How to be stealth with your M9?

[Pophoto]

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Hi,

 

I'm fairly new to this forum and I have enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures taken with your digital Ms. Now I have been shooting with my M9 for under a week now and still shoot with my Nikon D700, both very different cameras, I'm sure you'll agree.

 

I've been shooting digital more passionately for the past couple of years now! While I have grown to not mind other people spotting me or being that little bit obvious pointing a heavy N lens in my targets direction, I've been lucky to not make others feel uncomfortable or at least shoot at a good enough distance that proximaty isn't my subjects annoyance.

 

My question or request is to please share how you try to be stealth or invisible when you go out shooting with your digital Ms. I've realised I'm taking quite a bit of time to focus my lens at my subject matter, using mostly a 35lux, 50cron and very occassionally my 90 elmarit-m. The bringing together of the image in my viewfinder can be difficult (slow might be more accurate). I especially like to capture at the maximum aperture when possible. I thank you good people in advance for helping with my curiosity!

 

Thanks

Po

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Po.

 

You are already comfortable pointing a big DSLR at people, so no new ground here. point away and take some pictures.. Just relax and do your thing, the more you behave like you are supposed to be doing whatever you are doing.. the less people will notice and be affected.

 

The focusing thing is really a matter of practice... and more practice.. and more.. you will suddenly find that the hand start doing the right thing without thinking.. and bam its in focus. just do it again... a few thousand more times.

 

Next thing you know, you are comfortable snapping away. I like to find a obstacle of sorts a trashcan, bus shelter or whatever, which create a "eddie" in the flow of people, then i can kind focus my mind in one direction. Though the shot below were shot while I was walking down the steet.

 

 

.

[lars_bergquist]

That's right. Your own person is a lot larger and a lot more obvious than your camera. Just work fast and avoid flapping your arms. Some years ago, I enjoyed street photography with a 21mm lens, with good success. I could practically stick the lens into peoples' ears without them noticing it.

 

Mindset is important. If you do not feel offensive, you won't look or act offensive, and people won't feel offended. In fact, they won't notice you much.

 

Most street photogs zone focus. That's what Henri Cartier-Bresson did. Low light makes point focusing necessary, but a good idea is to always keep the lens at infinity between bursts of shooting. This way you always know which way to turn the ring, and you get a short focusing throw. 'Pre-focusing' is a bad idea. Either you zone focus, or you point focus -- no compromises.

 

The old man from the Age of HCB

[likalar]

Pophoto,

 

Focusing an M lens quickly takes some practice. Try this: Start the focusing process way before the camera is raised to your eye. When walking around, pre-focus the lens for a given distance that you often shoot from (I often set my 50mm to 10+ ft. so that it's ready for a quick and dirty grab shot). After you spot a subject, make a quick, more accurate guesstimate of the distance. As you look down at the camera, quickly adjust the focus ring to your guesstimated distance value. This will "set up" the rangefinder to be ready for fine-tuning at eye-level. When the camera is finally at your eye, you'll be nearly ready to shoot, and the "bringing together of the image" should be nearly complete. If the action is fast, there may be no time to final focus at all; aim and shoot! That's when the pre-focus really helps.

Of course, focusing inaccuracy is much more noticable the longer the lens focal length. With that 90, allow a bit more time to nail it. Good luck.

Larry

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Larry,

 

>>After you spot a subject, make a quick, more accurate guesstimate of the distance. As you look down at the camera, quickly adjust the focus ring to your guesstimated distance value. This will "set up" the rangefinder to be ready for fine-tuning at eye-level.

 

You are missing me here, after I spot the subject, first set the camera, look DOWN at the camera then bring it up...

 

My experience which is not very technical but just hard figured on the street suggest a slightly different procedure.

 

When you spot a subject, bring the camera to the eye, pull the focus (see Lars' suggestion about infinite setting between rounds) lock focus, frame and capture image.. you may need to continue pulling focus as subject close on you. If I need to look down at the camera chances are its time to spot a new subject by the time Im done.

 

As far as I am concerned, the essential skill to master here, is to LEARN to focus the camera again and again while engaged in actually creating images, don't look down, don't stop to think, pull it up and focus.. end of story.

 

As Lars said, most in daylight can be done at range-focusing. some nutty individuals shoot wide open and that demands actual spot focus for each frame.

 

Shooting a rangefinder, on a live street, requires the skill of focusing, learn it by doing, the more the better, it WILL become second nature and something one simply do not think about.

 

Its not a pretty sight in the beginning.. such is life.

 

.

[likalar]

I wrote:

>>After you spot a subject, make a quick, more accurate guesstimate of the distance. As you look down at the camera, quickly adjust the focus ring to your guesstimated distance value. This will "set up" the rangefinder to be ready for fine-tuning at eye-level.>>

 

Bo answered:

<<You are missing me here, after I spot the subject, first set the camera, look DOWN at the camera then bring it up...

 

My experience which is not very technical but just hard figured on the street suggest a slightly different procedure.

