Leica M focusing

When people talk about Leica, they almost always refer to the M. The R system are not held in such high regard or with equivalent passion. Why is this so? Could it be that other manufacturers make much more exciting SLR and there is no competetion in the field of rangefinders? I have been using an SLR with a clear screen with grids. I like the possibility of fucusing and composing at the same time. But when I switch over to the M, I have to fucus using that rather small focusing patch and then compose the picture. Is there a better way of doing things. I tried prefucusing but not always successful. Any comments from other M users to improve my technique will be most welcome. Thanks.

I feel that you were correct in that the Leica M, for the longest

time was the only serious rangefinder camera, thus it was the king of

that type of camera. I personally use Nikon as my SLR to supplement

the M rangefinder. Using Leica for both types of cameras allows no

advantage since there is zero ability to cross utilize lenses. As

far as focusing, if you find that you are focusing every shot, then

perhaps you might review hyperfocusing techniques. I find that an

SLR works best after 50mm, but a pre-focused wide angle, stopped down

a bit is faster than auto focus, you almost "steal" pictures... the

camera does not spend much time at the eye. There is a difference in

philosophy when using an SLR and a rangefinder. If you choose the

wide lenses with the focusing tab, it won't be long before you find

your left index finger positioning the tab to the correct angle for

the distance to the subject... one of the "secrets" of the speed of

the Leica M. Choose a lens, live with it for a while, and your speed

will improve.

The M and the R systems both have wonderful lenses but the M

system is (was - now with the Hexar RF and Bessa R) very

different from anything else available. When you look through an

R camera it is similar to any other SLR (early Leicaflex, SL, SL2

and the new R8 have very bright screens compared to other

SLRs) but the view through an M camera is a revelation! It is like

walking around with a pair of cropping "L"s. You see the entire

view, side to side and fore to background with no hindrences.

Many of the lenses also alow you to see outside the picture area

as well. For me it was like turning on the lights in a dark,

cramped, mostly blurred SLR room. You learn to judge DOF and,

as Alan Smith points out, you can shoot much quicker and more

in control with a zone focused M than with an

autowunderkamera.

Unfortunately, at real working distances you only see 80% of the

actual image-on-negative, so you might as well close your eyes and

point it in the general direction. The Imarect gives you 100%.