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Got the visoflex.. want to return it


doublev

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Does anyone use EVF for street photograpy?

 

I dont see how this thing can be used for fast focusing.  I can see the benefit of handheld getting tack sharp focus on an object that is not moving.. but I just am not feeling the benefits of it.

 

I think it is worth the money for the right people.. but for me, I dont know. I even put it back in the box so i could attach my thumb grip

 

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To me, that tool kinda defeats the purpose of an M.

 

I would maybe buy it if the M were my only camera, but for the price of the viso and one leica lens you can get a mirrorless camera set up that solves the problem in a much more user friendly manner (and probably gives you a higher quality image). 

 

In short, I thought about it, then decided it would be easier to shoot with my Sony stuff when the subject matter requires a different approach. 

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You are absolutely right. The Visoflex is all but useless for focusing and especially fast focusing. The live view is pretty much the same.

 

Of course they are extremely good for frame composition – but nobody should really expect much more from them.

 

At the present level of technology, the only fast ensure an accurate way to focus a rangefinder – is to use the rangefinder.

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You are absolutely right. The Visoflex is all but useless for focusing and especially fast focusing. The live view is pretty much the same.
 
Of course they are extremely good for frame composition – but nobody should really expect much more from them.
 
At the present level of technology, the only fast ensure an accurate way to focus a rangefinder – is to use the rangefinder.

 

I don't think holds true for critical focusing. Fast focusing a RF yes, only one way.

 

The area where live view/visoflex is where they do offer the ability for precise focusing outside of the center of the frame, which can be a big help for certain compositions. In some situations, the focus on the center/reframe technique that you need to use for a rangefinder actually will not yield precise results. This is the same reason that I don't understand the fetish for super fast leica lenses. If you can only ever shoot an image at f.95 where the focus is in the exact center of the image it's...well it's not ideal. Other methods of focusing let you get more out of that type of lens. 

Edited by pgh
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I use the OVF to focus, EVF to frame.  When shooting people or fluid situations, its off the camera, when shooting stuff, its on.  Much depends on what you shoot, but while I do appreciate the RF-ness of the camera for some situations, its not why I own two Ms.  I own them for the simplicity of interface, quality and breadth of glass available and the fact that as they're mirrorless they offer the advantages of both OVF and EVF operation.  Each has its purpose and place.  

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I'm still waiting for my M10 to arrive, but have been undecided about the visoflex. For 50 years I've used both Leica M and SLR cameras, the Ms for 35-90 lenses, and an SLR for ultrawides and 135 & longer. I do use a 21mm on my M9 some, and the viso would make that much more usable. My long R lenses work well on an A7, and I think a dedicated body for long shots is better than swapping lenses on one body, So I suspect I'll skip the viso and stay with the dual camera approach.

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Does anyone use EVF for street photograpy?

 

I dont see how this thing can be used for fast focusing.  I can see the benefit of handheld getting tack sharp focus on an object that is not moving.. but I just am not feeling the benefits of it.

 

I think it is worth the money for the right people.. but for me, I dont know. I even put it back in the box so i could attach my thumb grip

I don't think the EVF is meant to be used for street photography. Those lenses are far better focused using the RF. It is an auxiliary viewfinder meant for long lenses, macro work and as a universal wideangle viewfinder.

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I don't think the EVF is meant to be used for street photography. Those lenses are far better focused using the RF. It is an auxiliary viewfinder meant for long lenses, macro work and as a universal wideangle viewfinder.

I've used evf for street photography quite a bit - on an a7rII and Rx1RII. But I used the AF on those cams, which is pretty solid (not SLR solid but also not slr big). Both with really great results that allowed sharp prints at a size higher than anything I ever got with anything else. 

 

This just to say I think EVF can be used for street, just not Visoflex evf. 

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I tried the visoflex twice and for a long time but I concluded that it was useless for me. Not fast enough when the situation requires you to be quick and moving the focus point is terribly slow and the lack of an automatic return to the center ... a mystery.

In my opinion a visoflex makes an M a bad imitation of a SRL, perhaps useful for those who photograph with the tripod and long focal or for those who absolutely need to see the exact window ( eg with very wide lenses) but for these situations would suffice the live view.

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I've used evf for street photography quite a bit - on an a7rII and Rx1RII. But I used the AF on those cams, which is pretty solid (not SLR solid but also not slr big). Both with really great results that allowed sharp prints at a size higher than anything I ever got with anything else. 

 

This just to say I think EVF can be used for street, just not Visoflex evf. 

Yes, but the M10 is not an EVF camera, it is a Rangefinder camera, which has an EVF added on to extend its usefulness.

If you want to use an EVF camera for street, the M10 is not the correct tool. There are the Q, the CL, and plenty of other brand cameras.

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I bought the Visoflex a few days ago and find it interesting as auxiliary finder for use with particular lenses and with the M macro adapter for some top table photography and reproduction. Of course my main use of the M10 is with OVF and the rangefinder or I had bought a different camera :) 

robert 

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jaapv "......which has an EVF added on to extend its usefulness....."

 

Which it does brilliantly and extends the scope of the camera significantly. For landscape work with wide lenses it is great, and the quality of the image makes using graduated fillters easy. Also viewing on a low set tripod. 

 

Why buy a rangefinder for 'stree't photography and try and use it with an external evf? I thought most 'street' shots were set up using dof and shot from the hip.

Edited by pedaes
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I don't think holds true for critical focusing. Fast focusing a RF yes, only one way.

 

The area where live view/visoflex is where they do offer the ability for precise focusing outside of the center of the frame, which can be a big help for certain compositions. In some situations, the focus on the center/reframe technique that you need to use for a rangefinder actually will not yield precise results. This is the same reason that I don't understand the fetish for super fast leica lenses. If you can only ever shoot an image at f.95 where the focus is in the exact center of the image it's...well it's not ideal. Other methods of focusing let you get more out of that type of lens. 

 

I think it holds true for critical focusing as well.
 
The EVF and Live View are both very blunt instruments when it comes to focusing
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I don't have an M10 but I have EVFs for my M240s (Olympus version, half the cost of the Leica version...too bad there isn't such an alternative with the M10).  I use it for extreme close ups, non-rangefinder lenses, and in lieu of multiple finders when using multiple ultra-wide lenses and/or a 135.   For "street" photography, which is not my thing and I rarely engage in, I have always used a wider lens, stopped down a bit, and zone-focused.  Even with the rangefinder, going for shallow DOF with a 50 or longer was always hit-or-miss (mostly the latter).  For that I prefer an AF SLR (but again, not my prefered area of photography).  The biggest drawback to the EVF, even on the M10, is the time it takes for the live view to come back on line after each shot.  Aside from the lag, there's the issue of lack of followthrough (which is a drawback of an SLR as well, albeit less than a mirrorless). 

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The EVF is my least used accessory. I got it to use for times when my M10 is on a tripod and I'm making a product shot or a still life. But that is perhaps one shot in 50. And I got the EVF to allow me to slim down to one camera system. I thought it would replace my 4x5s and S2. Well it did, but not very well.  The red focus assist is very annoying and the image is crudely electronic. It could be just my inexperience using EVFs but I do not find it a pleasure to use. In fact my old optical viewfinder for my 21 is preferable. I may look for a nice used SL one day or, heaven forbid, a Sony.

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