Rangefinder Focus & Recompose Method Wide Open w/M Cameras & Lenses

[hdmesa]

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I was going to put this in the M10 forum, but figured it might go here since it could apply to anyone using an M with M lenses.

The problem:

I love shooting wide open. I love using the rangefinder. I almost always need to recompose after focusing.

The search:

Most of what I've been reading about focus and recompose with a rangefinder at close distance advises to compensate by stopping down or guessing the focus throw needed. Needless to say it's almost impossible to guess the focus throw needed. But this evening I stumbled onto a way of recomposing that lets me not throw the subject out of focus when recomposing, even at f/1.2 at portrait distances. This was with the CV 35 1.2 III, so it may be less effective for longer lenses. Perhaps this is a well-known way to focus-recompose with a rangefinder, and if so, oh well

The premise:

Focus/recompose doesn't work so well because we instinctually recompose by pivoting the camera and/or our body on a center axis. This moves the side of the sensor the subject will be on forward in space, throwing the subject out of focus at wide aperture. What I did to mitigate this was make the axis of the recompose movement the side of the camera I want to put the subject on.

The technique:

Say you want to swing the camera right to put the subject you focused on over on the left side of the frame. Now imagine a monopod is mounted under the leftmost side of the camera. Pivot the camera to the right while leaving the leftmost side of the camera in the same position in 3d space. This requires swinging the entire right side of the body around and behind you to the right (use your left leg as the axis in your mind if that helps). It's almost like pretending to dodge a bullet coming at your right shoulder. Or think of it as you are a door opening to the right and backward, and your left leg up to your left shoulder is the hinge at the wall.

This works best for moving the subject horizontally left or right. It's a bit tricker for moving the subject toward one of the corners of the frame. Say you want to move the subject to the top left of the frame after focusing on it. In that case, you have to pretend the top left corner of the camera is glued to its point in 3d space and not only swing your body left, but also move the right side of the camera and your right shoulder/body downward the same direction.

You adjust the technique for each direction you move the subject. If you want the subject moved directly up, you have to try and keep the top of the camera in the same position in 3d space and swing the bottom of the camera back and upward, rising on your tiptoes to give you the needed increase in height (or start the motion slightly crouched). The movement would resemble how you would move to keep an imaginary person from punching you in the gut

This technique may sound weird (and you will look weird doing it), but it actually worked for me quite reliably as close as ~1.5m. It might not be super practical, though. Stopping down some is surely the easiest thing to do instead. 

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by hdmesa

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[lct]

Optical rangefinders have no moving focus point, by construction, so recomposing is unavoidable if the subject matter is not at the middle of the frame. Only solution i found in 30+ years is focus bracketing, otherwise live view, especially EVFs, are the way to go. Let alone on high rez cameras where the least focus inaccuracy is obvious when pixel peeping.

[farnz]

The way I do it is to focus, recompose, and then move the camera backwards a smidge.  The size of the smidge varies according to the object to camera distance and trial and error brings experience.

Pete.

[jaapv]

Accuracy comes with practice. 

[BrianS]

Some lenses with high field curvature require characterizing the lens before use. The Sonnar- I try to keep that in mind with 1/3rd out, 2/3rds out, and edge.

 

7Artisans 50/1.1, wide-open on the M9. Focus and recompose.

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Edited March 30, 2021 by BrianS