robk47 Posted February 5, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Here is one for you all. I have been using an M8 with a 50 1.4 coded lens and find that often the viewfinder kicks out and I cannot see anything with which to focus with. I do not mean that the view finder is dark, but rather it fails to give me something like a reference point with which to focus. This does not happen all the time. Often, if I switch the camera off and on or take off and reattach the lens, it kicks back in. I have only noticed this once or twice with the 28 2.8, but more often with the 50. The battery is charged the card is fine and it happens whether I am on A or shooting manually. It happens in bright light and dim light. Shaking the camera, gently, of course, does not affect it. Sometimes it lasts for a very brief time and sometimes, in frustration, I walk away and come back and it is okay. This is quite strange. Any thoughts??? Firmware is 1.09. Cards are San Disk 2 gig Ultra II's. The 50 has no IR filter and the 28 does. Â Just as an aside, I will say that I did a photo test with my 30D shooting raw and matched it with the M8. The color is noticeably better with the Canon. Both processed with DNG converter in PS CS with Camera Raw 2.4. The quality of the sharpness of the image is no contest as the M8 has it there and I guess you could say that therein lies the difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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chrism Posted February 5, 2007 Share #2 Â Posted February 5, 2007 I bet you have your finger over the viewfinder illumination window. Â Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grober Posted February 5, 2007 Share #3 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Don't kill the messenger: are you sure a stray finger from your right hand is NOT blocking the tiny rangefinder window just below the shuteer speed dial on the face of hte camera? Â Do you also mean that all the frame lines disappear from the viewfinder? Â Lastly, do you mean that there is also no LED information of any kind in the viewfinder? Â I could see the LED going blank if the camera were dead, but, assuming you had a lens seated properly, the first two should show any time you raise the camera to your eye. Â Please clarify... Â -g Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 5, 2007 Share #4 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Robert, I'm probably missing something obvious here, but there's no electrical ling between the rangefinder mechanism and the camera. I can't see what switching it off and on will do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcbjr Posted February 5, 2007 Share #5 Â Posted February 5, 2007 not sure i completely understand the problem, but is it possible that you are covering or blocking the right side viewfinder window with your finger? that probably sounds too obvious to be it, but only thing i can come up with. hard to imagine something loose in camera that would cause it to go in and out as you describe. Â john Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted February 5, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Robert, the viewfinder is mechanical and should not be affected by the camera's being on or off. Â If the focusing patch isn't there, do you have your finger in front of the window nearest the left front topside of the camera? Â The focusing patch might be difficult to use when there is very bright light coming toward you, but in that case, I have always seen a white glare where the patch is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJL Posted February 5, 2007 Share #7 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Rob, Not quite sure what you mean by "kicking out" in your description. The only electical/electronic things visibile in he viewfinder on the M8 are small LEDs for exposure, or to post the shutter speed when set for aperture priority. The focus patch of the rangefinder requires that the far right side window not be covered in order to acquire that part of the image for focus. Could you possibly be coering that window when you are gripping the camera? Just a thought, as rangefinder techniques tend to be different than DSLR techniques for shooting and focussing. Just a thought to consider. Â With respect to your processed images, ACR is up to version 3.7 (in beta, but 3.6 is out) at this point, and there are much better profiles for the M8 files than what you may be getting from ACR 2.4. That is worth the shot to test out also. If you are not using any IR/UV cut filters, you may also be experiencing some stronger IR contamination of the images. There are several other threads here, notably the "sticky" one on profiles and such, where there is a very good ongoing discussion around achieving better color balances. Again, just some thoughts for your consideration. Â LJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted February 5, 2007 Share #8 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Rob not to demean you in any way but rangefinder cameras are a totally different beast from SLR's. You are NOT looking through the lens when using a rangefinder. The rangefinder can be actuated even without a lens being attached to the camera. You move the little wheel near the top inside the lens mount area. As other have stated you have a finger over the small rangefinder window just below the shutter speed dial. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robk47 Posted February 5, 2007 Author Share #9 Â Posted February 5, 2007 OOOOPS!...I am feeling incredibly stupid and now just typing with one hand...my left, as apparently, YES, one of the fingers on my right hand was covering the little window...um, sorry for the stupid post...ARGH!...anyway, for the reader who suggested CR 3.6 or 7, well PS CS does not support those and hence, I am stuck with the last CR that is supported and that is 2.4...if there are profiles for CR 3.6 or 7 that I might be able to load...I think in CR they are called xmp or rcs settings...if anyone wants to email me one, I can try it and see if it works...again, my apologies for the false alarm and thanks to those who were kind enough not to suggest that I was in need of special education services...now, I think I will go have some humble pie for lunch... