Rangefinderproblems on new M9s

[stunsworth]

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So what I'm getting at (and I guess so is Steve) - is that once you're focussing on something say 20m or more out from the camera you are not needing the rangefinder of the camery anyway

 

That's wrong, try it and you'll see. To make it obvious shoot a 50mm or longer wide open.

[jaapv]

To quote Gunther Osterloh: "If you want the horizon in focus, set the lens to infinity. Forget abouit hyperfocal" And this was on film! You can see a difference of 0.01 mm on the focussing length of you lens a misfocus in your image.

[jaapv]

Agreed. Now a slight misalignment at infinity will be compensated by DoF so no worry if the RF's accurate at usual focusing distances.

DOF is rationalized OOF in my opinion.

[Steve Ash]

That's wrong, try it and you'll see. To make it obvious shoot a 50mm or longer wide open.

 

Ok, but isn't there one lens, e.g. the 90 f2.0 or 135 f?.?, with the longest hyperfocal distance in M system lens range that marks the infinty point by its hyperfocal distance?

 

Regards

Steve

[Julian Thompson]

I understand Jaap - thanks.

 

From a theory perspective though, I am interested to learn about the rangefinder mechanism regardless of whether I can actually tackle it myself just because (for some reason!) I find it fascinating!

 

So - I still can't decide about where 'infinity' is in terms of the RF patch. I know that many here have said it's a star or planet - someone else said 500m and someone else said 200m.

 

I'm saying - rather like Steve - than infact I think it's probably 20m...

(Certainly my camera seems to bear this out and so did my M8's previously even before I adjusted them)

[Julian Thompson]

That's wrong, try it and you'll see. To make it obvious shoot a 50mm or longer wide open.

 

Will do - I've got the 75 cron on today and the sun is shining so I'll pop out after my lunch and have a go with this in mind and report back

[Steve Ash]

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Well , the dof calculator claims that a summicron 90 has a hyperfocal distance of 141,2m at aperature 2.0 on a M9.

 

Regards

Steve

[wlaidlaw]

Well , the dof calculator claims that a summicron 90 has a hyperfocal distance of 141,2m at aperature 2.0 on a M9.

 

Regards

Steve

 

......and the Telyt 560mm f5.6 that I have been using today on a Visoflex 3 has a 1,876 meters hyperfocal distance on the M9. Try focusing that with a rangefinder!

 

Wilson

[Julian Thompson]

Yes, I've just been out playing around with the 75 cron and I can confirm there is still an issue here.

 

1) Once the distance goes over about 50m you don't need the rangefinder - you're at infinity.

 

2) I adjusted the roller cam to make the camera peachy at up to 10m but now it isn't focussing well at longer distances (up to 50m)

 

2a) Specifically, it was front focussing at close distances out of the box (a lot) but now I've tweaked the roller cam it's back focussing at longer distances.

 

2b) This makes sense I guess!

 

So - I now need to send the camera in to Solms to get it professionally set up or to have a go at the 'mans twiddly knob' under the Leica dot rather than the 'boys version' which is the roller cam:D

 

All very interesting and definitely more exciting than sitting at my desk this afternoon

[jaapv]

Watch it! There is a vertical RF patch adjustment in there as well! Why send it to Solms? I don't know in which country you are, but people like Don Goldberg (DAG) or Sherry Krauter in the USA, CRR in the UK, and Will van Manen (Kamera-Service) in the Netherlands will set your whole system up perfectly in a shorter time and at less cost. I happen to know that Will does not accept " within tolerance", but will go for the middle of the tolerance span, and I suspect others do as well.

[wlaidlaw]

Yes, I've just been out playing around with the 75 cron and I can confirm there is still an issue here.

 

1) Once the distance goes over about 50m you don't need the rangefinder - you're at infinity.

 

2) I adjusted the roller cam to make the camera peachy at up to 10m but now it isn't focussing well at longer distances (up to 50m)

 

2a) Specifically, it was front focussing at close distances out of the box (a lot) but now I've tweaked the roller cam it's back focussing at longer distances.

 

2b) This makes sense I guess!

 

So - I now need to send the camera in to Solms to get it professionally set up or to have a go at the 'mans twiddly knob' under the Leica dot rather than the 'boys version' which is the roller cam:D

 

All very interesting and definitely more exciting than sitting at my desk this afternoon

 

Julian,

 

I think the adjustment under the red dot is the patch alignment not the middle distance. I think the middle distance is on an elbow further in from the roller. I have a feeling you may need one of those concentric double screwdrivers to do this one, like can be seen in the pics of the technicians adjusting the RF.

 

Wilson

[Julian Thompson]

Right - so that's also accessible from inside the body without stripping anything?

[Julian Thompson]

Yep - I see it

 

{disappears into workshop clutching a load of beer, a camera and a screwdriver kit...}

[Julian Thompson]

1) Once the distance goes over about 50m you don't need the rangefinder - you're at infinity.

 

This is not true - as Stunsworth said:

 

Originally Posted by stunsworth

That's wrong, try it and you'll see. To make it obvious shoot a 50mm or longer wide open.

 

He was quite right - amazingly to get best focus I'm still rangefindering at 100m or so.. Odd.

[wlaidlaw]

Yep - I see it

 

{disappears into workshop clutching a load of beer, a camera and a screwdriver kit...}

 

Julian,

 

Your M9 may join Mark Norton's M8, as cameras I would not want buy second hand ;-]]

 

Wilson

 

PS I do have a concentric screwdriver you could borrow. It may be touch on the large side - it is for adjusting air-cooled Porsche valve clearances.

W

[jaapv]

Especially if he uses the beer to to wipe greasy fingerprints of the sensor...

[Julian Thompson]

 

Not plucked up the courage to try it yet - perhaps need more beer?

 

Will sleep on it and decide if it's a better idea to send everything to Leica for adjustment by them - but then again, it's just a screw - I can't see what harm I could do?

 

(I was thinking about Jaap's big Leica test rig and was thinking perhaps that's there for speed - after all, I've got as much time for trial and error as I need - Leica must churn out 50 cameras a day so they need to have a solution like that)

[ArtZ]

Yes, I've just been out playing around with the 75 cron and I can confirm there is still an issue here.

 

1) Once the distance goes over about 50m you don't need the rangefinder - you're at infinity.

 

2) I adjusted the roller cam to make the camera peachy at up to 10m but now it isn't focussing well at longer distances (up to 50m)

 

2a) Specifically, it was front focussing at close distances out of the box (a lot) but now I've tweaked the roller cam it's back focussing at longer distances.

 

2b) This makes sense I guess!

 

So - I now need to send the camera in to Solms to get it professionally set up or to have a go at the 'mans twiddly knob' under the Leica dot rather than the 'boys version' which is the roller cam:D

 

All very interesting and definitely more exciting than sitting at my desk this afternoon

 

Julian,

 

Sorry for have been the party spoiler but the good thing is you will get your camera and lenses spot in, professionally. Call Leica first and try to arrange with them a delay. If all your gear is under warranty, Leica can pick up directly your lenses and camera at your home/office. In this way repair will take less time (my own experience)

 

When I saw your message http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/115034-rangefinderproblems-new-m9s-2.html#post1222789 I though you were a bit optimistic and naive.

[Julian Thompson]

Yes you're right Art - but it's fun to learn as you go and by putting it all on the forum I guess it may help others through the same learning curve later on!

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[cliffp]

I phoned up Leica Uk on Mon this week, they had FedEx collect on Tuesday, it was sent out to Germany on Wed and today, my gear is showing up on their system (You can track repairs)