any tips regarding to manual focus?

[jjjjuin]

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It wouldn't be a problem when I shoot objects are not moving. Obviously I could shot back and forth till perfect focused.

For shooting moving objects or people, I feel I'm retarded in manual focus.

 

Is there any tips and could you share with me

 

Thanks

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[alifie]

Preset focus, small stop and use depth of field to cover errors. Yes you now have a 4K point and shoot!

[alifie]

Try focussing upon an object, then set the distance on the lens to (say the f8) a depth of field mark, look at the focussed upon object and see just how far out the rangefinder patch is, this is how accurate you need to be at that stop. It is quite a long way.

 

The rangefinder offset changes with focal length and f stop NOT focus distance. If I am using this system I simply do the above when starting to shoot just to remind myself of the acceptable error.

[Marquinius]

And the old adagium: "practice, practice, practice". Sounds lame, but I found myself looking for the easy way out and so did not practice focusing under less than ideal circumstances. I woke up and started doing difficult focuses (is that an English word?) on purpose. Snap shots, fast moving subjects, low light. In the beginning everything went wrong, but after a while I started to get a better feel for my camera - lens combination.

 

I even went so far that I sold my Digilux 3, bought a 28mm lens for my M8 and promised myself that I would take only that combination with me on my next trip.

[Shootist]

Agree with above, Practice Practice Practice.

All M cameras are the same. If the split image (rangefinder patch image) is to the right you turn the lens to the left, if it's to the left you turn it to the right.

But here lies the problem, since a lot of Leica lenses have a finger tab at the bottom, and even those that don't your hand is more to the bottom of the lens, you would move your finger/hand to the left if the image was to the left and to the right if the image was to the right. Effectively moving the top of the lens, where the focusing distance and DOF marks are, to the right and left respectively.

That's why practice is important.

[rick_dykstra]

With M cameras, align the rangefinder patch on the preferred object and then adjust the focus ring clockwise very slightly. This will shift the focal plane forwards slightly which tends to work well with this system, particularly given focus shift with many lenses at shorter distances.

 

With R cameras, turn the lens barrel clockwise until the focal plane is in front of the subject and then turn it anticlockwise until you just have the focus right. Don't go too far or the plane will be behind the subject. If using a wide angle lens, start from well in front of the subject so you can see the changes clearly.

 

Now for moving subjects for both systems, focus well ahead of the subject in the direction it is going. Wait until the subject has almost reached the point where it will be focussed - and shoot. If you are trying to get a moving subject sized correctly in the frame, keep jogging the focal plane ahead of the subject until it looks right, then wait for it to 'walk' into the focal plane - and shoot.

 

Or, prefocus on a fixed feature on the ground or a building and wait for the subject to almost reach it - and shoot.

 

If shooting action sport like soccer, for money or for a high rate of keepers, buy a high end pro Nikon or Canon body and an appropriate AF-S or L lens and give your brain a rest. However, manual focus SLRs can be better for erratic flying objects like model airplanes.

 

Good luck - let us know how you go.

[lars_bergquist]

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Rick touches on an official secret--that AF systems are not terribly reliable either, not even those in SLR cameras (those in compacts, where the AF operates from the sensor itelf, are in general incapable of nailing any moving object. They are accepted because the users do not even try.) Remember, the pictures you see published are those that came out tolerably sharp and acceptably framed. You don't see the rejects--the majority.

 

So even AF systems are dependent on depth of focus. Also, movement varies. Think of a soccer player. Two players facing off over the ball do not change their location at high speed. A high jumper moves fairly slowly at the peak of his jump, which is the most interesting movement. So timing is important. The photogs who took good sports pictures with manual focusing understood d.o.f. and timing.

 

But practice, and consistency of operation are also important. After every sequence, reset the lens to infinity. That way you know automatically which way to turn: closer. The important thing is to make the focusing-framing-shutter release into one fluid unbroken *and very quick* process. This means, inter alia, that your fingers are in the right places from the beginning. You must also be conscious of your own 'personal lead time' the way a trap shooter is. Because light moves with, uh, the speed of light, you have no flight time to target to contend with, as the trap or rifle shooter has, but your own reaction or 'lead' time is always there. In the last analysis, it is Zen. When you start calculating consciously, you are lost.

 

And all this presupposes that you *understand* the action before you.

 

The old man from the Age of the 13x18cm Press Camera

[ryee3]

The more frames you are able to get off the better chance you will get your peak action shot.

 

Which camera body can I use that will give me the most frames per second and has the brightest view so focusing can be optimal even in low light situations ie gymnastics with my R or M lenses.

