focusing technique

[anthony_yau]

I find it difficult to focus at night. Are there techniques (tricks) that can help me improve?

 

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Happy Holidays

 

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Tony

[lacey_smith6]

a lot of practice, and a good target. Still supposed to be better than

an SLR (unless that one has an IR assist).

 

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Seriously, pick your best target and practice. Vertical columns,

geometric patterns (but not repeating, patterns would overlap). The

very best (near perfect) rangefinder target is an x-shaped design,

slightly at an angle -- the focus point snaps in, much better than

aligning vertical lines, and the near/far triangles are of distincly

different sizes and angles converging to the point in the rangefinder.

Only trouble is, you rarely find that as a nicety, but a slightly

tangential line (back of bench) intersecting a vertical pole works

pretty well, especially if you are not on the same horizontalplane

(looking down?). You may then need to shift frame to your intended

subject (that is -- substitute a good target at same range as the

poorly deifned one, then rotate to action -- also good for the "sneak"

shots). I find most faces difficult in dim light, and am tempted to

focus on the eyeglasses, which is wrong.

 

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Also, with enough practice on technique (carry your lens set to

infinity, then as you swing your camera up to postion, move the lens

from infinity to an estimated focus) many Leica rf users find that can

focus within a few inches in that time of swinging the camera up (how

far to turn it is a learned reflex/maneuver). This really works, as

long as you don't put your Leica down for weeks at a time. In many

Leica lenses, the circular throw of the focus ring is the same for a

fixed difference -- that is, a 30 degree circular motion of my 35 & 50

& 90 all will set focus pretty much the same place. That is the fast,

practiced way. Also, for low-light stuff (without tripod), slow

shutter speeds will deshaprne your picture, subjet matter is not

deigned to be prsiitnely sharp to the normal human eye, etc. -- so

absolute precision is less of a requirement (some will haughtily

laught that the M is the best for this, and precision is a must).

 

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The Voigtlander 25 has some click stops, so infinity, 3 m, 1.5, and 1

meter can be set in the dark. Of course, the wider the angled lens,

the less precision needed.

[msitaraman]

With faces in the gloom, focus on the line of the eyeball and lower

eyelid. Works quite well for either eye unless the eyelashes are

exceptionally thick. But this is rarely a problem with the lower

eyelashes.

[msitaraman]

Carry around a small microfiber cloth, and make sure you keep the

rangefinder and viewfinder windows spotlessly clean.

[stephen_jones4]

What Mani said - absolutely and entirely. If you're a specs-wearer

you'll need to keep these clean too (wipes can be quite useful

and take up little space). Also make sure your eye is correctly

orientated behind the camera (I like to make sure my cheek is

touching the camera in landscape mode). Also try Lutz's

rangefinder anti-flare thingy or a small piece of black tape in the

illuminator window (about the size of the r/f patch) - both make

the frames and patch less visible but counter the flare which you

can often get in low-light/ high contrast situations. Hope it works

out - I find my m6's (when clean) much better for low light

focusing than any of the slr's I've owned (although the R8 is very

very good in this respect)

[Rob F.]

I find it hard to focus on the eyes if the subject is wearing

glasses. So, I focus on the eyeglass frames, then lean forward 1/2

inch.

[anthony_yau]

Thanks for the recommendations.

 

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Tony

[tom_bryant]

1) Pre-focus by scale before raising the camera to your eye. An out

of focus rangefinder is more confusing than an out of focus SLR, more

so in low light.

 

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2) Focus on the eyes, as others have remarked.

 

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3) Take your time.

 

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4) Practice. Practice until your Leica and you are faster than a

pointNShoot.

[yip2]

I don't find it difficult to focus at nite but my eyes are not your

eyes.

 

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If it is a matter of not enough light then look for a bright area

elsewhere approx the same distant to the subject you want to

take. Focus on the brighter area then point back to your subject.

 

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Or if it is dark everywhere your last resort will be to make a

mental estimate of the distance to the subject and adjust your

focus ring to the approx distance. You can practise on bright

days ie estimate the distance mentally, then focus using the

rangefinder, then see how good your estimate actually was.