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubice Posted February 5, 2007 Share #10 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Robert, Â Most definitely a finger blocking the rangefinder window. Â Do a simple test - look through the finder, making sure that your fingers are folded along the body of the camera. While observing the rangefinder spot on the finder, focus the lens as you normally would. I am certain that you are focusing the lens by grabbing it from the side or from the top, as you normally would a SLR lens. This would put your hand or parts of it into the path of the rangefinder. Â Do you use your right hand to focus, or your left? If focusing with your right hand, it is very easy to block the path of the secondary rangefinder window. Both of your lenses have a focusing tab (if the 50/1.4 is the ASPH), are you using the tabs when focusing? When you use the tabs correctly, you would be cradling the body in the palm of your left hand and focusing the tab with the index or middle finger of the left hand. Â There is absolutely no way and I repeat absolutely no way, that what you are experiencing is related to the electronics of the camera. Â All the best, Â Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJL Posted February 5, 2007 Share #11 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Rob, Glad that got sorted for you! Â With respect to the processing, Adobe Camera Raw 3.6 will not work in PS CS, but requires PS CS2. Sorry for suggesting a solution that will not work for you without that upgrade. However, you could still use the version of C1LE that ships with the M8, to create some excellent files that you can import into PS CS to continue your processing. The C1 conversions, especially using some of the recent profiles posted by Jamie Roberts and Edmund Ronald, are looking quite good. Worth a try. Â LJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wstotler Posted February 5, 2007 Share #12 Â Posted February 5, 2007 OOOOPS!...I am feeling incredibly stupid and now just typing with one hand...my left, as apparently, YES, one of the fingers on my right hand was covering the little window...um, sorry for the stupid post...ARGH!... I think I will go have some humble pie for lunch... Â I did the same thing over the weekend with my new M8 and I was scratching my head, wondering what was up precisely *because* I knew the rangefinder had nothing to do with the camera's electronics, really. Took me a minute to realize I was blocking the little window with my right hand. And there is enough FUD about the M8's operation because of past and ongoing issues to encourage a bit of a panic attack when something on the M8 doesn't work as expected. -Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eoin Posted February 5, 2007 Share #13 Â Posted February 5, 2007 We've all been there, done that. Well I have anyway, I eventually figured it out when i noticed the pink tones I had in the view finder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gravastar Posted February 5, 2007 Share #14 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Robert, just a tip about the rangefinder windows. If you get finger grease on the small window (the one you had your finger over) you will probably find the camera very difficult to focus. When I can't see the split/superimposed images properly in the rangefinder patch that's the first thing I check. The same consideration also applies to some extent to the main viewfinder window at the front. I use a piece of soft washed chamois leather to keep the windows clean. Â Good luck with the camera. So far I'm very pleased with mine, I haven't been disapointed with the results. Â Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted February 5, 2007 Share #15 Â Posted February 5, 2007 Unbelieveable Robert. I was just out shooting today and the same thing happened to me for the second time and I was going to post the same Question. Now I see that little window. Thanks guys! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotomiguel Posted February 5, 2007 Share #16 Â Posted February 5, 2007 That happened to me my first week with my M8. My father who is a Leica M lover for many years told me the trick. Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted February 5, 2007 Share #17 Â Posted February 5, 2007 What I love about this thread is that it reminds us that photographers are coming to the M8 who have not used rangefinders much in the past. That's great. Some predicted that only existing Leica M owners would be interested in a digital M but that's clearly not the case. It's not huge, but the "rangefinder renaissance" thing I talked about last year is growing. Â Cheers, Â Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted February 5, 2007 Share #18 Â Posted February 5, 2007 OOOOPS!...I am feeling incredibly stupid and now just typing with one hand...my left, as apparently, YES, one of the fingers on my right hand was covering the little window...um, sorry for the stupid post...ARGH!...anyway, for the reader who suggested CR 3.6 or 7, well PS CS does not support those and hence, I am stuck with the last CR that is supported and that is 2.4...if there are profiles for CR 3.6 or 7 that I might be able to load...I think in CR they are called xmp or rcs settings...if anyone wants to email me one, I can try it and see if it works...again, my apologies for the false alarm and thanks to those who were kind enough not to suggest that I was in need of special education services...now, I think I will go have some humble pie for lunch... Â Glad you figured out the problem. I was going to suggest banging it on the sidewalk. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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