FAST focussing with Leica M9/M?

[frogfish]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Yes... and no.

 

Stand in your back garden with a modern AF DSLR and a 35mm fast lens AND an M9 with a 35. Both FF and both at equivalent (as narrow as possible) aperture. I used f/2.

 

Pick 6 targets at varying distance, non sequential (ie not closest to farthest). Raise - focus - shoot each target in order, with both cameras.

 

 

 

That was fun.

 

Picked randomly 6 targets in my kitchen, distance 1-5 meters, moderate light (ISO 800, 1/90 at 2.0)

 

Nikon D700 35/2.0 D: about 10-12 sec.

M9 and 35 Summilux: about 12-14 sec.

 

I thought it would make a bigger difference. I am positively surprised.

 

 

heiko

[dwbell]

That's not your time per image though - right!?

[frogfish]

That's not your time per image though - right!?

 

aeh, do not understand...

time for image, yes...

 

 

(0:

[exile]

For close objects, guess the focus as well as you can based on the tab location, then raise the camera to your eye, then move backwards/forwards quickly until the subject comes into focus in the viewfinder. Actually moving the camera an inch or two is much quicker than rotating any focus dial when at close subject distances.

 

I shoot 35/1.2 and 50/1.5 wide open a lot on M9. Neither have a focus tab.

I glued 35cron focus tabs onto a 40/2 CLE and a 21/2.8 ZM. I can testify that he simple addition of this tab makes zone focussing far more intuitive.

HOWEVER for close subjects it is in my opinion impossible to guess the location of such a shallow depth of field with enough precision to make this a viable technique alone - hence the need to physically move the camera forwards or backwards rapidly to achieve focus. You can always crop later. In some situations, the important thing is getting focus nailed quickly. Once the shot is in the bag, composition can be improved in post processing if necessary.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I was going to say the same as "exile" did above. I was a tip I learned from one of the Ambassadors at the opening of the Leica boutique in Sydney and something I've practised ever since.

 

A rough focus is pretty easy, followed by moving yourself until the rangefinder patch does its job. I'm using this technique at weddings and although I still have a way to go (more in self confidence probably) I'm slowly getting to a point where I get an acceptable keeper rate (maybe 70%) of moving subjects like the recessional. My general preference is for f2.0 to 2.4 though as I find 1.5 and 1.2 to be too shallow much of the time. I can always cheat a stop of DOF in PS but I can't add one back in.

 

As for everything being centred, I do some cropping later in post. There's plenty of file available to have some cropping flexibility.

 

Give me another 10-12 years I sjould have it down, just right.

 

Gordon

[vikasmg]

Peter

 

All those at full aperture without using the rangefinder? Amazing stuff and good pictures too!

 

 

- Vikas

[erl]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

This is a topic close to my interest. I practice it continually, but am never satisfied. Maybe that is a good thing!

 

The Noctilux is the lens I used to practice most, at max aperture of course. I think I am as good as I will ever get with it now. The 75/2.0 is my most used lens and that also requires practice, mainly because of the short focus throw that a mere nudge will put you off.

 

I am sort of anal about using the RF patch, but never hesitate to 'throw focus' at a fast subject rather than miss it. I have successes and failures, like everyone.

 

Below are three samples of what I produce in 'focus scenarios' where there is no opportunity to pre-focus properly.

 

This pic was shot on the 75/2.0 and I did pull focus live using the RF patch.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

These two Noctilux shots were @ f1.0. Dark restaurant, ISO 2000 @ 1/90th. This time the subject was moving around in his chair fairly extrovertedly. I did pull focus using the RF patch. My lens had just returned from Solms after repair. This was part of my 'testing' scenario, both for me and the lens!

 

 

 

Edit: I should describe my techniques to stay fully on topic:

Most lenses, incl. 75mm I start at infinity so that I only have one direction to turn the focus in. I try to 'hit' target with one action.

With the Noctilux, because of the very long focus throw, where possible I 'localize' the focus before using the RF patch.

Because of the very narrow focus ring on the Noct 1.0, I use a 'Steer'. It substantially improves my speed of reaction when grabbing for the focus.

[Prosophos]

Practice, practice, practice.

 

These have all been shot with a 50mm lens @f/0.95 or f/1.4, except the first (90mm @f/2)...

 

Peter.

P r o s o p h o s | Photographing Life's Little Moments

-

[ATTACH]371579[/ATTACH]

-

 

[ATTACH]371580[/ATTACH]

-

 

[ATTACH]371581[/ATTACH]

-

 

[ATTACH]371582[/ATTACH]

-

 

[ATTACH]371583[/ATTACH]

-

 

See also:

The Leica M9… for sports? | P r o s o p h o s

“The M3… for kids’ sports?” featured on Steve Huff’s site. | P r o s o p h o s

 

Some sound advice has been given above, namely: stick with one focal length. I also employ pre-focusing, anticipation, and dumb luck.

