Zone focusing

[calamari]

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Hi all. 
 

So I used to have a Leica M6 and found that it was way too costly developing film and I actually didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have thought. Defiantly took some great photos though it just didn’t quite do it for me. I think not being able to see composed images straight away was one of them. Focusing being one. 
 

I’ve had my M8 for about 6 months now with my elmarit 2.8. Ohh lord do I love it and the colours are simply amazing.

 

I feel I’m struggling still with focusing and taking quick images. I understand the m system slows you down though does anyone have any tips or what were your experiences when focusing with m lenses. 
 

I feel I’m always trying to line up the little square in the middle so they are in line then I take my shot.

I’ve watched plenty of videos and I’m slowly getting there though just wondering what other people’s tips are. Cheers 

[a.noctilux]

With 28mm lens, the depth of field can give some room, so critical focussing is not to be used each time.

Have a look at the dof scale of your lens, I have one in front of me now.

Even for f/2.8 wide open aligning the focus ring let's say 5m, the scale shows that rougtly from 3m to 10m, the subject inside this space will be reasonably sharp.

Rule of thumb for digital M like M8 is using one or two stops more, in this case close the lens to f/4 or f/5.6.

Remember that the rear screen of M8 is not good to check sharpness, its resolution is not enough.

...

Try it, then decide by experimentations, looking on high resolution large screen if this suits you.

[Bobonli]

I'm not expert and I'm just getting back on the M-train. What I've been doing is this:when I'm out walking, I'll identify an object I want to photograph > stop, estimate distance to the object > adjust focus ring and aperture > bring camera to my eye and see how well I did. Are the images aligned in the RF patch? Most of the time I need to nudge the focus a hair. When I try to do it entirely based on the scales on the camera, I get poor results. Personally I think it's a bit over-hyped by all the YouTube street photographers. It wasn't even on my radar until I saw some of those videos and I've been using cameras since 1983, always focusing through the VF. I suppose, like anything, if you do it many hours every day you get better at it, but focusing by eye isn't exactly burdensome. 

Somewhere, I heard this from a Leica photographer: "If you think you're going to pick up an M and instantly make great sharp photos you're mistaken. You have to invest a fair amount of time learning to focus it." It's certainly been my experience since re-acquiring an M a couple of months ago. 

[Ko.Fe.]

If you know how to, Leica M is fastest to focus where you need it exactly, not where camera thinks it has to be.

And film M without meter was fastest camera to operate for me.  Digital M isn't this fast, but saving a lot of valuable time by eliminating film developing, scanning or printing.

I wrote many times on this forum how to focus fast with focus tab. 

Your 28 2.8 Elmarit-M should have the focus tab. And it has two scales to use for  ultra fast focusing. One is distance scale. Another is dof scale. 

Select f8 on aperture scale. Now align infinity mark on focus scale with f8 on DOF scale. All by having camera on the neck strap and looking down. Infinity mark is at the right f8. Look at f8 on the left and check where the shortest focus  distance is.

This is it. Everything between f8 on the right and f8 on the left is in focus.

 

You are not going to need to focus fast on something very close. Practical focusing distances for fast focusing are between infinity and one meter. 

If you will select f11-f16 aperture most of those distances will be in focus once you align infinity and aperture number on the right.

At f8 and larger apertures it is going to be three zones where everything is in focus. Close, middle and far.  

This is where focus tab leaves in the dust AF and tabless lenses. 

Because focus tab position is memoizable. With practice it is going to be automatic. You are not going even think or remember where you have move focus tab to focus. 

I recommend to keep focus tab in the middle range all in focus zone. If object is where, no need to move it. If close - left , if  far - right. 

I figured it out before getting digital M. Almost never missed the focus. By the time camera would travel from my chest to my eye, it will arrive where focused, with film advanced and sometimes I was able to adjust aperture or shutter speed by one, two clicks. All without looking at the camera.  

 

Not all of the lenses are build for fast focusing. Like I mentioned before tabless are useless. But! Some tabless allows to install focus tab.  And most effective is from cable tie. It allows to have "tab" middle position to be customizable. I prefer it at very bottom. 

Also I prefer not crude to operate lenses. Aperture and focus tab should be easy to move with one finger. 

From the one of the posts like this. Lens is on the middle focus zone. 

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Move tab to the right - far in focus. Move tab from this middle position to the left  - closer distances  focus.

Lenses with middle length of focus scale are great. Longer throw - OK.

If it is like on Q - meh. 

 

 

 

 

 

[cboy]

7 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Rule of thumb for digital M like M8 is using one or two stops more, in this case close the lens to f/4 or f/5.6. if this suits you.

Wouldn't it make sense that Leica update more recent lenses to their digital DOF equivalent? Or will that mean a cross compatibility issue 

[a.noctilux]

4 hours ago, cboy said:

Wouldn't it make sense that Leica update more recent lenses to their digital DOF equivalent? Or will that mean a cross compatibility issue 

Not as simple.

Relying on the dof scale is not the best use of Leica M.

Let's see only for M8, using low ISO is not same as using high ISO.

With more modern last digital M, the ISO choosing is much larger, so using dof scale makes any good to the planned image.

Loosing the resolution with too much closing the lens is something to consider also.

Edited August 13, 2023 by a.noctilux

[jaapv]

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13 hours ago, calamari said:

Hi all. 
 

So I used to have a Leica M6 and found that it was way too costly developing film and I actually didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have thought. Defiantly took some great photos though it just didn’t quite do it for me. I think not being able to see composed images straight away was one of them. Focusing being one. 
 

I’ve had my M8 for about 6 months now with my elmarit 2.8. Ohh lord do I love it and the colours are simply amazing.

 

I feel I’m struggling still with focusing and taking quick images. I understand the m system slows you down though does anyone have any tips or what were your experiences when focusing with m lenses. 
 

I feel I’m always trying to line up the little square in the middle so they are in line then I take my shot.

I’ve watched plenty of videos and I’m slowly getting there though just wondering what other people’s tips are. Cheers 

It is all there: in the Leica M FAQ. 

 

[Harvey]

Best thing I did was buy a 1x4 diopter screwed in to the viewfinder. Better than my prescription lenses or glasses.

Edited August 19, 2023 by Harvey

[Harvey]

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