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rangefinder accuracy


ho_co

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for entertainment only...

 

...to get the idea of the relative importance of the different errors. The line with small dashes is the focusing of an actual lens. The dotted line is the error from reframing to rule of thirds. The line with big dashes is the error predicted by the accuracy formula. The solid line is for reference.

 

In the first example with a good lens the focusing error is nothing like the accuracy formula would predict; it's almost nothing. And the reframing error, if you reframe, will dominate.

 

In the second example with a not so good lens, the focusing error dominates the other errors.

 

I think in real life things work out so you can "just about but not quite" do whatever you want. The example is pretty contrived, but it's the same as my experience from shooting day-in, day-out...you will bump up against a couple of other things besides just the physics.

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As a post-script, I checked E.P.'s article more carefully and found he is just using the formula above; no magic "equations that are used by Leica... ." I did not bother to check every column...but checked all four tables.

 

The chart, however, is a good trick--I wonder who first drew it. It turns out the accuracy formula is good out to about 20m or so, compared to an exact expression. You cannot draw the chart from the exact expression, however, because then the distance will not cancel out.

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Erwin Puts has an article in his book on this subject, as well as in his site....

Maurice, I assume you were referring to the earlier book by Mr Puts.

 

He also presents very much the same graph in his article on pp 246-247 of the new Leica Compendium, which I just received today, along with the relevant formulas. Since he doesn't mention the M8 or M9 in the text of that section, I assume it is taken from his earlier work. However, the graph has been updated to show the rangefinder accuracy of the M8. All in all, an excellent exposition of what's up with the rangefinder!

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