M2jr Posted December 29, 2015 Share #1 Posted December 29, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Apologize for the newbie question, but I've had a hard time deciphering this through the manual: I'm trying to get focus peaking to work with M lenses. When I push the bottom left button, I can magnify through the viewfinder X10 and it works great....but I haven't been able to figure out the button to press to get the peaking function to work, when not magnified. I have gone through the settings and enabled it. Does anyone know the way to do this? Thanks in advance. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 Hi M2jr, Take a look here Focus peaking with M lenses. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Cliff S Posted December 29, 2015 Share #2 Posted December 29, 2015 Bottom right button. Keep clicking until after the histogram page. Next one is peaking. Make sure you have it set up in the setup page Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrp Posted December 29, 2015 Share #3 Posted December 29, 2015 I hope that they sort things in a future firmware upgrade so that you can toggle focus peaking with an assigned button press, rather t han having to push the BR button a random number of times to get to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M2jr Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted December 29, 2015 Thanks for getting back so quickly. The strange thing is I don't get the peaking no matter how many times I press the bottom right button. I get the histogram and then the grid lines, but never any peaking. I turned on peaking in the Setup menus along with the other features that are working when I push that button. I guess I haven't let it bother me too much because the magnified focus is so incredible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted December 30, 2015 Share #5 Posted December 30, 2015 Two possibilities: - The focus peaking screen is not included in your selected list of Info screen options. This list is a user setup option. - You are looking for it in low contrast conditions. Test it outdoors in bright contrasty conditions or, indoors, look at a lamp shade. Sometimes it takes a few moments to become visible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted December 30, 2015 Share #6 Posted December 30, 2015 On older and low contrast lenses, as Paul says, Focus Peaking does not happen. For example on my Hartblei 80mm Super Rotator T-S lens and my 1953 Leica 5cm Summitar, you have to stop down to at least f8 to get any peaking at all. If your M lens has deteriorated for any reason, fungus, oil on elements, element separation or extreme cleaning fogging, you may not get focus peaking. It is driven by the contrast detection engine on the sensor data dump. The other time you will not see peaking is if you are looking at a low contrast object (a grey cat on a foggy day). The highest contrast object for testing peaking is dark small tree branches against a bright sky. Wilson 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted February 17, 2016 Share #7 Posted February 17, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Just to 'bump' this thread up for new SL users. I have been trying to use focus peaking with older legacy lenses without success - until reading Wilson's explanation. Focus peaking does not work e.g. if focusing on plants behind the net curtain on the kitchen windowsill … or on subjects in low light conditions. But in same low light, low contrast conditions, my 23mm T lens used in manual focus mode will trigger focus peaking. So … if you're experiencing similar legacy lens focus peaking problems try again in sunny / bright light conditions - after making sure FP is fully enabled via the menus. dunk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramarren Posted February 17, 2016 Share #8 Posted February 17, 2016 (edited) Just to 'bump' this thread up for new SL users. I have been trying to use focus peaking with older legacy lenses without success - until reading Wilson's explanation. Focus peaking does not work e.g. if focusing on plants behind the net curtain on the kitchen windowsill … or on subjects in low light conditions. But in same low light, low contrast conditions, my 23mm T lens used in manual focus mode will trigger focus peaking. So … if you're experiencing similar legacy lens focus peaking problems try again in sunny / bright light conditions - after making sure FP is fully enabled via the menus. dunk Sometimes, just stopping down by one or two stops will push up the contrast enough that focus peaking works beautifully. I found this yesterday with the Telyt-R 250mm + 2x extender: wide open there was no indication at all, but set to f/8 it snapped on the peaking indication very nicely. It proved a useful way to check the focus after the camera re-stabilized (every time you touch a 500mm lens, it jiggles just enough to kill peaking...). Edited February 17, 2016 by ramarren 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted February 17, 2016 Share #9 Posted February 17, 2016 (edited) I was using the 80-200R last night at the eLuminate festival in the centre of Cambridge. Despite the light on the buildings, the overall light levels were low, but I still got the odd twinkle to confirm my manual focus. I was using f/4 to f/16. Edited February 17, 2016 by LocalHero1953 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 17, 2016 Share #10 Posted February 17, 2016 I was using the 80-200R last night at the eLuminate festival in the centre of Cambridge. Despite the light on the buildings, the overall light levels were low, but I still got the odd twinkle to confirm my manual focus. I was using f/4 to f/16. Doesn't surprise me. The 80-200 is a high contrast lens. OTOH I have not found peaking accurate enough on the 80-200 at 200/f4 but image zoom and the SL's EVF is so good, you can easily fine tune with traditional focusing methods. Focus peaking is almost bright enough to be distracting on my Zeiss 28-85, another very high contrast lens. