That Focusing Doo-Dad

Am I the only person who finds the focusing thingie to be really difficult? I'm beginning to think so. I learned years ago to hold the camera with one hand gripping the body and the other underneath the lens, focusing and also steadying the camera. While the focusing gizmo makes it really easy to focus, I can't seem to get a good grip on the camera. And as far as I can tell, it doesn't come off.

Whoops, maybe I should mention that this is with the 35/2ASPH

although I know there are other lenses with it.

They took that off the current 50 'cron lens, the one with the

built-in hood. I actually like it on my older 50 and 35 crons. I've

never held an RF the exact way as the SLR, but I do use my left hand

and third/fourth finger combinations to focus with the tab. And with

one hand I just use the middle finger of my right hand. I do have the

grip on my M, though, and that makes it much easier to hold w/one

hand.

You follow LUG long enough (I see you there, right?) and you'll

discover that one of the preoccupations of Leica folks is trying to

figure out how to put those on lenses that don't come with them, so

you're pretty much alone in not liking it :-) Maybe you should try it

for a while. The real advantage from my point of view is that it lets

you move the focus to approximately the right distance while the

camera's still on its way to your eye. My Voigtlander Ultron doesn't

have one--want to trade, even up?? :-)

<i>You follow LUG long enough (I see you there, right?) </i><p>

 

Not anymore, it was too religious in there. Tony's not religious,

that's why I'm here.<p>

 

<i>you'll discover that one of the preoccupations of Leica folks is

trying to figure out how to put those on lenses that don't come with

them, so you're pretty much alone in not liking it :-) Maybe you

should try it for a while. </i><p>

 

I try it every day. Maybe I will get used to it, so far I keep

trying to twist my hand into the position I use with every other lens

I own.

Jeff:

I find the little tab is what speeds up focusing with the Leica, so

much so, that the focus point is physically intuitive, and I've pre-

focused even as I'm lifting the camera up to my eye. Without it, I

cant tell, just by touch, where the camera is. Its a bit like

learning where to place your finger on a fretboard without thinking

about it.

 

<p>

 

With lenses that don't have it, such as the Elmarit or telephoto

leica, one loses this fast focus ability. With it, the 35 and 50

focus as fast as an AF camera, in practice. No exaggeration.

 

<p>

 

Check out the manual for technique, which is different from SLRs.

I also prefer the "tab" in any of the various forms it's taken over

the years. I like the current one the best, on the wide-angle

lenses. I definitely miss it on the current 50's. I found it more

comfortable if I use my middle finger rather than my index finger.

But then I'm left-handed so it comes easier. It might take some

practice for a right-hander to get comfortable using the left middle

finger, but it's worth it.

Once you learn to use the focusing tab, you will find that you

literally can't live without it. Your hand will automatically

position itself to both support the camera and manipulate the tab. A

good exercise to practice is to stand in a large room. With the

camera focused at infinity, pick something and focus on it with the

rangefinder. With your eye looking at the object... Feel the tab.

Now return the lens to infinity. try to adjust the lens to the

proper distance of the object...without looking trough the finder...

just by feel. Now look through the finder to see how close you got.

Pick another object in the room and repeat this process. Spend 10 to

15 minutes a day on this exercise and you will be able to focus the

lens before the camera gets to your eye. You absolutely can not do

this without the tab. If Leica lenses were all recomputed to give a

quantum leap in performance, and were priced at half the current

cost, but lost the tab, I would be looking for used lenses. Fast

handleing will beat out optical performance. It is a good practice

to always return the lens to infinity after shooting. that way you

need only move the lens in one direction, again speeding up the

process. With my 90mm lens, I find focusing to be a back and forth

manipulation that just takes too long. LONG LIVE THE FOCUSING TAB!!!

Left hand palm toward you. Thumb of left hand pushes camera firmly into

right hand. Left index finger on tab. Left middle and ring finger under

camera body. Solid grip, fast focusing. I have taped a tab on my 50 to

match the 35. Can't imagine not having the tab.

Henry, Thanks for sharing your way to hold and focus Leica camera and

lenses. Now it become my standard way to hold my 35/50 'cron and M6.

It can also be applied to the tab-less 50 'cron I have. Just use the

friction between left hand's index finger and focusing ring to focus

while hold the camera.

 

<p>

 

By the way, what kind of tab you use and how do you 'tape'it on the

lens?

An revised version can also be applied to vertical frame and focusing.

 

<p>

 

Hold the camera by the left thumb on top and middle finger at bottom

and palm facing you. Turn the camera 90 degree and the thumb become

almost vertical (pointing up) and use the index finger to focus for

lens with tab or tab-less. The ring finger and base of the thumb in

your hand become the base support of your camera. This can be

applied to my 35/50 'cron. Cannot do it with my 90 'cron due to the

focusing ring is way to tight. Now my next question are:

 

<p>

 

Is there any way to loose my focusing ring on my 90 'cron.

 

<p>

 

Does the 90 Elmarit has a tight focusing ring like the one on a 90

'cron?

Yup. It has a tight focusing ring.

I found a better way to focus my 90 'cron.

 

<p>

 

Let the M camera be vertical with the finder on top right. Left hand

holds the lens with thumb under and the other fingers above the lens

(palm facing down). While focusing with the thumb and index finger

using left hand, let right hand grip the camera with right thumb next

to the film count and left hand middle and index fingers on bottom

plate. The lower right corner (where the film counter locates) is in

the first joint of my thumb. After focusing is done the tip of the

right thumb cab be put on the shutter release and ready for the shot.

At this time the grip and stablization of the camera is mainly from my

left hand which grips the lens barrel as I described above. The

tightness of focus ring is very important for this practice.

Also use your left eye to focus.

 

<p>

 

Same can be applied to 90 Elmarit or the 135 lens as long as the focus

ring is tight.

I should say'... right hand middle and index fingers on bottom plate'

in my previous post.

While I was browsing the photo book by Jeanloupe Seiff, I found that

he also using right thumb to trip shutter in vertical mode and of

course the finder is on up right corner. He seems using 21mm lens

exclusively without external finder. His left hand's thumb on back

side and index and middle on front side (just above the lens) snaps

and grips the camera and all in parallel pointing to right. The other

two left fingers bented and pointing toward to his body. Right hand

index finger may be on the focus ring tab to focus. I tried it with

my 35 'cron lens which has tab and works pretty well.

 

<p>

 

For 50 'cron witout tab in vertical mode, I prefer finder in lower

and left corner as I mentioned above.

In response to Kenny's last input, I have experimented with the thumb

as the shutter release digit. The one detriment to this practice is

that while it is fine for static subjects, the process of firing the

shutter and then winding on to the next frame is slowed down quite a

bit. You must totally reposition your entire right hand everytime.

I normally use my right index finger on the shutter and keep my thumb

on the film advance lever, which I use as a double stroke action even

on my M6. This keeps the camera at the eye and the stability intact

at all all times. For virtical shooting, this means the viewfinder

in down.

I don't miss the focusing tab on the 50mm Summicron, but I enjoy using

it on the 35mm Summicron. My favorite is the focusing lever on the

Leica screw mount lenses. They have a little spring-loaded button to

release the infinity lock. It always reminds me of playing with a ...

err, ahh ... well, it reminds me a girl I know ;)

 

<p>

 

For what its worth, I've always used my right thumb to release the

shutter on vertical shots.