dmwood Posted January 30, 2012 Share #1 Â Posted January 30, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have two lenses that focus past infinity, namely the Super Elmar 18/3.8 and Elmar 24/3.8. When the focusing patch shows proper focus at infinity, the lens focusing ring is not quite at infinity. Â None of my other lenses do this, which leads me to suspect that it is not a camera problem, but a lens problem. Has anyone else encountered this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 30, 2012 Posted January 30, 2012 Hi dmwood, Take a look here Lens focuses past infinity. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
adan Posted January 30, 2012 Share #2 Â Posted January 30, 2012 Which setting (RF or focus ring) actually produces the sharpest detail at infinity? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmwood Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share #3 Â Posted January 30, 2012 Which setting (RF or focus ring) actually produces the sharpest detail at infinity? Â The RF patch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted January 30, 2012 Share #4 Â Posted January 30, 2012 Very strange... Leica M lenses, and all other lenses should be sharp at infinity when focus is at the infinity mark. If they are not, all distances will be off when scale focusing, also all aperture marks will be off. It is adjusted for any new lens during assembling, shims are used. Same for the camera mount/sensor distance. Â Only thing is to send it of for adjustment, most likely the camera and the lenses... Â BTW what camera? are you using an adapter on a non Leica camera, then it can have a wrong length, that will throw off the infinity... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted January 30, 2012 Share #5 Â Posted January 30, 2012 Â BTW what camera? are you using an adapter on a non Leica camera, then it can have a wrong length, that will throw off the infinity... Â What non-Leica camera has a rangefinder and takes M lenses with an adaptor? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted January 30, 2012 Share #6 Â Posted January 30, 2012 What non-Leica camera has a rangefinder and takes M lenses with an adaptor? None. You can use Leica R lenses on many cameras with an adapter. Was just asking to be sure what was going on, seems very strange that two new lenses don't get infinity sharp at infinity focus setting, it's physical impossible, unless you take the lenses apart and forget the shims when you put it back together... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobu Posted January 30, 2012 Share #7 Â Posted January 30, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I had exactly the same problem with the same two lenses. After sending them to Solms for correcting the infinity setting, they are perfect now. Â Boris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thighslapper Posted January 30, 2012 Share #8 Â Posted January 30, 2012 With such slow wide angle lenses this should make minimal practical difference .... if at all ... Â Even wide open when set to infinity everything should be in focus from about 3m and 5m respectively with these lenses. Unless miles out I would forget it. Â 'Optical' infinity for these lenses is not infinity in the normal sense of the word anyway... it is much closer. Â I doubt if the are calibrated at Solms to 'real infinity' and to honest they don't need to be to function perfectly well on an M9. Â I have a whole parcel of wide angles and most are off by a bit .... but it makes no difference to focussing accuracy and image sharpness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrh68uk Posted January 30, 2012 Share #9 Â Posted January 30, 2012 Yes, my 28 Elmarit ASPH, bought new, is like this. It was adjusted at Solms for slight back focus and came back with that fixed but correct infinity focus still being before the infinity mark/stop. It's of no consequence to me in practical use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted January 31, 2012 Share #10 Â Posted January 31, 2012 As long as the rangefinder is accurate, you're fine. Â One doesn't usually focus at infinity anyway, right? And you know that the lens is right when the rangefinder says it is. Â This has been mentioned a couple times in regard to the 18mm. It's an annoyance but makes no practical difference, so I'd let it go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted January 31, 2012 Share #11 Â Posted January 31, 2012 ...I doubt if the are calibrated at Solms to 'real infinity' ... Â I would like to see a reference for this statement. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thighslapper Posted January 31, 2012 Share #12 Â Posted January 31, 2012 I'm sure they use a collimator and some fancy laser/optical gadgetry.... Â I was just pointing out that the adjustments needed for these lenses are nowhere near as critical as wider aperture and longer focal length lenses. Â Presumably having such a wide DOF the performance of these lenses on the testing rig will be OK over such a wide range of adjustment that 100% precise alignment is not needed.... if it was no lens would ever leave Solms that varied in any perceptible way from it's neighbour. Â I have just had two 50/1.4 lux adjusted by Solms and both align differently on my M9 for infinity and have different near focus points as well .... but they are now within acceptable tolerance for producing in focus images...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted January 31, 2012 Share #13 Â Posted January 31, 2012 Remember that depth of field is very different form depth of focus! I sure like my wide angle lenses right at infinity. I agree that for most people a slow wide out of focus will go unnoticed... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted January 31, 2012 Share #14 Â Posted January 31, 2012 Just be sure you are using true infinity, not three houses down. Â I would rather have the RFpatch correct rather than the scale. Â I don`t know how these are adjusted and what tolerences /incremental steps are available to the assembly dept, but it could be that they are as good as they can be and maybe not. The only way is to return them. Â Stuff happens when you try to ramp up production fast with new people and all. Still with multi thousand dollar lenses they should be right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmwood Posted February 1, 2012 Author Share #15 Â Posted February 1, 2012 Thanks for all of the helpful responses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralf Posted February 1, 2012 Share #16 Â Posted February 1, 2012 My Summicron 28 did that from day one, it never bothered me though and I left it at that, you will get used to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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