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsiebeck Posted February 22, 2016 Share #11 Posted February 22, 2016 Two possibilities: - The focus peaking screen is not included in your selected list of Info screen options. This list is a user setup option. - You are looking for it in low contrast conditions. Test it outdoors in bright contrasty conditions or, indoors, look at a lamp shade. Sometimes it takes a few moments to become visible. It took me some time to find the "right" screen where focus peaking is working, hope that the next firmware update provides a higher contrast with better visible peaking highlights. However my question is: Is there a way to get the grid view working in combination with the peaking function? As far as I can see you can either have the grid view or the focus peaking view, but not both combined... or did I miss something in the settings to achieve this? Thanks Daniel Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted February 22, 2016 Share #12 Posted February 22, 2016 I wouldn't hold my breath about a firmware update. The accuracy of focus peaking is inverse to the intensity. Leica tends to choose a compromise on the side of accuracy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted February 22, 2016 Share #13 Posted February 22, 2016 However my question is: Is there a way to get the grid view working in combination with the peaking function? As far as I can see you can either have the grid view or the focus peaking view, but not both combined... or did I miss something in the settings to achieve this? No Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steppenw0lf Posted February 23, 2016 Share #14 Posted February 23, 2016 Doesn't surprise me. The 80-200 is a high contrast lens. OTOH I have not found peaking accurate enough on the 80-200 at 200/f4 but image zoom and the SL's EVF is so good, you can easily fine tune with traditional focusing methods. Focus peaking is almost bright enough to be distracting on my Zeiss 28-85, another very high contrast lens. Wilson Hello Wilson, which adapter do you use with the Zeiss 28-85 lens ? And by the way, have you been on the Jurassic Coast ? Stephan Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted February 23, 2016 Share #15 Posted February 23, 2016 Hello Wilson, which adapter do you use with the Zeiss 28-85 lens ? And by the way, have you been on the Jurassic Coast ? Stephan Stephan, I have two adapters, a no name cheapie CX/Y to M made in some back street in China, which is wrongly aligned (the top of the lens does not sit at the top) and has a fair bit of slop. The second is a beautifully made Novoflex LEM-CONT. Perfect alignment and no slop at all. I have been on the Jurassic coast but the weather was not kind. Horrible flat light, rain most of the time and a strong wind. In the morning we were at Swanage Pier, playing around with lots of filters on the Lee 100mm system. The picture below is taken on a tripod with a -6 EV ND "little stopper", a graduated hard transition -0.6EV filter, and a landscape circular polariser. It is at f11, ISO 50 and 5 seconds exposure, to smooth out the sea. I was very impressed with the quality of the Lee kit. Way better made than my Cokin P kit, which is too narrow in any case for the e82mm thread 24-90 lens on the SL and even though I do have an 82mm Cokin P ring, causes vignetting. In the afternoon we went to Kimmeridge bay, which was pretty much a wash out for me. This boulder strewn beach is too difficult, given I have three prostheses in one leg and am scared of falling and breaking something, which would be extremely serious for me. The wind had got up to around force 8 and although the kite surfers were enjoying it, I wasn't. The light had got even worse as well. Wilson 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! 6 Quote 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/254916-focus-peaking-with-m-lenses/?do=findComment&comment=2994904'>More sharing options...
ramarren Posted February 23, 2016 Share #16 Posted February 23, 2016 That's a lovely image, Wilson! The colors and tones are beautiful. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steppenw0lf Posted February 23, 2016 Share #17 Posted February 23, 2016 Wilson, despite the adversities you managed to compose a really fascinating picture. That makes me give a second look at some not very promising areas around my home-town. Thanks. Stephan 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashGordonPhotography Posted February 23, 2016 Share #18 Posted February 23, 2016 I've changed my peaking to wgite and I prefer that to the red default. I seem to be able to pick that out more easily. I have yet to try yellow but might do that today. Try playing with the colours. It would be nice if there was an intensity setting available for lower contrast scenes. I've already written to leica about the desire to have peaking on other display views. Gordon Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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