M11 EVF

[Flyer]

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I have my M11 arriving on Wednesday and thought the EVF would help my transition to the Rangefinder experience. However I recently noticed a review which focused on the large amount of dust that gets into the EVF via the diopter.

Does this occur with all EVF’s or could there just be a bad batch, the advise was to tape it up!

Advise from users appreciated.

Thanks

 

 

[jaapv]

An EVF will not help your transition to a rangefinder, in fact it will hinder you. How can you practice and learn when you fall back on a workaround? The only way to learn is practice, practice, practice. 

From the M FAQ:

 

  

On 2/21/2017 at 12:51 AM, jaapv said:

Question: I come from an autofocus camera background. What is the best way to get good focus on the M10?

 

Answer:

The Mxx 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 accommodate over the distance differential. However, there is some tolerance here.


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.

 

[M11 for me]

I own the Visoflex2 for about 18 months now. I have it almost always on my M11. I have no dust. 

On the other hand with manual focusing (you write that you come from an AF camera) you have the best focusing system with the rangefinder. Whenever I use the EVF I focus throught the rangefinder. Normally I do architecture (often 21mm) or landscape (28mm). This is all slow photography. You will be very happy with the rangfinder. The EVF I started to use for more accurate metering (visible histogram) and the extensive use of perspective control. I could make use of the screen but I much prefer the EVF.

Depending on the lenses you start with I would give the advice not to buy too much stuff to begin with (note that the M11 has an excellent metering system and a sensor that allows a lot). Try your camera for a good while without the EVF first. And start with just 2 lenses. I presume you had zoom lenses before. Once you got used to your M camera you will not miss the zooms. An example: I just come back from Brussels. I took one lens with me: The 21mm. On a recent trip I went with just a 28mm and nothing else (more landscape though compared to Brussels).

I whish you all the best with your M11.

[Gelatino]

I have set the diopter correction at the beginning and did not touch it since (actually it won't go wrong easily). I put the EVF on the body only when necessary (wide angle use, low level /90° focussing...) so no dust inside and no battery drain which is more to be considered than hypothetical dust.

About RF practice, follow what jaapv wrote above.

One tip I can share to check you RF focus is to set the camera on a tripod, focus with the RF and control with the EVF, and repeat on different distances until each time the EVF confirms that the RF focus is OK. No need to take the picture, just focus and compare. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Gelatino

[Kiwimac]

I am always intrigued when people speak of a 'transition' to rangefinder (by which I presume they usually mean manual focus). I am only 55 and there was pretty much no AF for at least the first 10 years I was shooting Canon, maybe longer.

Generally speaking, I cannot see very much at all difficult in RF focusing, assuming your eyesight is reasonable. It can be difficult in poor light or with certain very busy subjects, certainly, but in good light there is nothing particularly difficult about it.

[hmzimelka]

5 hours ago, Flyer said:

I have my M11 arriving on Wednesday and thought the EVF would help my transition to the Rangefinder experience. However I recently noticed a review which focused on the large amount of dust that gets into the EVF via the diopter.

Does this occur with all EVF’s or could there just be a bad batch, the advise was to tape it up!

Advise from users appreciated.

Thanks

 

 

I recently saw this review too, and I suspect this reviewer had a sub optimal Visoflex perhaps with a failed or improperly installed o-ring. I live in a fairly dusty environment, and my Visoflex is dust free after some 12 months of use. 

As for the Rangefinder experience, I would dive right in and use the camera's rangefinder for focusing and framing. I bought the Visoflex knowing I would hardly use it, mostly for trickier focal lengths like 21mm and 135mm. I do use it even less than I thought. It's somewhat practical to have but for my use it's not much more practical than using the rear LCD screen and if I had to do it again I wouldn't buy it. The Visolfex display just isn't sharp or high resolution enough to be very useful, and it seems rather overpriced for what it is.

If the price isn't too limiting to you, then get it. For me, the rangefinder experience has been an easy transition from DLSR over the last 1,5 years. Focusing with the rangefinder is faster than with the EVF or manual focusing with the DSLR. My only annoyance is achieving straight horizons or aligning straight lines with the frame lines. It's harder than I'de like it to be . Maybe it's my slight astigmatism, but it's the same across various M cameras. Perhaps its hard to let go of the ability for perfect framing with a DSLR. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by hmzimelka

[jaapv]

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Trick: Use the lower frameline as an artificial horizon  

[dpitt]

The M11 is made for use with the RF and lenses from 28 to 90 mm FL. Try to use it like this and check the results on the screen, and more importantly on your computer. This should be not an issue as even in film days people did not have issues with using the rangefinder.

If you want to check the RF calibration, use a meter scale and focus at different distances to check if the focus is where you expect it to be. Always use a tripod when checking this and focus repeatedly on the same spot to avoid accidental misfocus.

Have a look at this thread for tips on how to focus:

 

[jaapv]

Another trick for framing:

The framelines are only accurate at 2 (or 1, depending on M model) meter focus distance. When focusing the mid-distance, use the outside of the framelines, when focusing towards infinity, go one frameline width outside the actual framelines.

[Jeff S]

Or .7 as with original M8.

Jeff

[dusuacangmong]

I luckily go from zero to leica ( i have never used Canon,sony AF before), i think it is great when you do MF with rangefinder, it give you emotion when shooting, capture the moment and turn out an art after that.

I heard many user they complain about Leica when turn from AF to MF they sold after that because they used to AF, so sad.

[alib]

I have been away from Leica for several years and recently went back and just bought an M11 and then the Visio. If it is on a tripod or i need to shoot low angle i will use the visio. Anything else will be rangefinder. For what i mostly intend to shoot, Rangefinder makes more sense than auto-focus.

[Alberti]

i will go to the M11M.

+ Add an EVF I think - because I have some lenses with focus shift, which are in many aspects a marvel. I'm afraid I otherwise won't use them.

[CDodkin]

100% Visoflex II user - no dust in mine - get one - it makes the M11 a much better camera.