ppolla Posted November 1, 2013 Share #1 Posted November 1, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) OK...so I am new to the rangefinder proposition. Tonight was the first time I actually went out at night to tae some shots and found it really hard to focus. Any tips for night focusing? Thanks, P some shots from tonight.... 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/215758-focusing-at-night-any-tips/?do=findComment&comment=2455003'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 1, 2013 Posted November 1, 2013 Hi ppolla, Take a look here focusing at night - any tips?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
sclemmons Posted November 1, 2013 Share #2 Posted November 1, 2013 The rangefinder can find a straight edge or nose angle and focus pretty well. You may not have the depth of field you need unless you set the aperture appropriately. With a little practice, this is the classic Leica way. I just got one of the on sale Olympus EV-2's from Staples. That is the supreme solution for focusing in the dark, but don't give up on the rangefinder. EV-2 is just remarkable on a dark and dull subject, like an empty wine glass in a dark cafe which a rangefinder would struggle with. The EV-2 will give you a sharp focus in that instance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted November 1, 2013 Share #3 Posted November 1, 2013 Day or night, make sure your eyes are corrected as needed, e.g., through use of diopter, eye glasses (including corrections for astigmatism), etc. (A magnifier won't help correct eye problems and may reduce contrast.) And of course make sure that your RF and lenses are calibrated appropriately. If you focus well in light, then practice should help you with the night aspect. The EVF can be useful, as noted above, but I most often prefer using the improved RF on the M. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ppolla Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted November 1, 2013 I can see pretty well far away but have struggled in the last few months with close distances like reading....but reading some of Torsten's comments that should not be a problem. I tried the focus yesterday in day light and was pretty happy with it...is there any more scientific test I can do? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted November 1, 2013 Share #5 Posted November 1, 2013 Practice, practice... You may also want to focus bracket (ie, take several shots in sequence while slightly leaning forward and backwards) to make sure you get at least one image in focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannybuoy Posted November 1, 2013 Share #6 Posted November 1, 2013 Focussing at night is tricky. Even if you nail focus then you can still end up with a blurry shot if shutter speed is slow and ISO is too high. A top tip for focussing at night is to first approximate the distance to the subject. Set the lens there then at least you are in the ball park and will need less hunting until you think you have he correct focus. Another trick I do is to roll me head a little to the side trying not to move the focal plane backwards of forwards. With a little angle on the RF patch, picking up vertical lines etc is much easier in the dark. But ultimately it's down to practice. And more practice :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest borge Posted November 1, 2013 Share #7 Posted November 1, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Practice, practice, practice. But the VF-2 (Olympus or Leica) really makes focusing in the dark MUCH easier, even wide open I use the Olympus VF-2 (brand new/mint which I got for $100) every time I'm shooting in very dark areas. It also makes it much quicker to set the proper exposure as what you see is what you get. And the M240 (and almost any camera) has a tendency to over-expose dark scenes all the time... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted November 1, 2013 Share #8 Posted November 1, 2013 I would not even try on near total darkness or in the shots you show without my Olympus VF-2 EVF. I have never sen them for $100, but new at Staples they are $170-shipping included+state sales tax if any. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted November 1, 2013 Share #9 Posted November 1, 2013 I can see pretty well far away but have struggled in the last few months with close distances like reading....but reading some of Torsten's comments that should not be a problem.I tried the focus yesterday in day light and was pretty happy with it...is there any more scientific test I can do? You shouldn't just be "pretty happy" with focusing in daylight; you should be able to nail it. The M has the benefit of live view, so you can easily mount the camera on a tripod, focus using the RF and then verify on screen. This is also a way to check if you have an alignment issue with the RF and/or lens. The focus patch is set at a virtual distance of 2m (regardless of subject distance), so that is the sweet spot for optimizing focus. I'm fortunate that my glasses allow me to see the focus patch and subjects at longer distances with equal clarity. Your optician is the one to do the testing for this. As I said, and as others have echoed, practice is the best way to improve after making sure that everything is working properly....your eyes and your gear. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jankap Posted November 1, 2013 Share #10 Posted November 1, 2013 Your pictures are ok. Don´t worry. Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ppolla Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted November 1, 2013 Thanks everyone. I will consider the VF2, but for now I would like to just try the RF method without the extra help. Look forward to shooting some more over the weekend in better light. Will post the results. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ppolla Posted November 2, 2013 Author Share #12 Posted November 2, 2013 Did a few shots today waiting for kids to come out of school and managed to get great sharpness every single time....good light is key for me. Didn't try the live view yet.... 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/215758-focusing-at-night-any-tips/?do=findComment&comment=2455823'>More sharing options...
