Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 02:42 PM 9/15/99 +0800, claire wrote: >The replies to this thread so far have this in common - ie, the M is >unbeatable when it comes to focussing at low lite levels.... sorry... but >why is this so ? The mechanical rangefinder has a base much wider than the equivalent in an SLR with wide angle lenses. I'm not talking about a split image rangefinder in an SLR, but the way a focusing system works in an SLR. The apparent "base" is determined by several factors. The rangefinder base on a Leica M camera is much wider than an SLR's. The wider, the more accurate for focusing. As focal length increases, this difference diminishes, and at about 75-90mm, the SLR gets the advantage and thus for telephotos becomes the more accurate way to focus. It's independent of eyesight, except that with a Leica M and wide angle lenses, you are looking through a bright finder rather than the lens to see. It's much easier for the eye to see the double image line up than to observe the focus on a groundglass with the subject so "apparently small." >Also, "best suited to wide angle pics..." - does this mean that the RF isn't >suited to telephoto lenses ? Again, why is this so ? Is it due to the >'limited' rangefinder distance (58mm is it ? ) ? Eric Welch St. Joseph, MO http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?