andalus Posted November 21, 2009 Share #1 Posted November 21, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) B&H I suspect may soon ship an M9 to me. OK, what's the absolute easiest way to determine whether the rangefinder is properly adjusted, given that I'm pretty darm sure my 24 Elmar, 135 Telyt and 50 Lux ASPH are in superb condition. This is my first digital camera purchase ever, so I've got loads to learn, tho I've been scanning slides for a long time and adjusting in CS4 and ACR. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 21, 2009 Posted November 21, 2009 Hi andalus, Take a look here Quick and Dirty answer sought re M9. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted November 21, 2009 Share #2 Posted November 21, 2009 Sharp photographs? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted November 21, 2009 Share #3 Posted November 21, 2009 You'll know less than one minute after you take your first photo. If the focus mechanism works as you expect, and following your taking an image it shows up on the screen with the focus sharp where you meant it to be, you're in good shape. (Same thing Jaap said, in a few more words.) Good luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andalus Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share #4 Posted November 21, 2009 Great, and much thanks. Maybe this was a no brainer but for a newbie with digital, I am going to needs some serious advice as I wade in to actually working a Leica M9. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrism Posted November 21, 2009 Share #5 Posted November 21, 2009 Don't forget the picture will be sharper on your computer than it is on the screen of the M9, even when fully magnified. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 21, 2009 Share #6 Posted November 21, 2009 Yes, on the M9 never judge on the LCD, very true. The vast majority is spot-on anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brt3 Posted November 21, 2009 Share #7 Posted November 21, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) This subject has gotten a lot of attention, to the point where it's definitely a concern. Since my steel grey M9 is in transit, I want to check this out as well. Would the very best way to do this be to set up a test shot -- with the camera on the tripod -- and set the lens wide open? This would seem to minimize human interference from the equation... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
reynoldsyoung Posted November 21, 2009 Share #8 Posted November 21, 2009 What's a good test to run on the M9 to verify the RF needs no adjustment? I think my is off a bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimF Posted November 21, 2009 Share #9 Posted November 21, 2009 Definitely. Set whatever lens you have to closest focus and maximum aperture. Focus on something nice and contrasty (I have a Lens Align thingy - but a nice big bar code or similar will do I should imagine). Shoot either on a tripod or hand held and zoom in a little to see whether its sharp (the screen isn't very good if you zoom right in, but one or two turns of the dial are OK I think). Repeat several times. If Its not sharp, repeat, but this time move forward just slightly so the image is beginning to separate and your focusing behind the subject. Take a frame. If you're unlucky (like I have been) the "focused behind" shot will be sharper than those "correctly focused". There's a thread on this subject where one person says his worst experiences are with the 75mm/2 and 90mm/2. I don't have the latter, but agree fully on the 75mm. My camera (and that lens) are now back with my dealer ready to off to Leica on Monday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem7 Posted November 22, 2009 Share #10 Posted November 22, 2009 Yes, you will just know. When my M9 arrived I knew something had to be wrong from my 1st shot. I was correct. It was a bit off and had to be adjusted. If your images are not sharp (on your computer) then something may be off. Also, judge from the RAWs not JPEG. I am sure everything will be OK though. Hope you get it soon! Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry joeng Posted November 22, 2009 Share #11 Posted November 22, 2009 You can also do some "bracketing" of RF focus. i.e. take three photos on the same object consecutively. One with the RF in focus, the other two with RF deliberately front and back focussed. If the one in focus is the sharpest one out of the three photos, then the RF should be fine. Of course do remember to look for any vertical misalignment and make sure there is no horizontal misalignment at infinity. These are my quick steps to test for the RF focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
reynoldsyoung Posted November 22, 2009 Share #12 Posted November 22, 2009 Thanks so much for all of that! I will report back tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spersky Posted November 22, 2009 Share #13 Posted November 22, 2009 I got mine in and just started taking pictures. They seem fine. Are there a lot of new Rangefinders off calibration? I wonder what the percentage actually is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anguish Posted November 25, 2009 Share #14 Posted November 25, 2009 Beware with your test. On the M8, at least, and on other models, the minimum rangefinder distance is about 24 inches. It is likely the same on the M9, but I am not sure since I don't have one. The danger is that some WA lenses can focus closer than the rangefinder (ie, my 21 mm Elmarit). Thus, if you rack the 21 mm to minimum distance, then make a focus test by looking through the rangefinder, aligning the double images on the target and exposing at widest aperature, you will be quite surprised. Of course, your target will be at about 24 inches but your plane of focus will be closer. Hence your target will be oof and you will be scratching your head for hours, measuring back and forth with your yardstick, tape measurer, ruler, pica pole, etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mc_k Posted November 26, 2009 Share #15 Posted November 26, 2009 true. It is sometimes advised to test any lens at a little longer than the 0.7m closest focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James R Posted November 26, 2009 Share #16 Posted November 26, 2009 I plan to use LensAlign, which I use with all my Nikon lenses. Unless somebody here gives me a good reason why not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott kirkpatrick Posted November 26, 2009 Share #17 Posted November 26, 2009 I'll get myself a LensAlign (and a larger later version WhiBal card, since both come from Michael Tapes at rawworkflow.com) someday, but in the meantime i have always checked near focus accuracy by taking a pad of lined paper, ruling a heavy vertical line down the middle of the pad and marking a cross line in the middle of the page. Then I put the pad on a table top, aim the tripod-mounted camera down at a 45 degree angle, focus on the cross-mark, and see where the sharpest cross lines turn out to fall. This is good for distances where the pad of paper fill at least half of the frame, so use a telephoto. Before that, out of the box, as with the M9 that just arrived, I take a 75.2,0 know to focus accurately, and first check that the rf images superimpose when viewing a flagpole, building edge, or other sharp lined object at least a km away. Check for vertical alignment by holding the camera at a 45 degree angle. Then take pictures at various distances and see if they are sharp. They were, so I haven't gotten out the pad of ruled paper. scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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