Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/09/30

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Subject: Re: rangefinder focusing
From: "Steven Blutter" <sblutter@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 08:05:28 -0500

am i the only one?? my habit for years has been to, when 1st approching a
subject, to virtually subconsciously set the lens at an a guessed distance
before i even bring the camera up.  then i only have to fine tune the
focus.

this business of resetting the lens each time to infinity is an unnecessary
step.  shooting sessions fall into patterns:  you are moving in at a rate
(usually of walking), you are stationary (no need for radical refocus) etc.

its all 2nd nature - no?

steven blutter

- ----------
> From: Paul Schliesser <paulsc@eos.net>
> To: Leica User's Group <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Subject: RE: rangefinder focusing
> Date: Tuesday, September 30, 1997 12:48 AM
> 
> >I don't remember that he said that he (Ralph Gibson)
> >uses always wide apertures, but I do remember that he stressed how 
> >important it to return camera controls to the same position after you 
> >shoot.  That means for the next picture focussing and aperture
adjustments 
> >are always turned into the same direction.
> 
> 
> Jorg,
> 
> One great advantage that the Leica has (and one that I've never seen 
> mentioned in print anywhere) is that you always know which way to turn 
> the lens to focus, depending on whether the rangefinder image is offset 
> to the left or to the right. I realized this one day, and discovered that

> I have aware of this and have been using it automatically for years. I'm 
> sure that most experienced M users also use this, although you also may 
> not do it consciously. With an SLR, you need to hunt back and forth to 
> determine if you are focused too close or too far. The comment on setting

> your focus at infinity, IMHO, is pointless with a rangefinder camera but 
> useful for an SLR.
> 
> - Paul