gotium Posted November 9, 2013 Share #13 Posted November 9, 2013 Hard to say without magnified views, but isn't some of the softness in your night shots due to motion blur? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted November 10, 2013 Share #14 Posted November 10, 2013 After over two years of using a digital M, I think I'm just about getting good at focusing a rangefinder. It's a skill that rewards practice. When I first got my M9 I'd practice during the ads on TV at night, on the kids and moving subjects. You need to get to the point where it's a natural action. A few things you may already know. - How you hold the camera/lens counts. I now hold my lenses slightly differently which allows me to be not only more accurate but faster, - Focus from a single direction. It seems easier to rack back and forth but in the longer term single direction focusing works better. - return your lenses to either end after each shot, depending on your preference. that way you only have one choice in focusing direction. - Practice fast and slow focus movements. You'll use both. - Relax. Nothing ruins accurate focusing more than being tense. Slow fluid movements work best. Breathe. - It's easier if you're a right eyed focuser. I'm not. So I trained myself to become one. Now I shoot right eyed with a rangefinder styled camera and left with a DSLR. Both now feel normal but it took three months to get that way. - Practice every day, all day. You don't have to shoot. just move the rangefinder around to develop the muscle memory that'll make you more accurate. Gordon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
baci Posted November 12, 2013 Share #15 Posted November 12, 2013 Interesting points - and I agree! I'm interested to know more about how you hold the camera when focusing? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 12, 2013 Share #16 Posted November 12, 2013 http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/130720-leica-m8-m8-2-m9-m9p-2.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted November 12, 2013 Share #17 Posted November 12, 2013 I can see pretty well far away but have struggled in the last few months with close distances like reading....but reading some of Torsten's comments that should not be a problem.I tried the focus yesterday in day light and was pretty happy with it...is there any more scientific test I can do? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Go to your optician and use his try-out lenses to find the optimum view through your viewfinder. You can then order a Dioptre of the same strength. The viewfinder markings are optimized at a virtual distance of 2 m. If old age is catching up with your eyes this may just fall outside your accomodation range. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ppolla Posted November 13, 2013 Author Share #18 Posted November 13, 2013 Jaap, no issue seeing at 2m....i have occassionally problems with 30-40cm Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted November 14, 2013 Share #19 Posted November 14, 2013 Hello ppolla, Nice photos. You might try something that was sometimes considered helpful when the Leica rangefinder w/ separate viewfinder was introduced by Leitz in the early 1930's: Try rotating the camera & lens about 45 degrees counter-clockwise or clockwise & then focussing. As viewed from the back of the camera. The rangefinder image then moves diagonally. This can sometimes be useful in helping to focus. Regardless of lighting conditions. Best Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted November 14, 2013 Share #20 Posted November 14, 2013 Interesting points - and I agree! I'm interested to know more about how you hold the camera when focusing? It's subtle but I hold my M9 with my thumb more toward the base of the lens than I did when i used only AF cameras. The body rests on my left palm (my thumb pad actually), rather than supporting the lens itself. I found this allowed me to focus faster and with a lighter touch, rather than "gripping" the lens like you might (and I did) with an AF DSLR. This might be completely natural to many, but I had to adjust to it. The diagonal trick above, it a good one. Gordon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.