Guest WPalank Posted January 3, 2008 Share #1 Posted January 3, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) So a few weeks ago I printed out the focusing test chart provided by one of our Forum members, placed the ol' M8 on my tripod and tried to focus down at an angle of approximately 45 degree (per the directions). What found was I could get the letters to line up but I found the the lines that ran vertical were near if not impossible. I have included two images. The first shows what the focus chart looks like (or should) to the naked I [i meant eye ]. The second is an image I created in PS with an arrow to illustrate what it looks like when I get things as close as possible in my viewfinder patch. I have included a little arrow to show the ghosted vertical that does not line up with the other. (I hate it when people post problems or supposed problems and post an image with no description whatsoever. For me, it becomes "Where's Waldo?) So is this normal with a rangefinder viewfinder? Thanks in advance. Also, there is no problem when I focus on a normal subject that is parallel to the lens plane. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/41771-focusing-test-chart-and-my-m8/?do=findComment&comment=442040'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 Hi Guest WPalank, Take a look here Focusing Test Chart and MY M8. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
ho_co Posted January 3, 2008 Share #2 Posted January 3, 2008 William-- Remember that you need to rotate the M8 90 degrees so that you can focus on the horizontal line as per instructions. You don't focus on the 'vertical' lines because they slide in and out of focus. The eye can't resolve that difference. It's a rangefinder, remember, so you have to adjust the camera to the situations just as you would in the 'real world.' Turn the camera to vertical. Then the chart works perfectly. --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted January 3, 2008 Share #3 Posted January 3, 2008 Thanks Howard. In my defense, the only directions I have are from aPDF explaining how to use it with a digital SLR (Nikon) and the orientation is in landscape mode. I have included a photo from the pdf. My bad! Also notice that I did not post in bold letters "New Problem with the M8..." in my subject line. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/41771-focusing-test-chart-and-my-m8/?do=findComment&comment=442077'>More sharing options...
Eoin Posted January 3, 2008 Share #4 Posted January 3, 2008 You should also see the text in the "focus here" snap into alignment even when the camera is horizontal. Having the camera vertical makes things a lot easier and often for me I find it more easy to focus on real life subjects in the vertical and then switch to horizontal for framing. It tends to improve my keeper rate for some reason. I've also noticed the use of a 1.25x mag with diopter gives less accurate results than using my glasses alone! go figure that! LOL. I would not get to hung up on the 45 degree focus test, I much prefer to use a horizontal method with stepped objects where the sensor is square to the subject. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted January 3, 2008 Share #5 Posted January 3, 2008 Eoin-- I don't know why, but to my eyes the M8 finder hasn't nearly the crispness of the earlier bodies. I know my eyes aren't as good as they were, but for me the "Focus Here" is completely illegible. That's why I decided to turn the camera on end instead. William-- Sorry. Didn't mean to sound so harsh. I can't imagine that someone would have excerpted just the chart; I guess it's public domain, but that seems very disrespectful to Tim Jackson, who developed the chart. Anyway, I'm of the older group of Leica users. I think we long-timers see something like the chart and immediately think, 'line the rangefinder up perpendicular to the test line.' On one of the threads on the topic, someone said he had a hard time focusing on the horizontal line, so he modified the chart by drawing his own vertical line on it. Shorter and easier to focus on than the long lines on the original. They are indeed troublesome, as you said. I don't think there's anything much new in the focus chart guidelines, but you can get it at Nikon D70 Focus Chart. --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eoin Posted January 3, 2008 Share #6 Posted January 3, 2008 Howard, I tend to agree with you, the VF of other leicas just seem to snap into focus. Perhaps it's something to do with the .58 v's .72 or .85 Of the few M8's I've looked through including my own, I cant help but feel the vertical alignment seems a fraction off. Either that or my eyesight is totally screwed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robsteve Posted January 4, 2008 Share #7 Posted January 4, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have always found it harder to focus any M in the Portrait mode, even my M3 with pristine finder. It just might be the way our brains are wired Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted January 4, 2008 Share #8 Posted January 4, 2008 Sorry. Didn't mean to sound so harsh. I can't imagine that someone would have excerpted just the chart; I guess it's public domain, but that seems very disrespectful to Tim Jackson, who developed the chart. No worries Howard, I didn't take it as being harsh at all. My only point was that it is a pdf with directions that is 19 pages long that includes the focus chart. It was actually written and copyrighted by Tim Jackson in 2004 so the photo of the camera (oriented in landscape) is probably his. I just didn't see anything specific to rangefinder cameras. focus21.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted January 4, 2008 Share #9 Posted January 4, 2008 You're right. He's out to demonstrate that what people think is backfocus on some AF Nikons is close to non-existent. That's why I found the wall-mounted chart Roger Dunham shows at http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/42247-back-focus-problem.html#post442602 and elsewhere so interesting. I say 'interesting' because it is wall-mounted and designed for ease of use with the Leica, as compared to the SLR-easy table-mount version you and I use. In other words, they are both quite similar, but Leica glued theirs to the wall. (Of course, Leica isn't going to use a focus test chart that's free for download on the Web. ) Also, I imagine the "8"'s in the Leica chart allow some conclusions that aren't as visible in Jackson's chart. --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boilerdoc Posted January 4, 2008 Share #10 Posted January 4, 2008 Interesting to read this thread right now. I just got my 90/2 back from DAG after adjusting for back focus. I decided to give it a test with the TJ test chart. It was now frontfocussing by a bunch (10-20 mm at close focus). Then I decided to try focussing horizontally instead of vertically. Voila! Right on the money. I've decided that my eyes work better using horizontal rather than vertically. Does this make sense to anyone here? Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted January 4, 2008 Share #11 Posted January 4, 2008 I'm in the process of making a new test chart like the one used by Leica NJ and posted in glennarrold's posts, Roger Dunham. Will notify when finished. It will be 12x18 for printing on 13x19 paper and another version for printing on a 8.5x11. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted January 4, 2008 Share #12 Posted January 4, 2008 I've decided that my eyes work better using horizontal rather than vertically. Does this make sense to anyone here? Can't question your experience. It's sure easier to hold the camera horizontally than vertically without blocking one or the other of the RF windows. Perhaps astigmatism? But that's fishing. You've done the job of finding out what works best for you, and that's what counts. --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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