RE: [Leica] Focusing lag time with Leicas

[Alan Ball <AlanBall@csi.com>]

On Saturday, May 23, 1998 6:23 AM, Five Senses Productions 
[SMTP:fls@home.com] wrote:
> This is the same thing I have found since I converted to Leica from 
Nikon.
> AF is VERY helpful when shooting people.....especially models.  I used to
> shoot models with an F5 and I could point the center spot at an eye or
> other important bodily part and focus with the AF-ON button, then compose
> the shot and shoot with the shutter release all within 2-3 seconds.

Last year, I had the chance to use a F90x during a few months, with the 
85mmf1.8 AF. And this also was a great portrait shooting machine. By this I 
mean perfect focusing on all (or almost all) the roll and near to perfect 
metering on all the roll.

 >  NOW,
> with the M and R cameras, it is a whole different story.  With the M6, I 
have
> to point the RF square at an important feature, slowly maneuver the lens
> until I have precise focus (this takes the longest), recompose, then 
shoot,
> and hope the model has not given up on me and changed her facial 
expression
> or moved an inch or two backwards so that focus is off again.  This whole
> procedure takes me up to 8 seconds per frame.

This is my experience as well, with the 90mm lens or with the 50mm at the 
wider apertures. The average 'portrait' tools. Careful focusing with these 
lenses in those conditions does (and should) take some time and 
concentration and once you focussed on that &##@#! near eye it is sometimes 
faster to bend back and forward looking through the M6 to follow the 
model's movements than to keep on turning the focusing ring.

This is not the best way of using the M system. You are shooting with MF 
requirements (or handicaps) with none of the MF advantages. But I do get 
some great portraits with my M system anyway. Would not want to rely on 
that tool to make a living in that field nevertheless.

> Since I started shooting models with Leica, I have noticed a higher 
percentage
> of out of focus shots than I got with the F5.

I've been happy with the reliability of focusing with the M: it takes a bit 
longer with the lenses mentionned hereabove but I get a low rate of 
failures. Much lower than what I got with a G2 in the same conditions. 
Again, any modern AF SLR will do just as well (or better) and faster. I 
would probably opt today for a Canon +85mm f1.2 + 135mmf2 for 35mm pro 
portrait photography.

Why use a M6 then ? For street photography, travel photography, indoors 
flashless discreet photography, also for the pleasure and the tactile 
feedback. But certainly not for studio portraits or outdoors glamour 
sessions...