Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]"Andrew M. Moore" wrote: > > Granted, the RF lets in almost all the light, while a typical fast lens > on an SLR might be f/1.4, but f/1.4 is pretty bright viewing in an SLR. > So what's the big deal? Is focusing in a rangefinder patch really any > different from the split-screen method in your typical SLR? > One benefit of the Leica RF that I like and have learned to appreciate, is that the image in the RF patch will tell you which way to turn the lens barrel to bring it into focus. You turn the barrel in the same direction that brings the RF image to align with the VF image. Another advantage is that in a rangefinder VF, everything is in focus by default. In an SLR, everything is a blur, by default. Personally, I find this quite useful and less disorienting. I rarely "hunt for focus" with the Leica, but I found myself doing just that quite a lot when I owned and used SLRs. This is particularly useful in low-light situations, because it is easier to see if the RF patch is sharp when everything else is sharp (a comparison task) than it is to discern whether an SLR rangefinder is sharp when the matte screen is *almost* sharp (dissimilar frame of reference). M. - -- Martin Howard | Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU | What boots up must come down. email: howard.390@osu.edu | www: http://mvhoward.i.am/ +---------------------------------------