Visoflex 020

[marcg]

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I ordered a Visoflex and it arrived today.

 

What a wonderful thing. I'm extremely pleased with it. However, for  not focusing – but simply to give me a full field-of-view – especially with a 24 mm and a 15 mm lens.

 

In terms of focusing, it's just too difficult to understand exactly when the image has reached peak sharpness – and the focus peaking is really such an approximate thing that it's almost useless. I switched it off.

 

In fact using a MATE set at 50 mm, I would say that the focus peaking colours endured over a range of about 4 m.

 

What a shame when the whole reason for using any kind of Leica is to use Leica's superb lenses and to nail down your image super sharp.

 

I really don't understand why using a contrast focusing system, like can't simply have a square in the middle of the image which suddenly turns green and then off again when the lens is no longer on the precise focusing point.

 

I'm pretty convinced that the M11 is quite likely to move all of the functionality of the Visoflex 020 into the viewfinder and allow the user to switch between them – as per the Fuji X series.

 

I also don't understand why the Visoflex can't somehow incorporate the rangefinder focusing patch so that one can benefit from full field-of-view and the very precise focusing that one gets with the rangefinder system.

 

Maybe somebody here will tell me that the technology is simply not capable of doing it.

 

I had hoped that the Visoflex would allow me to do precise focusing through the eyepiece – and so far as that goes, I'm very disappointed.

 

At least Leica has designed a variable dioptre into the Visoflex. It beats the life out of me why they didn't do this on the M10.

 

Maybe like is deliberately trying to give the camera an old-fashioned look

 

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[jaapv]

In general focus peaking has an inverse relationship between accuracy and clarity.

There are a few points to consider:

1. On Leica M cameras it is adjusted to work best with long focal lengths and macro, as Leica has the rangefinder for intermediate situations. It does not work very effectively with wideangles at all, due to the deep DOF.

2. One can enhance te effect of focus peaking by setting the preview to B&W and the peaking to red.

 

As the EVF/LV gives a direct representation of the sensor readout it is quite hard to see how it could incoporate a rangefinder patch. the closest you will get is the magnification feature, which works quite well (at least on the 240, the M10 should be no different, if not better)

 

Anyway, nailing down your images tack-sharp is done with the rangefinder. 

After all, this is a rangefinder camera. Should you want to give priority to EVF focusing, there is the Q, the SL, etc.

[marcg]

Thanks for this.

 

I hadn't appreciated number 1 – but I have already configured the camera as per your point number 2 and I still find it not at all useful.

 

I completely agree about the use of the rangefinder but for some reason or other I had imagined that Leica's implementation of the focus peaking system would adhere to their already high standards.

[a.noctilux]

Marc,

 

With MATE, do you use it at wide open or stop down ?

 

Even wide open f/4 has plenty of dof by medium distance.

The difficult of focus peaking means that for the parameters set, there is large dof.

 

If you can, try Summicron or Summilux/Noctilux, with M10 + Visoflex, the focus peaking is more than "usable".

[jaapv]

Thanks for this.

I hadn't appreciated number 1 – but I have already configured the camera as per your point number 2 and I still find it not at all useful.

I completely agree about the use of the rangefinder but for some reason or other I had imagined that Leica's implementation of the focus peaking system would adhere to their already high standards.

 

 

Actually it does. Try it with one of the long R lenses and suddenly it becomes eminently useful.

Compare this to cameras designed with the use on middle and short lenses in mind, a contrasty telelens can produce complete red-outs, not to mention limited accuracy.

[marcg]

Thanks for these contributions. I've been using the rangefinder patch for lots of years and I guess I'll probably stick to what I know.

 

Maybe I'll develop a new way of working over time – but for the moment, I like it very much simply as a viewfinder with lots of information in it, which is good with any lens and has an adjustable dioptre.

 

The only digital M I have ever owned is an M9 monochrom which I have really grown to love. I had in mind that I would use both cameras but in fact I can see that I am already taking to the M10 and so I expect that the Monochrom will be up for sale soon and although I shall be sorry to see it go, I don't expect that I shall be grieving for too long.

[phongph]

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Thanks for these contributions. I've been using the rangefinder patch for lots of years and I guess I'll probably stick to what I know.

 

Maybe I'll develop a new way of working over time – but for the moment, I like it very much simply as a viewfinder with lots of information in it, which is good with any lens and has an adjustable dioptre.

 

The only digital M I have ever owned is an M9 monochrom which I have really grown to love. I had in mind that I would use both cameras but in fact I can see that I am already taking to the M10 and so I expect that the Monochrom will be up for sale soon and although I shall be sorry to see it go, I don't expect that I shall be grieving for too long.

Hi!

Thanks for your sharing of Visoflex 002. I am exciting to get the Evf Visoflex 002 this week for my M10!

Thanks!

[happymac]

2. One can enhance te effect of focus peaking by setting the preview to B&W and the peaking to red.

What a cool idea – Thank you!

[lct]

Focus peaking is not my cup of tea but image magnification works fine with the MATE on both my M240 and Sony A7s mod. Even focusing stop down at f/5.6 or f/8 can be nailed perfectly this way. I don’t see why the M10 should be less accurate but i have no experience with the latter. Worth a try anyway.

[i-Leica]

What a cool idea – Thank you!

 

 

I set focus peaking to green and let red and blue show other useful informations

Edited June 10, 2017 by i-Leica

[@ndy_ellis]

I have used focus peaking with B&W view with my Sony A7RII when using manual focus lenses - looking forward to using the rangefinder instead on the M10.  My brief trial with a demo was that the rangefinder was snappier in decent light.

[PasMichiel]

On 6/6/2017 at 3:35 PM, jaapv said:

In general focus peaking has an inverse relationship between accuracy and clarity.

There are a few points to consider:

1. On Leica M cameras it is adjusted to work best with long focal lengths and macro, as Leica has the rangefinder for intermediate situations. It does not work very effectively with wideangles at all, due to the deep DOF.

2. One can enhance te effect of focus peaking by setting the preview to B&W and the peaking to red.

 

As the EVF/LV gives a direct representation of the sensor readout it is quite hard to see how it could incoporate a rangefinder patch. the closest you will get is the magnification feature, which works quite well (at least on the 240, the M10 should be no different, if not better)

 

Anyway, nailing down your images tack-sharp is done with the rangefinder. 

After all, this is a rangefinder camera. Should you want to give priority to EVF focusing, there is the Q, the SL, etc.

Jaap, where can i find the ' focus peaking by setting the preview to B&W ' on a M10-P in the menu?

[jaapv]

I don't really know, but you should have something like film styles.

[a.noctilux]

I've never use the trick, but just take some minutes to find out how to do for future need 🤠.

On M10, go to Menu, JPG Settings, > ,  v, v, ..., Monochrom, On , set with the center button.

Then LV becomes b&w.

I've set the Focus peaking to green before.

 

That works great 😉.