 

Does focus confirmation work well with manuel focusing or is it too slow?

[Overgaard]

Practice, practice, practice...

 

One way that is effective (on many levels) for example when shooting people walking towards the camera is to shoot several shots; and for each shot refocus.

 

There's actually more control, confidence and more sharp images in refocusing the moving person for each shot, than in trying to keep focusing on one point and wait till the person "meets it." Chances that the person takes half a step before you shoot is quite possible.

 

So say you have a person coming 10 meters away, you first place the camera and framing, then you're ready to press the shutter instantly, then you turn the barrel towards sharpness, see that you got it but continues for a bit, then turn the barrel the other way; and the instant it's in focus, you shoot.

 

It seems this type of fast focusing action is better than trying to focus slowly by 'following" the subject, because you really can't follow precisely and will almost shoot at will, but often delayed, when 'following.' So make each focus A FOCUS AND SHOT, then do ANOTHER ONE, and that might work better for you.

 

I've done a few hundreds of these the last days (catwalk photos), and the experience just is that you don't have the control you think you have when continuous 'following' a person by slowly turning the barrel.

[NZDavid]

Look for vertical or horizontal lines. (vertical if you are shooting horizontally, horizontal if you are shooting vertically.) Or find just a small object in the viewfinder and align with the rangefinder patch. All pictures have just one true point of focus. All other parts of the image are only acceptably sharp. So think which part of the picture has to be critically sharp, eg, a person's eyes, flowers in the foreground of a landscape shot.

[peter_n]

What David said directly above is excellent. You need a step-by-step approach, so first concentrate on using the camera normally (i.e. horizontally) and find a vertical in your plane of focus. Always start focusing from the same point, what Lars said above is absolutely key:

After every sequence, reset the lens to infinity. That way you know automatically which way to turn: closer.

So practice the very basics, starting from infinity and finding a vertical in your plane of focus, then when you are good at that, you can move on to other techniques such as pre-focusing, etc.

 

 

[treeplanter]

While this may sound contrary to what you are asking, only advice I have is not to get too preoccupied with focusing. More than once, I've been so involved in trying to get images line up perfectly in the viewfinder (MP) that the action has passed me by. I now focus quickly and as accurately as I can, then press the shutter button. More times than not, my subject is in focus. Of course this assumes that you are shooting at mid-apertures and not F1.0.

 

Jim B.

[jjjjuin]

do you guyz think a magnifier can slightly help with focus? I many times cannot see the details clearly.

[jjjjuin]

Practice, practice, practice...

 

One way that is effective (on many levels) for example when shooting people walking towards the camera is to shoot several shots; and for each shot refocus.

 

There's actually more control, confidence and more sharp images in refocusing the moving person for each shot, than in trying to keep focusing on one point and wait till the person "meets it." Chances that the person takes half a step before you shoot is quite possible.

 

So say you have a person coming 10 meters away, you first place the camera and framing, then you're ready to press the shutter instantly, then you turn the barrel towards sharpness, see that you got it but continues for a bit, then turn the barrel the other way; and the instant it's in focus, you shoot.

 

It seems this type of fast focusing action is better than trying to focus slowly by 'following" the subject, because you really can't follow precisely and will almost shoot at will, but often delayed, when 'following.' So make each focus A FOCUS AND SHOT, then do ANOTHER ONE, and that might work better for you.

 

I've done a few hundreds of these the last days (catwalk photos), and the experience just is that you don't have the control you think you have when continuous 'following' a person by slowly turning the barrel.

i like it. thanks.

[Marquinius]

do you guyz think a magnifier can slightly help with focus? I many times cannot see the details clearly.

 

If you're wearing glasses (or should be ), a diopter will help. I need reading glasses and have diopter of +1.25. Search the forum for this subject if you want to buy through the internet and you'll find more about what strength you'll need.

 

Best way? Go to a shop and ask to try several while in the shop.

[Finnkare]

do you guyz think a magnifier can slightly help with focus? I many times cannot see the details clearly.

 

Well, a viewfinder magnifier (not a diopter) magnifies the view, but maybe also dims a bit. Maybe it's on the plus side in the end. At least the focusing becomes more precise, so it's less forgiving, but reliable as hell.

 

Leicagoodies has some kind of filter for the rangefinder, and it dims the view a bit, but enhances contrast. I haven't tried one.

[jaapv]

.

 

Leicagoodies has some kind of filter for the rangefinder, and it dims the view a bit, but enhances contrast. I haven't tried one.

I did. It is meant for the M6 TTL and is designed to stop the flare that viewfinder exhibits. It does work after a fashion, but drops off after some use.