Re: [Leica] Lagavulin and focussing Noctilux and 75 Summilux in low light

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

Mitch Alland asked::
 >>Lagavulin and focussing Noctilux and 75 Summilux in low light<<<


> I posted about learning to drink Lagavulin and got 15-20 responses, and
> I posted about the problems of focussing the Noctilux and 75 Summilux
> in low light and got 1 response which was jocular not informative. I
> suppose someone will say, "Yup this is the LUG." So here's the
> Noctilux/Summilux focussing question again:<<<

G'day Mitch,
Sorry mate but it's just like you say..>>  "Yup this is the LUG." <<< And
you made a good choice to re-post. Cause a bunch of us don't wake up to the
important things until the Lagavulin wears off. ;-) However, I thought I saw
a couple of posts on moving your body and not the focus ring? Possibly you
missed them?

>>>> Last night I tried to take portraits of three young women using the
> Noctilux and the 75 Summilux on my M6 in low light which, with 400 ISO
> film, required exposures of 1/15 sec. at f1.4 and 1/30 sec at f1.0. <<<
> Trying to focus on the eyes, I found it extremely difficult:<<<<

When I'm using the Noctilux under the conditions you speak,  I focus on the
highlight in the eye of the subject. And I don't think about it 'cause
that's what breaks your concentration on the tiny highlight and then you're
cranking the ring back & forth trying to get something in focus and missing
the highlight.

Trying to focus on anything else flat surfaced with no highlight is going to
screw-up most frames at f 1.0, there's probably as much luck as skill
involved working at f1.0 at anytime. But other than you trying to learn
something new for low light "portrait" pictures, why wouldn't you move to
better lighting to create good highlights? Then the odds are in your favour
for success.

I see another member suggested "practice." There isn't any better advice you
can receive. This isn't try once in awhile, this is worked on weekly during
times you've got diddly to do other than honing your skills handling these
lenses. It doesn't mean shooting hundreds of rolls of film, it means taking
camera in hand and focus on anything in low light to develop the "handling"
accurately when the time comes to...." making real exposures."

I can assure you and I'm sure many other Noctilux users will say, "When
shooting wide open f 1.0 you're going to blow lots of frames!" As it's not
the most forgiving lens at f1.0 in the world.  But when yer right on the
mark.... "Bam in yer face great look pictures!":-)

I don't think there's any magical secrets to it other than "using the lens"
as often as you can in the manner you're having a problem, then you'll get
over it and it'll be a piece of cake.
ted
Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant


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