 

Peter.

P r o s o p h o s | Photographing Life's Little Moments

 

 

-

 

Thank you for some of the comments regarding my post above. In answer to some of the questions...

 

Images 1 and 4 involve shooting wide open while the subject is moving towards you (image 1) or away (image 4). This is the most difficult type of shooting to accomplish with any focus system (manual or auto).

 

In the case of RF focusing, this is a case where I tend to focus "on the fly", but still rely on anticipation (because by the time you've hit focus, the subject has moved on) and I make a small tracking "adjustment" to account for how fast he/she is moving before I click the shutter. It's also where the "dumb luck" part plays a greater role. In the end, it's about maximizing what you can control, and hoping for the best. Not exactly the kind of "system" you would want to rely on if you were shooting sports photography for a reputable publication, but good enough for us enthusiasts searching for a different "look"

 

Here's another example from this week, with the subject moving towards me. This was shot wide open on the 90mm Summicron as part of my "11 images in 50 minutes" series:

 

-

Leica Monochrom

90mm Summicron @ f/2

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

-

Tomorrow, I'm posting a similar example with the subject much closer.

 

Thanks again,

 

Peter.

P r o s o p h o s | Photographing Life's Little Moments

[Paul J]

Peter is being modest, very nice work btw. There is no dumb luck involved. A lot of bravery perhaps.

 

I find the only thing that makes it hard is thinking it's hard. People try these things once or twice, can't do it and then decide it can't be done. Try it, stick with it, make some, or a lof errors and burn some new synapses. You get better in time, your brain just needs to work it out and then communicate with your hands.

 

Take photos all day long, or when ever you can, of everything. Practice it and be prepared to toss it in the bin when it doesn't work. Even if you feel it isn't working, IT IS. It happens slowly and organicly and the more you give it the more it will grow. It's OK to get it wrong. The more you do it in these times means the more chance you have in doing it when it counts and in a way that is art and not just a raw image.

 

Just as you can learn to judge distance, very accurately, when thowing a ball, playing golf, anything like that, focusing by feel and judgement is something you can learn, as a skill, with some hard graft and a some missed shots in the making. But often these missed shots are works of art in them selves.

[dwbell]

Actually one thing that hasn't been covered is the apparent two stages of focusing.

 

1) You turn the ring and achieve focus.

2) You then turn the ring either way a little to achieve "perfect" focus.

 

Good training I've done also is to see how close your first "gut feel" focus actually was. With the excellent clarity of the M rangefinders you might be surprised to find how often step 2 is not required. Buuuuut you often kind of feel like you need to do it.

 

It's not limited to RF either, stand next to many proficient AF DSLR users and listen to the ratio of focus confirmation beeps to shutter clicks. Bee-beep, bee-beep - click. The second AF supposedly more accurate than the first? You know? It's human nature.

 

Try it, another interesting thing to do teach yourself if you need the second step or not.

[tobey bilek]

table shots are done at 5 feet. Do them all the same and learn how far 5 feet is.

 

Use the RF, always start at infinity and move clockwise. When the image merges, stop. Do not twiddle . Learn what the good target are for the RF. Mens tie and collars or lapels and white shirt, Practice at home. It should take less than a second.

 

Preset a distance and when the bride comes down the aisle and hits that point, take the photo.

 

Track focus by moving the lens clockwise. This one is tough.

 

45 deg triangle method. Both sides are the same length. Look down 45 deg and that distance is same as your eye to the floor.

 

Scale focus. Know what 5 7 10 14 feet look like.

 

Move you body. I do portraits at 5 feet, 90 mm. Set the lens to 5, stand at 5+, then move in until the catchlight in the eye merges.

 

Do not twiddle. Compose, merge, recompose, take photo.

[IWC Doppel]

I do find lenses that are lower resistance to move, shorter throw and smaller easier. I have yet to master the feel (too many lenses ?) and do as much prep as possible

[Guest borge]

I find that using the focusing tab yields in far less quick focusing accuracy than when I'm using the focusing ring (in the traditional way) of my 50 and 35 lux.

 

If there was an option I would get rid of the focusing tab all together and have a slightly bigger and proper focusing ring.

[IWC Doppel]

A few with the 50 Elmar-M which is quick to focus and my 28 Summicron is too but little 'O' is usually too quick !

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!