New to Leica, what’s a good way to learn?

[Dan Nelson]

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Hi, I just bought a used M240 last week, with a ZM 35/1.4 and Summilux 50 ASPH. I’ve never used a rangefinder and I’m really liking it, and finding some challenges as well coming from DSLR and mirrorless non-RF. I’d love to hear what learning resources have helped you get better at rangefinder/ Leica photography. I came across Thorsten von Overgaard’s M240 masterclass but that’s two hours of online video for nearly $400, so that gave me pause and I thought I’d ask all of you. Thanks for your comments!

Dan

[a.noctilux]

Welcome here Dan,

You are here at the right place to learn "Leica way of life" 😉.

Leica M240 is not the hard way to learn how to use as you already have experience with other system.

As you have seen, the AF is not available.

Quick manual focus, you may find (or not) easy with rangefinder Leica.

 

Use your camera a while at first, then ask here what you want to know/learn,

we are pleased to help you at our best ( no need to be shy or pay something here ), just participation and go on.

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[jaapv]

Don't pay 400$ for stuff that can be found for free on this forum. (BTW T.O often has 90% off offers) There is a FAQ on the top of this forum, although not all Qs are valid for the M240 (the thread  is from 2010), many are.

And simply ask on this forum -there will always be helpful folks around.

This might be the most useful  tip:

 

Quote

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

 

The M9 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 accomodate over the distance differential. However, there is some tolerance here.

 

For special cases there are viewfinder magnifiers. They can help, especially with longer and fast lenses and they can give confidence, but they can also be not very useful; they cannot correct errors in the focusing mechanism or your eye, in fact they magnify them.

Also, one loses contrast and brightness.

Leica offers a 1.25x one and a 1.4x. These need diopter correction like the camera, but often of a different value than the camera viewfinder.

 

There are also third-party magnifiers, sold by Japan Exposures, that include a variable diopter correction. 1.15x and 1.35x. For patent reasons they cannot be sold in the USA and Germany for use on a Leica camera, but they can be purchased for use on for instance a rifle scope.

Basically, for an experienced user, magnifiers are not needed and will only lower contrast and brightness, but many users do like and use them.

 

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.

 

 

[LocalHero1953]

Before the internet, people found their own way to use the Leica M, and, all in all, managed pretty well. I would say that as you are already liking the rangefinder (the only real Leica-specific hurdle) then you can just learn by doing. When you come across something that puzzles you or holds you up, search or ask here. Paying for a course is just paying for something you can easily get free, if you need it.

As for focusing, the main thing is to practice. Carry your camera with you and just practice pointing it at something and focusing quickly, from close up (around the house) to distant. You'll soon get muscle memory about which way to turn the ring, and how far.

One problem you may (just may) come across early on with a new M is miscalibration of the camera rangefinder and/or lens (much more likely to be the camera). You can check this easily with the M240 by focusing on a series of clear marks at different distances up to infinity, shooting wide-open (to minimise depth of field) and checking the resultant image in the LCD or downloaded on a large screen. I fabricated a printed scale on a timber frame that I used for the purpose, but you don't have to. Recalibrating the rangefinder can be done yourself if you are handy and take care (it's a useful skill to learn, like cleaning your own sensor), or Leica will do it for you. I don't know where you live, but Leica in London has done it for me for free. Recalibrating lenses (I have only had it done once) is a more specialist task.

 

Edit. The other thing you will not be used to is exposure metering. You only have centre-weighted metering (off the shutter blades, and no histogram), so you will have to learn (by practice!) how to adjust exposure for (eg) bright skies that would otherwise cause your main scene to be dark.

Edited July 24, 2021 by LocalHero1953

[jaapv]

42 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

Before the internet, people found their own way to use the Leica M, and, all in all, managed pretty well. I would say that as you are already liking the rangefinder (the only real Leica-specific hurdle) then you can just learn by doing. When you come across something that puzzles you or holds you up, search or ask here. Paying for a course is just paying for something you can easily get free, if you need it.

As for focusing, the main thing is to practice. Carry your camera with you and just practice pointing it at something and focusing quickly, from close up (around the house) to distant. You'll soon get muscle memory about which way to turn the ring, and how far.

One problem you may (just may) come across early on with a new M is miscalibration of the camera rangefinder and/or lens (much more likely to be the camera). You can check this easily with the M240 by focusing on a series of clear marks at different distances up to infinity, shooting wide-open (to minimise depth of field) and checking the resultant image in the LCD or downloaded on a large screen. I fabricated a printed scale on a timber frame that I used for the purpose, but you don't have to. Recalibrating the rangefinder can be done yourself if you are handy and take care (it's a useful skill to learn, like cleaning your own sensor), or Leica will do it for you. I don't know where you live, but Leica in London has done it for me for free. Recalibrating lenses (I have only had it done once) is a more specialist task.

 

Edit. The other thing you will not be used to is exposure metering. You only have centre-weighted metering (off the shutter blades, and no histogram), so you will have to learn (by practice!) how to adjust exposure for (eg) bright skies that would otherwise cause your main scene to be dark.

There is a post showing the metering pattern in the FAQ. 

[jdlaing]

The best way from scratch is to read the manual and practice hands on. 
 

About the metering………you are not limited to center weighted and the manual will explain that.

Asking questions and searching on this forum is sage advice.

[Jean-Michel]

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Hi,

Jdlaing has it right: read the manual first, and just photograph. Overgaard does have a website with all sorts of recommendations/reviews, etc. that are useful, if a bit verbose; it is worth reading through it and it is free.  This forum is equally free and usually has good answers to questions.

