R9 and 35mm

[LeicaBraz]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Remember having read somewhere (in this forum) that R9 and 35

mm were a bad combination, as this and other wide angle lenses

were hard to focus with this camera.

Any truth to this statement?

Issue comes as have a chance to buy an R9 coupled with this lens, all or none, an R summicron ROM.

Thanks

[wildlightphoto]

Use the split-image focussing aid in the center of the standard viewscreen and it should be fine.

[tomlianza]

I have never had a problem focussing an R9 with a wide angle. It has a good viewfinder. I don't understand where that impression comes from. I have the 21 to 35mm zoom on it all the time and I don't have a problem focussing.

[leicamann]

Never been an issue with me..now of course I don't have the 15mm Super Elmar ASPH F2.8... which would be nice

 

I would say this though, when I use my 21mm SA, I take a "good look around" inside the viewfinder to make sure of my composition.

I try to keep my F stop at 8 or higher to get away from the LB distortion.

 

Cheers, JRM

[LeicaBraz]

I found the post I was referring to. Here it is:

 

I have the R9 and the M6 (TTL in my case). If you're shooting with a 21/35/50, then get the M6. RF cameras are made for shooting wide angles up to short telephoto lenses (say 90). Focussing a SLR prism with a short lens is hard (different of course for long lenses where the R9 is fab).

 

If I were you, I would get a 35 summicron and either the M6 (if you like metering on board) or a M2 (if you're happy using an external meter). The M6 wins on convenience (metering and film loading) and the M2 wins elsewhere as it just feels different (better VF and buttery smooth winding).

 

Good luck,

[masjah]

It's a question of degree. It's probably true that rangefinders are easier to focus than SLRs at the wide end. What it doesn't mean is that it's not possible with an SLR. The central split image on an R8/R9 is less easy to use at the wide end, because objects with a suitably identifiable clear vertical line are of course smaller in the viewfinder. I usually find that the microprism doughnut is helpful. With my 21-35 zoom, I tend to focus near the 35mm end, and then zoom to what I want in the frame, though one other Forum member has had problems with zoom related focus shift with this lens. I find things to be perfectly manageable at 35. What should also be said is that this is a problem intrinsic to SLRs, and that the R8/R9s have a significantly better viewfinder than most!

[LeicaBraz]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

That explains it very clearly. Many thanks for your post. Unfortunately, due to my current location, I cannot get my hands on the camera/lens. But trust it is not a big issue. I feared there might be some other reason.

Thanks again.

[anabasis]

The zoom in to focus and then zoom out to compose only works if the lens isn't a verifocal zoom (focus changes with zoom). I used to do this with my old Nikkor zooms, but my new ones I don't trust. One I have will completely defocus when I zoom. Of course with AF on most camera systems this is a moot point. I have never used Leica Zooms so can't say how verifocal they are.

 

As for the original subject, it is a bit more difficult to focus WA lenses in SLRs than RF's. Still as others have stated, if you have the split prism screen this isn't much of an issue. Also, WA lenses have a much greater DOF at all apertures so focusing isn't as critical.

 

I would certainly not discount a camera and system based on the relative difficulty of focus at short focal lengths.

 

My Leica R system is primarily telephoto while I use the M-system for my WA work. I do have a 35mm Elmarit-R but that's as wide as I go with R and don't have much trouble with focus, even with the ground glass screen I tend to use.

 

JCA

[spydrxx]

Different strokes for different folks. I never had an issue with my R8 and a 35mm, but never used wider lenses on it because I didn't have them. On other SLR bodies, I do find that using much wider lenses is a little harder to finely focus (primarily as a function of my eyesight), but generally the DOF takes up the slack. Like others suggested, split image screen for WA lenses is better than matte, and this is where a rangefinder shines.

[topoxforddoc]

Well that's my old post. Let me explain. I shoot a lot with the glass wide open, as I often shoot at night time at concerts and jazz bars. In low light, a split screen or micro prism becomes useless and you end up using a ground glass screen on the R8/9. Focussing a wide angle on a ground glass screen with the lens wide open is harder than on a RF, where you have the RF patch to use.

 

If you shoot your pictures at f5.6 in good daylight, sure a R9 with a 35/21/15 is ok to focus and the depth of field will take care of things. But when shooting at extremes, it is easier to shoot with a WA lens on a RF than on a SLR.

[tobey bilek]

The split focus screen is harder to use than a 50 or tele because the two images do not move as far as distance changes thus making focus harder. With longer lenses small changes in distance result in larger movement in top and bottom of the split.

 

This discussion has be going on for decades. In the 1960 era, it was said RF cameras focus well, see poorly. The slr sees well, forcus poorly . Still true today.

 

Focus accuracy is better with RF under 90 mm, slr over 90. 90 is about even. People before me have proved this and I will not reinvent the wheel.

 

Nikon used to make different screens to optimize focus with different focal lengths and speeds. They worked well, but were a pain to use/change.

 

Today Nikon has AF that supposedly solves this. Well not perfectly, but better than manual focus and10x faster..

[masjah]

The split focus screen is harder to use than a 50 or tele because the two images do not move as far as distance changes thus making focus harder. With longer lenses small changes in distance result in larger movement in top and bottom of the split.

..

 

Agreed - that's why I often use the microprism doughnut at the wider end.

[gvaliquette]

My 18 mm f4.0 Distagon for my Contarex came with its own focussing screen, optimized for thar lens. I never used it! Swapping screens for one or two shots with that lens just was not worth it!.

 

I have long since abandoned the Contarex, and now, I regret that Leica has abandoned the R line. But I have 3 lenses with a 35 mm focal length: the 35 mm Summicron, the 28-90 Vario-Elmarit and the 21-35 MM Vario-Elmar. I have no problems focussing any of them at 35 mm!

 

Guy