[Leica] Re: Vario-Elmar 80-200 focus problem

[Jim Brick <jim_brick@agilent.com>]

At 09:04 AM 11/8/00 +1300, Bob Gibson wrote:
>When I set the focus ring on infinity and object 1km away is out of
>alignment in the split image on my R8.
>I need to shift the focus ring back to almost the 15m mark for the split
>image to indicate correct focus. If I rely on the split image for focusing
>all images are sharp so its not a real bit problem just a bit annoying.
>I have two other lenses a Elmarit-R 19mm and the standard Summicron-R 50mm,
>neither of these lenses show this problem.
>I would appreciate some feed back from other owners if this is common to
>their lenses or do I have a problem lens.
>regards
>Bob

The first thing most people do when getting an R camera is to change the
factory supplied split image ground glass to a plain ground glass thus
eliminating the split doodad, which is always disrupting your view of the
scene you are about to photograph. You can focus anywhere on a plain GG.
And you know what you focus on will be sharp, because it looks sharp. The
split image in the middle of many GG screens simply disrupt quick and
efficient use of an R cmaera. It is NOT a rangefinder like in an M camera.

There are two plain GG screens available, one entirely plain and the other
with a few vertical and horizontal lines on it. The latter is what I use as
it helps in keeping horizons and buildings straight. Ted likes the
completely plain GG screen. In either case, your use of your R8 will be
enhanced as you will be able to focus on anything visible on the GG without
moving the camera. And your scene composition will be better because you
see only the scene displayed on the plain GG rather than the scene with a
bunch of circles and splits in the middle.

This is the humble viewpoint of myself, Ted, and everybody else that I know
that has an R4 - R8 camera. Yours and unknown others can, of course, have a
different viewpoint. But your question would have never come up if you were
using a plain GG screen as when it's in focus on the plain GG, it's in
focus on the film.

Jim