 

When you spot a subject, bring the camera to the eye, pull the focus (see Lars' suggestion about infinite setting between rounds) lock focus, frame and capture image.. you may need to continue pulling focus as subject close on you. If I need to look down at the camera chances are its time to spot a new subject by the time Im done.

 

As far as I am concerned, the essential skill to master here, is to LEARN to focus the camera again and again while engaged in actually creating images, don't look down, don't stop to think, pull it up and focus.. end of story.>>

 

Bo, maybe I'm misreading your reply. Because you don't happen to look down at your camera, therefore I should not look down at my camera? I've often find an engraved focus scale a handy tool, and believe the OP may find it handy, too. When the camera is at my waist, down is the direction I must look to see the scale. Your method sounds perfect for you, but you have likely been shooting with an M for years, and your eye, hand, camera motions are well honed and intuitive, and match your shooting style. The OP is asking for tips to help him with his new M9. My tips are very basic, and may be helpful for a newcomer to M rangefinder photography. Hopefully, he'll get useful tips from many, and develop a good feel for it, with faster focus than he's now achieving.

Larry

Edit: P.S. Bo, you also stated: << learn it by doing, the more the better, it WILL become second nature and something one simply do not think about.

Its not a pretty sight in the beginning.. such is life.>> I have to admit that for me, it has not become second nature. Maybe I'm clutzier than most, but that little M in my big hands is a a bit of a misfit. I've stuck it out, and have been using them, off and on for 35+ years, but I can only hope that one day this will be second nature. Worth the effort, though!

[cheewai_m6]

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hyper focal is a good technique. but if you want to have shallow depth of field, the techniques already discussed are the way to go. getting to know your lens (if it has a focusing tab) is probably the biggest help in focusing quickly. know where the position of the tab and the distance it's focussed for. ie, know where the 3m position is, or 1m is, and then you can adjust accordingly. estimate the distance, and move the tab in position so only a fine adjustment may be needed when you frame your shot.

[bill]

Here you go: Rangefound: The Invisible Man in the Street

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[jjjjuin]

ops. blogspot.. unreadable here..

[stunsworth]

Does this work - it's the version in Google's cache. Ignore the highlighted words, that was just what I used to find the article...

 

Rangefound: June 2009

[Jager]

Excellent shot, Bo.

 

And that was a most intelligent little treatise on street shooting psychology, Bill.

[dsaxe]

Using your M9 is a step in the right direction. Nobody ever notices me since I got rid of my Canon 5D +zoom lens. It doesn't hurt to have a few tricks up your sleeve either. One of my favorites is to slowly raise the camera and point a few feet right of the subject, focus and with my left eye watch the subject and wait a second or two. Then I slowly move my aim to the subject and squeeze the shutter. No sudden movements.

 

Most people are too engrossed in what they are doing to even notice you. The only one s you have to be careful with are people who are alone. As long as someone is either talking to a friend, dealing with their children, in a group, etc. you are invisible as long as your moves are steady and slow.

 

Oh yes, most important. Never make eye contact before or after. And if you are noticed, a big smile never hurts.

[Pophoto]

Wow, thanks everyone for your replies.Thanks guys, I woke up this morning 5am (pregnant wife) here in San Francisco and found 10 replies, you guys are really great!

@ Bo: that shot is a dream shot I really appreciate that 'eddie' idea, I definately didn't think of it that way.

 

@ Lars: Please elaborate on what you mean by zone focus, I am poor with my terms, or rather how would you be setting this up as a scenario? (Thanks) Lars, I'd love to see you stick the lens into people's ears... you must be walking up diguised as cotton swab! ;p

 

@Larry: Thanks for elaborating on the spot focus and your technique.

 

@Bill: Thanks for the link, I will save that for my afternoon read, as soon I wake up again!

Please share some more photo examples or scenarios you may have faced, or humorous learning experiences, I find that I am often shooting alone, although, we're never really alone. Hence the reason I frequent this forum.

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Larry,

 

Im sorry, I did not mean to be hammering anyone over the head. Just stating that there are 3 general modes of using the camera.

 

1. tripod, focus scale or rangefinder.

 

2. range-focusing at 5.6 or similar. you can get used to preset areas to save time. this is a classic system used by all the "greats"

 

3. learning to focus without stopping and checking first in a smooth move.

 

I have the utmost respect for your method and do agree that it works. My response is directed to the OP transferring from a DSLR with auto-focus, and I was trying to explain the method required to get "fast" focus acquisition with a rangefinder.

 

If I were teaching, I would have the students start by focusing on everything in sight, quickly changing from their feet to the church tower and the close light post.

 

Once I notice them getting to a one move focus each time, (as opposed to getting close and then back and forth a few times) - at that point I would have them take turns walking through the school yard towards and from the camera, practicing locking focus on a moving target. this is never entirely rock solid so I would probably suggest trap-focusing. focus on a light pole and when the subject pass the pole take the picture.

 

How one really want to do this is entirely up to the user, I am only trying to push the OP out of the comfort zone and into learning a hard skill. I think it is safe to say, that a huge percentage of bad leica pictures suffer from bad focus.

