Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/25

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Subject: [Leica] Focusing the M6
From: Robert Appleby <robert.appleby@tin.it>
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 20:27:33 +0200

>>>>>>>>>
>  Jesse Hellman wrote:>
> > What is the best way to solve the following: you are shooting close-up,
> > say at two feet, at F/2 or wider. The closer eye of your subject is
> > off-center. There is nothing dead-center on which to focus. So you focus
> > on the eye and then swing the camera back to frame. Now, obviously, the
> > plane that passes at a right angle through the eye intersects the lens
> > axis at a distance closer to the film plane than the distance from the
> > film plane to the eye. The farther the eye is towards the edge of the
> > film the greater this becomes. With a reflex you can avoid this problem
> > by focusing on the groundglass.
> >
> > At wide f-stops the depth of field is very small at close distances.
> > What is the best way to handle this? A lens with a curved field might do
> > better in this regard than one with a flat field. So as the lenses get
> > better, this effect has become greater. My own solution is, if it is
> > possible, to try to set up something (like the subject's hand) where I
> > think the center would be. But with quick action and more candid shots
> > that simply is not possible. Or, you could focus a bit closer than
> > indicated, but that seems like guessing.
> >
> > What do you do? I have never seen this issue discussed<<<<<<<

<<<<<<<<<

Jesse, when I made the switch to M from R I did wonder about this, as
there's no focus check at the sides of the field. But in reality I find
it's not a problem, actually I seldom get an out of focus shot with he M's,
whereas with the R's it was a problem. In fact that was the main reason I
switched. And I'm usually as close as I can get to my subject.
I should think depth of field just takes care of it.
Rob.