Focusing the M10 rangefinder

[jaapv]

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Question: I come from an autofocus camera background. What is the best way to get good focus on the M10?

 

Answer:

The M10 works the same way as any rangefinder camera, the central patch in the viewfinder is your focusing tool.
It is important to look through the viewfinder in the optical axis. Looking into the camera skewed will result in inaccurate focus.

The first thing to do is to ascertain that you can see the rangefinder patch properly. A correct match between the rangefinder and your eye is even more important than it is using an SLR.
Leica sells corrective diopter lenses. Determining which one you need - if any- can be done by going to your optician and holding his try-out lenses between your eye and the viewfinder. The one that allows you to see the rangefinder patch and framelines sharply is the correct one. Order the nearest value from Leica. In a pinch you can use over-the-counter reading glasses for this test. If your eyes need special corrections, you can use your spectacles, provided you can see clearly at 2 metres distance ( the virtual distance of the rangefinder patch). Note that the background will be at background distance,so your eye should ideally be able to accommodate over the distance differential. However, there is some tolerance here.


Once the viewfinder is corrected optimally, there are three methods of focusing, in ascending order of difficulty aka training.

1. The broken line method. Look for a vertical line in the image and bring it together in the rangefinder patch to be continuous.

2. The coincidence method. Look for a pattern in the image and bring it together to coincide. This may lead to errors with repeating patterns.

3. The contrast method. Once you have focus by method 1. or 2. a small adjustment will cause the rangefinder patch to "jump" into optimum contrast. At that point you have the most precise focussing adjustment.

Side remarks:

If you try focusing on a subject emitting polarized light like a reflection it may happen that the polarizing effect of the prism system in the rangefinder will blot out the contrast in the rangefinder patch, making focusing difficult. In that case rotate the camera 90 degrees to focus.

[Bromide]

New to the forum, I spent lot of time reading about gear, and specificity of range finder focussing. 

I own a M10 with a 50mm summilux.

Somewhere in the forum I have read ( possibly misunderstood) that range finder was calibrated for 2m. to infinity focussing which is OK with my experience.

My question is about focussing from 0.7m to 2m as I found a out of(front) focus checked by live view, camera on tripod.

Am I right, and in that case is there a table/scale to compensate the focus error due to range finder?

Thank you for reading.

 

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[jaapv]

You are confusing things. The rangefinder is calibrated for focusing from 0.7-∞. The framelines and focusing patch in the viewfinder are at a virtual distance of 2 m.

If you have front focus at shorter focusing distances, the rangefinder or lens must be adjusted. Send both to Leica to adjust. This is a well-known problem with the 50 Summilux asph and is a tolerance problem with the floating elements.

[Bromide]

Thank you for being so fast, and in addition a sunday.

[Rockrug]

Really, the fastest focusing method is zone focusing. Lots of YouTube videos on the subject. 

Brian

[jdlaing]

Possibly but not the best by far. 

[jaapv]

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On 6/7/2020 at 2:59 AM, Rockrug said:

Really, the fastest focusing method is zone focusing. Lots of YouTube videos on the subject. 

Brian

Only if you dislike sharp photographs. Zone focus means acceptable out of focus 

[hotshew]

On 9/8/2020 at 11:56 AM, jaapv said:

Only if you dislike sharp photographs.

Now that's funny! 

[Herr Barnack]

In his twilight years when he was having trouble nailing focus, Henri Cartier-Bresson is quoted as saying, “Sharpness is a bourgeois concept."

Some may agree with that sentiment, but it has never really resonated with me - even though I like making hand held 1+ second exposures to create surrealistic imagery.

I have an affinity for photographs that are either sharply in focus (shallow depth of field is fine) or photographs that are an abstract riot of blurred movement - but not photographs that are almost in focus.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Herr Barnack

[david strachan]

Henri Cartier-Bresson is quoted as saying, “Sharpness is a bourgeois concept."

This quip by HCB is taken out of context by just about everyone.  He said it to  David Hamilton, photographer of pubescent nude girls, who thought the words enormously funny.  Not really said in any way to be taken seriously.

...

[MarkPS]

I use zone focusing a lot for street photography.  It is not as accurate as using the rangefinder but if the choice is missing the shot, then it is a good alternative.   The key is to use apertures at F8 or less.  You also could use peak focusing in live mode but, personally, I find that more challenging as I like to hold the camera up to my eye.