renapearl Posted May 30, 2013 Share #1 Posted May 30, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have a 75mm APO lens that is front focusing. It was good on my M9, but needed adjusting for my Monochrom now it is front focusing on both the MM and M9. How much front focusing is acceptable. I shoot with a wide aperture and close, about 3 to 4 feet away when shooting portraits. Test that I have done when focusing on the pupil, shows the eyebrows in focus and the pupil soft. Am I nit picking? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 30, 2013 Posted May 30, 2013 Hi renapearl, Take a look here 75mm APO lens front focusing. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
mirekti Posted May 30, 2013 Share #2 Posted May 30, 2013 A little movment can impact a lot. Did you test it from a tripod? Here's a DoF table Depth of Field Table Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
renapearl Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share #3 Posted May 30, 2013 Yes, using a tripod and cable release, and did the test a few times. Thank you for the dof table. I have two DOF apps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted May 30, 2013 Share #4 Posted May 30, 2013 Test that I have done when focusing on the pupil, shows the eyebrows in focus and the pupil soft. Am I nit picking? No, I don't think it is nit-picking at all. Close focus (<0.9m) at F2 is pretty much the entire point of the 75 Summicron otherwise you might as well have the Summarit at half the cost. I've also found more than one copy of this lens front focussing at 0.7m and F2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted May 30, 2013 Share #5 Posted May 30, 2013 Much to my annoyance mine was off focus out of the box. I kept thinking it was me but once I was conviced it was the lens and not me it was sent back to Solms for adjustment and is perfect If the focus is off just send it off for servicing rather than wast time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bybrett Posted May 30, 2013 Share #6 Posted May 30, 2013 Same here, bought a new 75mm and it was front focussing, sent it back for repair and it was still front focussing. Waited for a new replacement and it had the same problem. Tested 3 others, same problem. Leica was not interested that all new 75mm's were shipping front focussing. In the end I swopped it for a 90mm Summicron, perfect. The whole process took 10 months. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoppyman Posted May 30, 2013 Share #7 Posted May 30, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) If your lens appeared to focus correctly on one camera and not on the other then one or both of the cameras may be out of adjustment, or the lens may be or a combination . I think that you need to establish a base line first. I suggest that you start by establishing the correct adjustment on the cameras. They should be the same in any case. As you appreciate there is little margin for error with the lens wide open at close distances. Can you perhaps have it tested on another camera or by another photographer too? I have this lens and it is I think my favourite. With good technique you should be able to put that sharpest plane exactly where you want it. It certainly is frustrating if you get an error such as you describe. I seldom use mine wide open for portraiture although it is spot on within my own technique limits. Thoughtful in BW photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com I use mine most often around f/4 in this application for just the right amount of DoF I am seeking. Classically that might be with closest eye sharpest with fall off from there but stopping down a little like that gives a more natural fall off for my taste. Kendall's eyes photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com Bec's close up photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com Lluis Ripoll, Catalan photographer photo - Geoff Hopkinson photos at pbase.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWA Posted May 30, 2013 Share #8 Posted May 30, 2013 Important to ensure that the rangefinders on the M9 and MM are calibrated the same, or a lens may focus correctly on one camera but not the other. I had to send my MM back to Solms for calibration to ensure that focus was correct with my lenses which, together with the M9, had all previously been calibrated at Solms. After receiving the MM Solms asked that I send in the M9 and a lens to act as a reference to ensure the calibration matched. They are all a joy to focus now. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bybrett Posted May 30, 2013 Share #9 Posted May 30, 2013 I have a 75mm APO lens that is front focusing. It was good on my M9, but needed adjusting for my Monochrom now it is front focusing on both the MM and M9. How much front focusing is acceptable. I shoot with a wide aperture and close, about 3 to 4 feet away when shooting portraits. Test that I have done when focusing on the pupil, shows the eyebrows in focus and the pupil soft. Am I nit picking? Assuming your M9's rangefinder was perfect the lens may not have needed adjusting. If you sent the lens back for adjusting without either camera body it sounds like it has been adjusted out of true. So it seems that it was the Monochrom's rangefinder which needed adjusting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
renapearl Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted May 30, 2013 When taking portraits I tend to use F4 and not F2. I also did the test twice, and another photographer did it, and the front focusing was still very noticeable. When I first got the lens, it had to go back for adjustment and was fine on the M9. When I got the Monochrom again it had to go back, with both cameras and my other lenses, came back the first time still OK on the M9, worse on the Monochrom returned to Sohms for a second time, came back and is now front focusing on both cameras. Tomorrow, I am returning both cameras, the 75mm and two other lenses to Leica Mayfair for return to Sohms, and hopefully they will align what ever has to be aligned and all will be well. I live in hope! Annoying thing is that I was meant to write an article on using the Monochrom for a photo magazine - missed that - difficult to write about using a camera when it has been in Sohms more then with me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
renapearl Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted May 30, 2013 The lens originally went back with both the M9 and Monochrom. As mentioned it was fine on the M9, came back the first time and was still fine on the M9, but not the MM, went back again, without the M9, came back the second time and is now off on both cameras. I'm taking both cameras and all my lenses back again and lets hope it will be third time lucky. Fingers and toes crossed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoppyman Posted May 31, 2013 Share #12 Posted May 31, 2013 This seems to come up a bit regarding adjustment on individual cameras. My view is that a correctly adjusted lens of modern design (with its specific focus shift characteristics) like this ought to work correctly and the same on every correctly adjusted camera. From your description one or more or your cameras and/or the lens is out but adjustments to the lens for one camera that makes it worse on another camera leads to madness! Speaking of a specific example my M8 was upgraded/serviced in a very short time to fit in with a Forum visit to Solms. At the time they returned it to me and tested my 50 and 75 on the spot but they could not be adjusted (for the next business day!) when I returned to customer service. By whatever method (recorded the body adjustment/test results perhaps) the told me that it was not necessary to keep the body while they then adjusted both lenses and returned them to me later. Both were spot on on their return and actually the 75 remains so now four years later and is my benchmark on my M9 too. As you have sent everything together I do hope for you that everything can be adjusted perfectly and quickly for you. Best of luck. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billo101 Posted May 31, 2013 Share #13 Posted May 31, 2013 I had the M9, now I have the MM, no problem with my 75AA. b Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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