Leica Got my M240, could do with some advice on using a RF

[Ricoh]

Picked up a new M240 yesterday, a black version, but not much I can do until I pick up the lens on Thursday, hopefully.
Whilst waiting, could someone give me some tips on using a RF camera for focus, and on gauging exposure.
I read Eric Kims blog and he advises using guesstimates for distance knowing by feel using the focus tab rather than trying to use the RF for accuracy - I'm talking street type photograhy of course and zone focusing.
The other thing I need to get to grips with is exposure, or more accurately exposure compensation. Looking through the viewfinder there's a central red dot for computed correct exposure, and triangles left and right for under and over exposure respectively. How do you use this to set exposure compensation, ie +/- 1/3, 1/2, 1 or 2 stops for example. I've read that some use the sunny 16 technique and compensate accordingly. Interested to hear from digital leica users.

 

[Mijo]

If your not using "A" mode then exposure compensation isn't a consideration. Once you get use to the metering on your M body it will be intuitive as to how much your going to want to over or under expose for a given scene. If I have any doubts when I'm out shooting I'll make three shots for the same scene, one at what is metered at "correct exposure" and then two shots at a half stop in each direction. IMO the metering on my MM is pretty good.

 

[Ricoh]

Thanks Mijo, need to practise when the lens arrives tomorrow.

 

[carlb]

You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. Not without a few mistakes and missed shots, with time those will become more infrequent. The controls and visuals from the camera tell you what's going on very intuitively.

Have fun!

 

[Ricoh]

Having the camera system in hand I find it's more intuitive than I thought.

 

[Brian]

It's not hard to use a Rangefinder camera, especially with the layout of a Leica. More like the layout of a film camera than the overly complex menues of most Digital cameras.

 

[uhoh7]

"A" actually works pretty good, though in some conditions I'll go - 1/3, but the M9 blows highlights easier than 240.

Shoot alot, the strangeness of frame lines will wear off quick and you will learn what really gets in there. One lens will make it much easier.

Hope you report back with samples

 

[Ricoh]

I was out in the city of York (UK) yesterday afternoon taking 'snaps' of people on the street. Reviewing (chimping, I don't have access to a computer, at the moment we're staying with friends) later on in the evening I thought to myself 'what have I done buying into RF, what a mistake', it's a completely different ball game to auto-focus shooting. For most of the time I set the aperture to f8 in 'A' and zone focused, but quite a number of the shots are 'soft' and exposure looks a bit under. I'll post a few for constructive critique later on, as long as you promise not to laugh!

 

[Brian]

At F8 the shutter speed is going to be lower. The old 1/focal length for shutter speed- off by a factor of 4 for a high pixel count camera. Try setting the ISO higher, ot shooting at F5.6.

The RF takes some getting used to. I learned to use one when I was 12 years old. It's not hard, but I dod not have to "unlearn" autofocus.

 

[uhoh7]

I was out in the city of York (UK) yesterday afternoon taking 'snaps' of people on the street. Reviewing (chimping, I don't have access to a computer, at the moment we're staying with friends) later on in the evening I thought to myself 'what have I done buying into RF, what a mistake', it's a completely different ball game to auto-focus shooting. For most of the time I set the aperture to f8 in 'A' and zone focused, but quite a number of the shots are 'soft' and exposure looks a bit under. I'll post a few for constructive critique later on, as long as you promise not to laugh!

LOL the whole trick is not to give up. Don't be shy about experimenting with fast apertures. Like with any sport don't expect to be a master without much practice. Under exposure can be easily raised in Lightroom.

If it's play you will get good, if it's "failure" you may torture yourself needlessly.

 

[Ricoh]

Added two for critique in the 'Leica Place Street Thread'. More to follow, unfortunately!!

My second day shooting RF became slightly, repeat slightly, better. Shot at the York railway museum. I resisted the temptation to put the 240 back in the bag and reach for the auto focus M4/3, but I resisted!

