Leica M beginner tips

[dpitt]

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After reading an another post from a user who bought his first rangefinder M, I came up with the idea to bundle all general basic tips in one thread. AFAIK there is no other topic already covering this.
I searched for it and only found bits and pieces spread out on different forums and different topics.

The goal is to get a beginning user up to speed with some basic knowledge we all have as experienced M users, but that might not be evident for someone new coming from a DSLR or mirrorless setup.

@LUF Admin I posted this in the M11 forum since this is the most recent one. If possible I would like to see it in all the M digital forums (maybe with some kind of alias ?) and pinned to the top.

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[dpitt]

Leica rangefinders can only focus with the rangefinder (optical viewer) if a lens is mounted that supports rangefinder coupling. Only M lenses can do this natively. And Leica thread mount lenses can do it by using a LTM to M adapter. Basically any Leica M or LTM lens from 1935 to the present is compatible with this rangefinder coupling system. Look for the few exceptions in your user manual.

Some non-Leica manufacturers have made LTM lenses in the past that do not have rangefinder coupling. This means that when you will move the focus ring, this will not change the double image in the focusing patch. You will have to guess the distance and set it by using the scale on the lens to focus.

Only M models made after the CCD sensor ones (M8 - M9 and variants) have the possibility of live view. So any lens that is not range finder coupled is very hard to use on a Leica pre-M 240. On M240 and later you can use live view (LV) to focus on the back screen or with an optional electronic view finder (EVF), which makes it easier, but the true RF experience is the optical RF, so it is recommended to have at least one native M lens for your Leica M.

So even when you have an appropriate adapter, using SLR or DSLR lenses will not always make sense on the M.

[dpitt]

Using the focusing patch is fastest when doing it from infinity to close-up. Move the focus ring all the way to infinity. Then point the focusing patch on your subject and turn the focus until the double image overlaps perfectly.

I often choose a high contrast vertical line in the image that is in the zone I want to focus on. For portraits the closest eye is also good for focusing.

After focusing, you can re-frame (without touching the focus ring) before capturing the shot you want.

[newtoleica]

More on focussing:

1. If you use a lens with a tab the tab position gives you a quick 'by feel' indication of almost correct focus (to R infinity, straight down about 1.5m, to L close focus.)

2. Correct focus can also be quickly found by 'contrast' - the image in the RF patch pops into sharp contrast at the exact focus point. This is often easier to spot than whether a line is exactly 'lined up'.

3. As the RF does not show the exact 'through the lens' image, learn the approximate depth of field at different apertures for your lenses (partly why it helps to get very familiar with one lens at a time) so you can pre-visualise the depth of field in your final image AND decide how precise you need to be with your focussing... a wide lens stopped down will have a lot of DOF so focus is less critical 'Zone focussing' is an extreme version of this (where you simple stop down to say f8, put infinity on one end of the DOF scale and see what the close focus end is, just shooting everything up to that point without changing focus.

4. Sensor resolution and how big you want the final image all impact on how precise you need to be with focussing.

5. Most Leica lenses are optimised for sharpness wide open (aperture) and a high contrast but soft fall off in the out of focus areas, especially in more modern lenses the immediate 'transition' from focus to out of focus. Thats what we are largely paying for vs cheaper non-Leica M mount lenses. Well that and the consistent handling/size/focus tabs etc.

[Jeff S]

It’s mostly all in the forum FAQ.

Jeff

Edited March 30, 2023 by Jeff S

[dpitt]

8 hours ago, Jeff S said:

It’s mostly all in the forum FAQ.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I missed that one. It is a great resource for beginners, and makes this topic redundant.

[DenverSteve]

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The first, and to me most important tip is to read the manual. Too many people purchase everything from watches to cars without reading the instruction book that will explain most, or everything, about that product.  Most of the questions we see are not from those seeking information on photography, rather they are basic questions, over and over, about how to perform a task that is clearly articulated in the owner's manual.  The M cameras are as simple as digital cameras can be.