Re: [Leica] Best Practices...

[Carl Socolow <csocolow@microserve.net>]

Bryan, great thread. Lets run with it. Below are some of my additions:

Bryan Willman wrote:
> 
> There have been two very useful threads
> on LUG of late about "how best to do something",
> particularly how best to do it with a Leica RF.
> 
> I'd like to collect a set of these (and will post a
> summary if people so desire)
> 
> Notes so far:
> 
> 1.    Not running the meter down inside the bag.
>         a. set the shutter to B
>         b. don't cock the shutter
>         c. carefully arrange your bag to not press
>             on the release
>         d. keep the camera out (my favorite)
> 
> 2.    Fast focus
>         a.    don't be overly fussy (except with 75f1.4)
>         b.    pre-focus by guess (practice helps)
>         c.    pre-focus by object at same distance
>         d.    pre-focus with deep depth of field,
>                use camera as point and shoot
>         e.    Always set the lens at one extreme
>                (say, infinity) so when focusing you
>                only need to go one way.
>                [for lenses with tabs, you will be pulling
>                 the tab towards you to bring the focus
>                 in from infinity.]
>         f.    Sometimes it's faster to lean than focus.

	  g.    The old newspaper axiom: f8 and be there

> 3.    Exposure
>         a.    When shooting color negs or B&W negs,
>                 if in doubt, over expose.

	  b.    One of the reasons I like my MR4 meter on my M2 and M3 		is
that I can meter while walking and not have camera to 		my eye.
Especially good for street photography. Equally 		good is handheld meter
used to take periodic readings.
	  
> 4.    Packing
>         a.    Always include a body cap for every body
>                 and a rear cap for every lens, even though
>                 you carry lenses on bodies.  This avoids
>                 a very awkward 6 handed dance that can
>                 leave you with no place to put something.
>                 (Learned on a recent theater shoot with Paul)
>         b.    always have a little cleaning rag for the
>                 finder, particularly if you are using the 21
>                 with its finder.  (you'll get your nose on the
>                 main finder.)
>         c.     put your little cleaning rag in a transparent
>                 film can (Fuji cans work great, regardless
>                 of whether you like their film.)  The can
>                 keeps the cloth clean, and because you
>                 can see the cloth in the can, you won't
>                 throw it out by accident.
>                 The Lecia cleaning cloths are nice because
>                 they are white.  (There are other equally nice cloths,
>                 but they're brown, so it's harder to see them,
>                 see when they're dirty, etc.)
> 
> 5.    A trick.  If you really rock your eye around, the
>         outer most edges of an M6 (NOT M6HM) finder
>         roughly match the field of view of the 21mm,
>         and can be used instead of the 21finder in a
>         pinch.
> 
> 6.    Hand holding and sharpness
>         a.    Caffine is NOT your friend.
>         b.    Sleep is your friend.
>         c.    If your elbow is waving in the air,
>                 it's in the wrong place.


	  d.	Use the strap. Adjust its length so that you can brace 		off it
either horizontal or vertical. Adds at least one 		extra slower shutter
speed.
- -- 
Sometimes the wrong thing is exactly the thing you should do.