from all of the previous posts.

1. Check the focus screen to make sure it is locked in the proper position. (possibly remove mask)
2. Change lenses and check focus again
3. Call Mamiya dealer
4. Call Phase dealer

If you like you can shoot Doug Peterson or I a PM to get more tech help if you like.

doug@captureintegration.com

chris@captureintegration.com


Chris Lawery
Sales Manager
chris@captureintegration.com
Capture Integration, Phase One Dealer of the Year

877-217-9870 | National  Atlanta / Miami
404-234-5195 | Cell  
Sign up for our Newsletter | Read Our Latest Newsletter