Focussing and distand scale - Leica

Hi all,

I'm new to rangefinders and need some advice to my Leica M6.

I know how to set focus. What I'm not clear about is the following: Do I also have to consider the distant scale on the lens when focussing or isn't it important? I mean, if I focus on a subject 5 feet away, and on one 15 feet away without changing my position, do I have to pay attention to the distant scale and f-number to really have the subject in focus? I'm not so clear about this. Thankful for any help!

Paul

ollecello said:

Hi all,

I'm new to rangefinders and need some advice to my Leica M6.

I know how to set focus. What I'm not clear about is the following: Do I also have to consider the distant scale on the lens when focussing or isn't it important? I mean, if I focus on a subject 5 feet away, and on one 15 feet away without changing my position, do I have to pay attention to the distant scale and f-number to really have the subject in focus? I'm not so clear about this. Thankful for any help!

Paul

Click to expand...

The distance scale is an aid to determining what will be in focus, it isn't a substitute for focusing with the split image rangefinder, which is your most reliable indicator. The higher the f-number, the smaller the aperture (hole), the more that will be in focus in front and behind the subject you've focused on. Conversely, the lower the f-number, the bigger the aperture, the less that will be sharply in focus apart from the same subject. The distance scale on the lens illustrates this extra depth of focus as you "stop down" the aperture.

It sounds like you may need some basic photography knowledge, there's lots available on the internet.

ollecello said:

Hi all,

I'm new to rangefinders and need some advice to my Leica M6.

I know how to set focus. What I'm not clear about is the following: Do I also have to consider the distant scale on the lens when focussing or isn't it important? I mean, if I focus on a subject 5 feet away, and on one 15 feet away without changing my position, do I have to pay attention to the distant scale and f-number to really have the subject in focus? I'm not so clear about this. Thankful for any help!

Paul

Click to expand...

Welcome to APUG, Paul.

Once you've focused using the rangefinder, then what you focused on really will be in focus. If you focus on an object 10 feet away, the index mark on the lens should point to 10 feet. If you want to ensure two separate objects are in focus, you need to learn about depth of field and hyperfocal distance. It's actually very easy. Here is just one link to get you started:

http://www.fineart-photography.com/dofScale.html

The distance scale at a rangefinder camera has three functions:

-) set the lens at a distance you have determined otherwise than by using the rangefinder.

-) set the lens at distance which you have determined with the rangefinder before, not used but memorized.

-) to establish the depth-of-focus at given aperture, look wheter two extreme points (near/far) will still be in focus.