Noctilux and how to focus-technique

[drstefanlenz]

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hello,

 

my noctilux arrived this week and i had the chance to test it a little. i must say that my expectations were all more than satisfied. i took pictures in our local kindergarden all at f/1 and am wondering about so many problems people have had with getting the focus right. ok, it is not easy at all!. and i guess i am lucky the lens focus is alright on the m8 like with the other two i have

 

what i found out is that the focussing techniques from my astronomie life apply quite well in the leica m life: i focus while being in motion most of the time, since the eye can see moving things better. so when i turn the focus all the time back and forth i have a good feeling where it is by "feeling" its position. also when being close to the focus i often start swaying with my upper body using the same technique. like this i move several times but quite quickly over the right focus and thus have better results. so for me i love f/1

 

regards

 

sefan

[Marquinius]

I don't have a noctilux, but can recognise the possibilities for my 50mm 1.4. Thing is that I used the same technique while shooting rifles long distance (sports, sports ! ) Funny I never thought about it while "shooting" with my M8.

 

I am gonna try this ! Thanks for the eye opener.

 

Marco

[rosuna]

Sefan, do you mean focusing from the right to the left?

 

I have seen a small tolerance margin in the rangefinder patch. You focus (from the left or the right), get correct focus, keep moving and the focus stay correct for a while.

[Eoin]

There should be little difficulty in focusing the Noctilux with the rangefinder patch at f:/1.0, it's generally spot on. Two things I've noticed are,

1: turning the camera to portrait seems to give more predictable results

2: maintain upper body position rigid whilst rocking the focus ring in ever decreasing movements till best focus is reached.

 

Focus shift seems to occur from f:2.0 to f:/4.0 with manual override (guess) of the rangefinder patch necessary between f:/2.8 & F:/4.0. Other than that works fine.

[AGeoJO]

Sefan, do you mean focusing from the right to the left?

 

I have seen a small tolerance margin in the rangefinder patch. You focus (from the left or the right), get correct focus, keep moving and the focus stay correct for a while.

 

I believe what he meant was to move back and forth or closer/further away from the object after reaching the approximate focusing range as a method of fine tuning. I am using this method in macrophotography if the magnification ratio is flexible, meaning you don't have to get a fix 1:1 or a 2:1. By so doing we fiddle quite a bit less, if any, with the focusing ring. I am really happy with my Nocti as well and the focusing seems to be just right on both with my (already sold) M6 and M8.

[drstefanlenz]

hello,

 

well not really right to left, just kepp the either the focusing ring in motion periodically so that you can "feel" the right spot oder moving the camera closer and farther thus similarily get the feel of where it is sharp. the eye can see with this quick movements over this focus point much more pricisely where the focus is.

[thai.charlie]

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I've been photographing my young kids with my Noctilux (wide open, closest focus) and I've been trying the technique of rocking my head slightly forwards and backwards to compensate for changes in focus (eyeballing the rangefinder patch at the same time) and firing when the images fuse. Much easier following focus this way than turning that huge focus wheel.