Question for experienced users

[lethbrp]

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Hi Leth congratulations on your purchase. I would like to make a few points.

- It does take time to get used to RF focusing and the hit rate improves with experience but

you have to shoot a lot for it to become automatic.

- The autofocus SLRs focus quickly in good light but not always on the target you want

- In poor light with little contrast, the RF proves superior.

- It is not always poor focusing that gives poor results, we have become used to

anti-shake control with SLRs and the Leicas show up camera shake especially with the

longer lenses.

- Do not get rid of all your other lenses, you might need them for long telephoto work keep

one SLR body as backup until you get an M 240 with adapters and EVF.

- Consider an Olympus OMD,Sony,or Fuji as a second body that has autofocus lenses

and that can use your Leica glass with a reasonably cheap adapter.

- While you are waiting for the new very expensive 50mm treat yourself to the 50

Summilux 1.4 the results are outstanding at a fraction of the price . Unless you also get

the Monochrome the Apo 50 offers more resolution than the colour sensors can cope

with.

In many years of Leica photography I have never met anyone willing to trade in the 50

1.4.

You have invested a lot of cash in your system you need to invest the time to get to use it

comfortably but what a treat you have to look forward to.

Good luck and let us see your results when you are happy with them. Alan

Hi Alan,

Thank you for the advice. Unfortunately, I don't have a DSLR body any longer due to a robbery, which was the opportunity to switch systems. Oddly, the only lens they left me with (from the 14 they stole) was the 200-400 f4. I do have access to my sons D800 if I need it. And I suspect he'll be using the Leica too.

 

Thats interesting to know about the 50 1.4. I might well go down that route, as there is no knowing when the APO will become available.

 

Regards

 

Peter

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Leth

Congrats on your decision. I have tried all kinds of eye pieces and corrections. Removing eye glasses became a pain and now I just use the Match Technical uncorrected eye cup with my glasses on and I love it. My hit rate actually improved with this setup, not that it was so bad before, but in for sure better now. I do believe the M240 helped me also with hit rates although I also get very good hit rates on my MM.

 

My APO 50's are awesome. All should be sorted by next year.

[Guest redge]

I bought the 35 f1.4, 28 f2, 21 f3.4 and the 90 f2

 

I've put my name down for the 50 APO, but I think thats going to be a least 12 months away.

 

Hi Pete,

 

Now that you've corrected your farsighted vision, I don't think you should have any trouble focusing the 35mm and 90mm.

 

I can't comment on the shorter lenses because 35mm is my shortest lens. Perhaps others can.

 

Given that you are going from a DSLR to a rangefinder, I think that the biggest issue is to learn how to use the distance scale in conjunction with the aperture ring to control apparent depth of field. As part of that, you might as well learn zone focussing (it may come in handy, and even if you don't use it, learning how it works will help you understand the camera, and maybe even photography, better). There's a reason why there's a lot of throw/rotation in those expensive lenses you're buying. In this regard, the great thing about the M is that it's digital so there's no film plus scanning cost in figuring this stuff out

 

Cheers

 

P.S. People here may also have views on the accuracy of the distance scale, and whether, depending on their views on circle of confusion, it might be optimistic by maybe a stop.

[Abehsieh]

Difficult question to answer as it is all personal preference and what you are trying to achieve photographically. I shoot with both the D800E and M240. I like the D800E for landscapes and the M240 for travel/street/candids. Glass is better with Leica, but my Nikon gives more shooting options! If focusing is the main issue, which is more difficult in low light settings, I will use the EVF or LiveView on the M240. Many are fortunate to have more than one car that they can alternate. Keep both cameras and shoot them both!