[Leica] stop-down focussing (was: Re: FS: All of my R gear(sadly!))

[drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers)]

John,

I found that I couldn't mix using Nikkor and R lenses. At least not in
the same photo outing. It was either one or the other. It wasn't because
of image quality so much as it throws me for loops if I try and switch
from zooms to primes, or AF to MF lenses, or the reverse, without some
break in between. 

OTOH, if I stick with one thing I can get quite adept with it, even if
that one thing is a manual focusing, aperture ring turning, PITA
sounding substitute for what I wish existed but doesn't (i.e. full frame
R body with usable 25,000 ISO that cost around $2,500). :-)

For general photography I'm going minimalist and limiting myself to 28,
50 and 90 mm R lenses. Next I may go 180/3.5 or 80-200/4 (and eventually
maybe even both). Back when I had an 80-200 I think I used it wide open
99% of the time. Alas I thought "never sell Leica!" only referred to M.


While there's the aperture ring to deal with using F'N/R (which stands
for FmountNikonwithRlens and not something one might feel like saying in
reference to the latest R system news), there is a bright side. It frees
me from having to concern myself with the all those other little buttons
and menu choices on the D700. :-) 

One thing I did do is program the function button so I can change the
custom focal length quickly when I swap between lenses. I'm not certain
if that's important, but perhaps some piece of code in the firmware
appreciates the heads up. 

Dave R

-----Original Message-----
From: J. Newell [mailto:john.o.newell at comcast.net] 
Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2009 7:01 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] stop-down focussing (was: Re: FS: All of my R
gear(sadly!))

Yes, this is the only reason I haven't bought a bunch of Leitax flanges
for my R lenses.  I may still do it for the 100/2.8 Apo Macro and the
180/3.4 Apo Telyt, which I often shoot wide open anyway, but that is
what has kept me from going ahead with the conversions.

John Newell


----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Herr" <wildlightphoto at earthlink.net>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:46:22 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [Leica] stop-down focussing (was: Re: FS: All of my R gear
(sadly!))

Mark Rabiner wrote:

>Its just my impression that a certain group of people out there all the
time
>don't think twice about it. Not that I can name one.

You're right, there are quite a few people who are successfully either
focussing at working aperture or stopping the lens down to working
aperture after focussing.  Several are on this list.  My typical
subjects move too often and too quickly to make it work for me.  It's
one of the reasons I use the f/6.8 Telyts at full aperture.  I wish they
had an automatic diaphragm like the 280mm f/4 APO does.  I find myself
using the 280 with 1.4x extender much more often than the 400mm f/6.8 in
order to take advantage of the automatic diaphragm.

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com