This RF is jolly hard work! I take my hat off to you guys producing excellent images.

 

[Brian]

It just takes some getting used to, a different way of seeing an image in focus. Once you get the hang of it, RF focus can be the most accurate means of manually focusing a lens available. I find it easier to nail the focus with the 50/1.1 on the M9 and M Monochrom than using the 50/1.2 on the Nikon Df.

 

[dalethorn]

It just takes some getting used to, a different way of seeing an image in focus. Once you get the hang of it, RF focus can be the most accurate means of manually focusing a lens available. I find it easier to nail the focus with the 50/1.1 on the M9 and M Monochrom than using the 50/1.2 on the Nikon Df.

With the MM, I learned (late at night especially) to first get the distance approximated, then I would step back and forth slightly to get perfect focus, rather than turn the lens. Why that worked better for me, I don't exactly know, but it did.

 

[Brian]

Short-Throw focus is a modern thing that does not work well on a fast lens or a telephoto. Stepping back and forth is like the fine-focus wheel on a microscope. I find the older lenses much easier to use with their long-throw focus.

 

[Ricoh]

Short-Throw focus is a modern thing that does not work well on a fast lens or a telephoto. Stepping back and forth is like the fine-focus wheel on a microscope. I find the older lenses much easier to use with their long-throw focus.

I'm not sure what category the Summicron 35 f2 ASPH fits into, Short or Long-Throw (in fact I had to 'Google' the definitions, having not encountered the descriptions previously). Whichever it is, the distance scale is non linear (sort of quasi-logarithmic). On a busy high street it's possible to step forwards, but in the other direction there would be risk of stepping on someone's feet or bumping into your fellow pedestrians. Looking at the work of H C-B and others who produced stunning work with M Leicas, I'm of the opinion that they pre-focused and then waited for the subject to appear, at the appropriate pre-focused point in space.

For now I'm practising the feel of approximate focus using the tab, without looking at the lens, and then fine tuning. Shooting at f8 or 5.6 too often would be boring.

 

[dalethorn]

I'm not sure what category the Summicron 35 f2 ASPH fits into, Short or Long-Throw (in fact I had to 'Google' the definitions, having not encountered the descriptions previously). Whichever it is, the distance scale is non linear (sort of quasi-logarithmic). On a busy high street it's possible to step forwards, but in the other direction there would be risk of stepping on someone's feet or bumping into your fellow pedestrians. Looking at the work of H C-B and others who produced stunning work with M Leicas, I'm of the opinion that they pre-focused and then waited for the subject to appear, at the appropriate pre-focused point in space.

For now I'm practising the feel of approximate focus using the tab, without looking at the lens, and then fine tuning. Shooting at f8 or 5.6 too often would be boring.

Stepping back and forth for fine focus is for dim light mostly where there are no crowds or fast movements (which would defeat the purpose anyway).

 

[Lawrence A.]

I'd use the RF for accuracy. There's something viscerally satisfying about using the focus patch in a rangefinder. No other shooting experience comes close for me. Wish I had a digital RF, but that will have to wait a while.

 

[Ricoh]

Based on my limited experience I have to agree; in slow time I can achieve accuracy, but this goes down the pan when I'm in a rush to acquire focus.
It's one of those camera systems where there's no hiding, if you get it wrong, focus, exposure, incorrect shutter speed etc, there's no one else to blame. With my AF kit, I could comfort myself saying it was the stupid computer in the camera, or such like. My hiding place has gone!

 

[christilou]

I think I take more frames using the rf in case I don't get the right focus. Often I find that one you start "fine tuning" it all goes to pot!

 

[Ricoh]

I'm now parking the lens at infinity after each shot and focus as fast as possible thereafter, if I go a bit too far I don't play around too much, relying on medium f to compensate (medium meaning f5.6 or so). But I recognise that I need to practise like there's no tomorrow!