Much of the success of your images will depend on how you process them in your favourite processor. Both Lightroom and CaptureOne are recommended. I use LR.

to quote Edward Weston, when he spoke to a bunch of photographers at Point Lobos: “…go make your scratch…” so take your camera and go photograph. 

[Guest]

vor 14 Stunden schrieb Dan Nelson:

Hi, I just bought a used M240 last week, with a ZM 35/1.4 and Summilux 50 ASPH. I’ve never used a rangefinder and I’m really liking it, and finding some challenges as well coming from DSLR and mirrorless non-RF. I’d love to hear what learning resources have helped you get better at rangefinder/ Leica photography. I came across Thorsten von Overgaard’s M240 masterclass but that’s two hours of online video for nearly $400, so that gave me pause and I thought I’d ask all of you. Thanks for your comments!

Dan

Well, you already have bought a Leica M first and ask afterwards.
Seems for me like the cowboys' method of "Shoot first, ask second."🙂
My way was just opposite: Before I bought my first Leica, an M3, I had read for more than ten years all books, magazines and brochures about Leica and photography, available at my local lending library and photo shops.
Admittedly, it was first because of my lack of the needed money as a poor student.
But after this long time of handling with the theme theoretically and photographing with other cheaper brands, I knew which Leica M and lenses I wanted to buy secondhand and never made any faulty purchases until today.

[LocalHero1953]

3 hours ago, jdlaing said:

About the metering………you are not limited to center weighted and the manual will explain that.

True, if you are happy using LV. I never used it so forgot about it.

[pedaes]

18 hours ago, Dan Nelson said:

Overgaard’s M240 masterclass but that’s two hours of online video for nearly $400,

As @jaapvmentioned, currently down to $40  with a code for 'Subscribers', so I would get subscribing if you are interested.

 

[ianman]

3 minutes ago, pedaes said:

As @jaapvmentioned, currently down to $40  with a code for 'Subscribers', so I would get subscribing if you are interested.

 

So I could get a bag for a mere $2800 then?

[pedaes]

12 minutes ago, ianman said:

So I could get a bag for a mere $2800 then?

I am sure you can get many, many bags for $2800 - do you want Billingham's phone number? Unfortunately (which is coded speak for luckily for you), not one of TvO's ,nor can you get his $125 lenshoods for $12.50! Nor his straps. Seems it only applies to Downloads..Shame!

As an ex-pat Belgian photographer - can you teach 'fotographie'?

Edited July 24, 2021 by pedaes

[ianman]

16 minutes ago, pedaes said:

As an ex-pat Belgian photographer - can you teach 'fotographie'?

I'm not Belgian... they refused me. Well, not actually refuse but the paperwork involved was too much to deal with for, as it turns out, very little benefit. It was very funny actually because I was speaking on the phone to an official who was explaining all the steps to take, documents to provide, etc. After about 20 minutes she asked me if I could prove that I can speak one of the three official languages (French, Flemish or German)... this question can after the whole previous 20 minutes conversation was in French 🤨😂😂

So I'm still officially an immigrant here.

[pedaes]

11 hours ago, ianman said:

immigrant

ex-pat sounds nicer. And you are a nice chap.

[ianman]

Aaawwwww 🥰

[earleygallery]

I wouldn't spend $40 on a 'course' which you really shouldn't need.

The rangefinder camera is arguably simpler than the DSLR you have come from. Focussing is the main difference and as you will know by now, that entails lining up the images in the rangefinder patch, so it's good to 'focus' on something well defined like a post or tree or similar object. You can turn the camera if that helps, so the patch isn't aligned perfectly with vertical or horizontal lines.

As well as that many of us will estimate focus, pre focus or use depth of field - f8 and be there!

 

[Cyril Jayant]

DSLR are autofocus and if you have any one still use that camera on Manuel and use the camera Aperture Priority ( on Manuel ).  Spend time,  take  photos and study what you are missing in your pictures. Then you do the same thing  on your Leica and see if you feel the same different in your photography.

So that is what you need to learn on Leica 🙂

Leica is a camera concepted on Manuel use and functions.  If you can master Hyper-focal distance and with certain lens  you can shoot any photo with a certain sharpness to achieve  certain living  images that is accepted as enough focuses.

And the rest  is as same as for for (RF) cameras. Perhaps far less whistles and bells on Leica's.

[rpsawin]

Get up early.

Have a good breakfast.

Select one lens per outing.

Spend the balance of the morning and early afternoon shooting. Take notes on iso/shutter speed/aperture.

Relax a bit and then look at images keeping your notes handy.

Repeat often.

 

Best of luck.

[wlewisiii]

Pretty much what everyone said. The biggest thing is have your camera with you EVERY time you go out the door. You may not take any photos but it's better to be able to and not than to see a shot that you are unable to capture. That's the first lesson 

After awhile you'll have a favorite lens and that should be the one on it. You'll start to "see" what it sees; previsualizing the completed composition. That's the second lesson.

But most importantly is to have fun while you're doing it. There are very few of us getting paid to do this and we're playing with one of the definitive types of Veblen goods in the Leica system. Too many resources tied up in them if you're not having fun. So if you're not having fun, sell it and find something else. Perhaps a Nikon Z might suit better? That's the most important lesson I can offer. 

And yes, I'm having a boat load of fun  

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Ernstk]

Just take your camera out and shoot with it. As much as you can.

Just out of interest, are you still here? You've been silent for 5 weeks.

Don't be deterred by moving to a rangefinder, it's worth persevering with it.

Ernst