Jump to content

I tried the M with R adapter and EVF


stuny

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Yesterday Leica had a fairly large booth at the PDN–PhotoPlus show, running from Wednesday of this week through today at the javitts Center. They had two of the prototype M cameras there and I got to try one long enough to know I want one, assuming the files are as good as I hope. The electronic viewfinder is bright and clear, and with an R 85mm was very easy to focus through, as well as with an M 50mm ‘chron. Focus peaking was not yet working for the 85 since Leica has not added its parameters to the firmware, but it worked very nicely with the 50. I had no opportunity to evaluate how much lag there was between what I see through the EVF and what is happening in real-time. The camera, R adapter and EVF will cost US$ a bit under $8,000. The fancy base is about US$800, the finger loop about $300, and the plain base (without electronics) is about US$500.

Edited by stuny
  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

...... Focus peaking was not yet working for the 85 since Leica has not added its parameters to the firmware, but it worked very nicely with the 50......

 

Wow! A huge negative if that's also true of the production models. That could mean no focus peaking with third party lenses, Leica lenses not in the selection menu or older uncoded M lenses. Enough to make me cancel my pre-order.

 

 

Bob.

Edited by gravastar
Link to post
Share on other sites

I could understand the focus peaking algorithms needing to have an idea of the focal length of the lens. Rather than not providing this function for unknown lenses there could be "focal length range" items in the menu. Inconvenient, yes, but better than no focus peaking.

 

ETA: On second thoughts what you do is use a coded adapter and select a lens from the menu whose focal length is closest to the one you're using.

 

Bob.

Edited by gravastar
Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I could understand the focus peaking algorithms needing to have an idea of the focal length of the lens. Rather than not providing this function for unknown lenses there could be "focal length range" items in the menu. Inconvenient, yes, but better than no focus peaking.

 

ETA: On second thoughts what you do is use a coded adapter and select a lens from the menu whose focal length is closest to the one you're using.

 

Bob.

 

I hadn't tought of this possible issue about focus peaking... a bit annoying, but technically has a sense, indeed : now... a coded adapter is surely the right way to overcome the problem: the R adapter has a code of its own, and if I remember correctly there is a rather wide range of R focals (zooms included) in the selectable menu, right ? I don't remember which is the longest focal within it.... 280 maybe ?

Edited by luigi bertolotti
Link to post
Share on other sites

I could understand the focus peaking algorithms needing to have an idea of the focal length of the lens.

Why would that be? Focus peaking just enhances image areas with high micro-contrast. The lens doesn’t figure in the equation.

  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

Why would that be? Focus peaking just enhances image areas with high micro-contrast. The lens doesn’t figure in the equation.

 

 

Exactly. My NEXs sure don't know the focal length of the Leica lenses attached and focus peaking works fine.

What doesn't work with non-E lenses are some of the features found in the menus.

It ought to be similar for the lens dependent enhancements processed in the M unless you type in the code.

Edited by k-hawinkler
Link to post
Share on other sites

Could be that Leica has tied (definitely ? M is still at "beta"...) the focus peaking to lens recognition... an un-welcomed (and easy to skip) "protection" of their 6-bit technology, or simply a feature still to be fully implemented. Indeed, I agree that there is no reason to account for the focal length in the computation (maybe - hair splitting - it could be "fooled" by mirror lenses ?)

Edited by luigi bertolotti
Link to post
Share on other sites

Could be that Leica has tied (definitely ? M is still at "beta"...) the focus peaking to lens recognition... an un-welcomed (and easy to skip) "protection" of their 6-bit technology, or simply a feature still to be fully implemented.

 

 

I sure hope it's the latter.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The only thing I could image not yet working with R lenses is the automatic triggering of focus peaking when turning the focus ring on an M lens. This function seems to work through a sensor on the rangefinder mechanism that would not be available for R lenses.

 

Mike

 

 

Correct. It would be nice to toggle on and off focus peaking in that case with the front button and have an indication about the state it's in.

 

Folks who have played with new M should enlighten us how the new front button works.

 

I am under the impression though that one has to keep the front button pressed in to trigger focus peaking. Is my impression correct?

Edited by k-hawinkler
Link to post
Share on other sites

On Thursday, I tried the M too, with the EV and focus peaking supposedly ON, but not with R glass, just the 50 Summilux that was attached. I didn't notice anything that was a visible focus aid, especially coming from extended NEX use, with it's 3 levels of sensitivity, AND 3 colors (red, yellow, or white to choose from), but the superimposed histogram that popped up immediately after I shot the picture was nice. I probably didn't have it turned on. It did allow you to ZOOM in to check focus which is almost as good, I used that on the NEX for quite a while. I got as far into the menus to adjust the ISO that it was set on from 3200 to 6400. An owners manual and about 2 days alone with the menus and buttons is what I want.

 

There seemed to be a lot of people manning the booth who had as much experience with the camera as I did. I know they didn't have one in the DC store on Tuesday this week.

 

I walked up to the booth pretty sure I wanted one, and left absolutely sure that I have to get one. I could barely contain myself.

 

Then I went to the Fuji booth...

Edited by Jaybob
Link to post
Share on other sites

+1! A lack of focus peaking with some lenses could be a deal killer for me.

 

While it would be premature to cancel my order on the basis of a rumor, if it really was the case that focus peaking ONLY worked with lenses on the list of lenses Leica has published, that would kill the M for me. One of my main interests is precisely that the M-240 has the potential to be a nearly perfect mirrorless fullframe camera. Range finder for wide to mid focal lengths, EVF for tele and macro. But no focus peaking on non-Leica glass would break the deal for me.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...