 

Larry, Your solution works, and the fact you are creating good pictures this way is plenty proof of the method. I am just suggesting that it is possible to make this a smooth move.

 

.

[likalar]

From Pophoto:

 

<<Wow, thanks everyone for your replies.Thanks guys, I woke up this morning 5am (pregnant wife) here in San Francisco and found 10 replies, .....>>

 

Pregnant wife? Ah, the perfect M subject! ....and yet another great reason to learn stealth tricks. Best wishes!

Larry

[jaapv]

Larry,

 

Im sorry, I did not mean to be hammering anyone over the head. Just stating that there are 3 general modes of using the camera.

 

1. tripod, focus scale or rangefinder.

 

2. range-focusing at 5.6 or similar. you can get used to preset areas to save time. this is a classic system used by all the "greats"

 

3. learning to focus without stopping and checking first in a smooth move.

 

I have the utmost respect for your method and do agree that it works. My response is directed to the OP transferring from a DSLR with auto-focus, and I was trying to explain the method required to get "fast" focus acquisition with a rangefinder.

 

If I were teaching, I would have the students start by focusing on everything in sight, quickly changing from their feet to the church tower and the close light post.

 

Once I notice them getting to a one move focus each time, (as opposed to getting close and then back and forth a few times) - at that point I would have them take turns walking through the school yard towards and from the camera, practicing locking focus on a moving target. this is never entirely rock solid so I would probably suggest trap-focusing. focus on a light pole and when the subject pass the pole take the picture.

 

How one really want to do this is entirely up to the user, I am only trying to push the OP out of the comfort zone and into learning a hard skill. I think it is safe to say, that a huge percentage of bad leica pictures suffer from bad focus.

 

Larry, Your solution works, and the fact you are creating good pictures this way is plenty proof of the method. I am just suggesting that it is possible to make this a smooth move.

 

.

I quite like the Osterloh method: Start building up a tripod in a busy place, as slowly and elaborately as possible. Within ten minutes everybody will have lost interest in the goofy photographer and you can take pictures to your heart's content.

[lars_bergquist]

@ Lars: Please elaborate on what you mean by zone focus, I am poor with my terms, or rather how would you be setting this up as a scenario? (Thanks) Lars, I'd love to see you stick the lens into people's ears... you must be walking up diguised as cotton swab! [ ... ]

 

Zone focusing means setting up a zone of acceptable sharpness in advance, within which you can fire away without moving the focusing ring. You must stop the lens down a bit however, to get depth of field enough. Obviously, this works only with wide and superwide angles with their great depth of field. For instance (based on a more realistic assumption than that from around 1928, which still determines the d.o.f. scales), I can stop an 18mm lens down to f:8 and set focus to 2m, and have acceptable sharpness from c. 1.2m to 8m. But a 35mm lens set the same would be useable only from c. 1.7 to 2.5m!

 

This is sometimes incorrectly called 'hyperfocal focusing'. But this means setting the lens so that infinity is the 'far limit' of the zone. E.g. with the 18mm lens at f:8, setting the focus to c. 2.4m (8 ft.) would give you a sharp zone from c. 1.2m to infinity. In this case, 2.4m is 'the hyperfocal distance'. On the focusing scale, it is always at midpoint between infinity and the near zone limit.

 

Also remember two points to temper your enthusiasm: First, everything inside the 'zone' is not EQUALLY sharp. Maximum definition is at the set focus. Second, stopping a lens down radically does degrade definition in the image. I will stop down to f:8 if there is a good reason to do so, but never ever further except maybe with longer lenses. But there the depth of the useable zone will be so small as to make the technique inapplicable.

 

The old man again

[charlesphoto99]

Yeah I see no reason to look down at the scale. Lost time. The focus throw is so short on M lenses that it's just best to learn which way is closer and which farther. Then with the subject in the frame quickly rack the focus until its good.

 

Another very important thing: don't forget to then recompose! Otherwise you'll end up with a lot of in focus shots - with the subject always smack in the middle of the frame. Works sometimes, but doesn't usually make for the most dynamic images.

 

It's really just practice, practice, and more practice. There's no silver bullet other than that.

[Pophoto]

Thanks Charles. That's exactly how I have been doing it myself, except there are times I cannot make out the image as being good enough (in focus) in the viewfinder, depending on how busy or far away and little light. What do you guys do then? Magnifier or just pray? (I rarely tell myself to just shoot something else ;p)

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[kodaktrix]

I work the same way for 28mm to 50mm focal length as Bo does and describes it . For 21mm I preset a distance of 2 meters and F8, that works for almost 100% of my 21mm pictures.

You definitely need a lot of practice to focus fast on a target, and there will be not just one occassion where You miss it, but You need not spend film (I still spend film in my rangefinders) to practice, You can do it at home, where nobody can see You. Just take Your camera and walk about Your flat and focus on anything You see. The thing is, focusing action must be calm and easy, not hectic, as You will need this calmness for pressing the shutter button at 1/8 or even 1/30, otherwise You will replace bad focusing by camera shake:)

 

Regards

 

Oliver