Classic M vs. M EV1 - Focus Accuracy & Speed

[Jewl]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi folks,

Reading different reviews and also videos on the newly released EV1, one very important question for me remains unanswered as no one really addresses it properly: how does the focus accuracy & speed is compared to the classic M? Is it from the handling similar? Cannot really imagine how you can get a sharp image just with focus peaking as compared to the RF focus patch or how to miss not every shot on the street if I need to use the focus zoom feature to double check whether the subject is in focus…

Would be great to get your perspective.

thx,
J

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Alexander108]

May I chime in? Your question leads to the question: In which style of photography is the M-EV1 better suited and where is the classic M (M11 / M10 etc.) better suited? If we look at the classic M, I would say without the use of the Visoflex 2 / 020.

For instance:

• Street
• Portrait
• Wildlife
• Fashion
• Sports
• Architectural and
• Event photography

Why is either camera (based on focusing capabilities) better suited?

[elmars]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Jewl:

Hi folks,

Reading different reviews and also videos on the newly released EV1, one very important question for me remains unanswered as no one really addresses it properly: how does the focus accuracy & speed is compared to the classic M? Is it from the handling similar? Cannot really imagine how you can get a sharp image just with focus peaking as compared to the RF focus patch or how to miss not every shot on the street if I need to use the focus zoom feature to double check whether the subject is in focus…

Would be great to get your perspective.

thx,
J

Ultimately, you'll have to try it out for yourself, because everyone copes differently with the various ways of focusing. Perhaps my analysis of focusing in my review (towards the end) will help you.

My personal conclusion for you would be: You can do street photography with the M EV1, and you can do it quite quickly and at open aperture (my hit rate with the 35 mm at open aperture was pretty good). But you have to practise a bit and get some experience, because it works differently than with a rangefinder. Besides, you don't always have to be in complete control. With the aperture slightly closed and pre-focused, you can simply press the shutter button without having checked the focus beforehand.

Some street pics:

 

Edited 1 hour ago by elmars

[Smogg]

Giving up the rangefinder is the first step towards the rubber woman😂

[newtoleica]

Street photographer myself. Have used a RF since 2009 and also AF cameras and Sony A7R with MF lenses (Olympus OM)

There are three factors to consider. 1. How quick you want to take the shot 2. whether you want shallow DOF or stopped down and how you focus with an RF (abs or not).

To take the last first, with a tabbed lens the muscle memory in my finder gets me very much in the ball park instantly as I know the positions for infinity, 5m, 3m, 1.5m. So if I have a 24 or 35mm and it's stopped down to 4 or 5.6 this will likely be good enough to not bother fine tuning with the RF. At f8 and a WA lens simply zone focussing is sufficient. All of these will work well with an EVF.

For shallower DOF (wide open or closer shots or 50mm-longer) I start at infinity - the resting point of my tab that I always return to. I then move quickly to almost the point I expect focus and watch the RF patch slide across, as soon as it aligns I'm done. I don't rack back and forth. The alignment actually 'pops' as a sharper contrast more than an alignment of edges - this is very clear. The problem with an EVF is that it's harder to spot when focus is achieved without racking back and forth to check maximum sharpness. This slows things down.

I have never used focus peaking as it's both inaccurate (esp wider lenses stopped down) and very distracting - the very thing we have an M to avoid.... 

Magnification on a button or indeed on auto is totally unsuited to street photography as it will distract from the scene and shift the view at the critical moment.

I'm not a big fan of AF either as I find it slower than MF..... and if I'm using zone and shooting blind (as  often do) the focus can latch onto stuff I don't want.

If you're more of a 'street landscapes - architecture' than quick shots of people I'm sure an EVF would be fine, but it wouldn't work for me. Hope that helps.

[lct]

Focusing technique is of paramount importance IMO. For example, here, few people seem interested in the autozoom feature of M11 & MEV1 cameras. Being my favorite feature together with focusing at working aperture and focus peaking, it is the first thing i will check when receiving the MEV1.