"How to focus a Leica M" - By photographer Thorsten Overgaard - How to use a Leica M Rangefinder

[@skiiizo]

I have the Leica Q2 monochrome, and I am in love with it. I work in the Photo store in Brussels, and I tried several times to shoot with the LeicaM.I cannot find a way to Focus perfectly. I would like to get the M11 monochrome, but it is expensive, and besides, I don’t have even a lens to go with it that I tried today again, the M1 monochrome, and I got better results. I will try tomorrow, your little trick for focusing. Thank you very much for the video

[@tommytorres]

Love your videos and books. Ive learned so much❤ Thanks for this trick. Love that strap color, too. Care to share which company makes that?

[@mwales2112]

Switched to Leica M's a couple of years ago and have not missed all the whistle and bells other systems have. It's just a different way of shooting that fits me better and slows me down... Thanks Thorsten...

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Welcome 🙂

[@tonywu5571]

Switched to Leica M officially last month with a M10P. It doesn’t slow me down; it boost my speed faster than ever because of the direct control and check of ISO, f-stops, shutter speed and focus distance without needing to look at LCD or into the viewfinder. I have everything in control. Digital Leica let me master zone focus, or more accurately, guessing distance every time with a fairly high accuracy, even at F2.8 and F4. I can shoot pictures I want no matter in low light or daytime, without checking viewfinder and other exposure stuffs. I’m producing more and better streetphotography shots than my previous 10 years.

[@ThomasEisl.Photography]

Really nice tip, Thorsten! Again, works with many cameras. Cool series you are doing lately. All in all, your content is definitely outstanding - like meeting with a photographer-friend and exchanging experiences. Very nice!

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you 🙂

[@MartynEdwards-c3x]

Nice video Thorsten. I ordered a M10R last night and very excited about it - this video makes perfect sense and I am sure I'll be using this technique. Many thanks 👍

[@Poverello2001]

I don’t own a Leica, but I do use manual focus lenses a lot on my cameras. Your tips will help me a lot in my efforts for sharp focus on my cameras.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Glad to hear that, thank you

[@tonywu5571]

Since I pick up manual focus again I have an amazing feeling that I am viewing, sensing and connecting to the world around me in a new perspective: I guess the distance between me and the subjects all time and press shutter to check. Soon I feel I am choosing the focal plane in reality with infinite focus points on that plane, instead of selecting numerous focus points on AF camera. Going manual means you need to learn more to get your job done, and that’s a pleasure. Similarly I don’t use A-priority or Auto-ISO on my M10P. I myself try to become the meter with sense and memory. Again that’s a lot of pleasure.

[@rickbyrne7631]

A very nice tip that is so obviously right when it is revealed. Thank you

[@quintonmckimm]

Moving while focusing for fine focus. Good tip.

[@emanuelbief7088]

Manual lense special tip

[@grantmedical]

Thanks again Thorsten… I always appreciate your videos… ❤

[@JanGodrie]

Great tip Thorsten. I always say: "There have never been so many out-of-focus photos shot since the advent of autofocus."

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes, it sounds good but all it means is that "auto" means "self", so the camera does it itself. Not actually smart considering you are the one taking the photos, supposedly 🙂

[@Gravitys-NOT-a-force]

...and Leica's Noctilux lenses.

[@jllanesphoto]

Thank you so much. Great tip. Love my Leicas.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you 🙂

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Divinity by simplicity I may add. The whole focus thing is probably the biggest resist for people to step in/buy a M system camera. And also, not many camera shops will lent you a M system for the weekend to give it tray. Pity, but understandable. Love these videos that clarify things, thanks for sharing.

[@ming-artoflight2761]

No, it’s not. Other aspects coming in such as price (climbing up once again) and very long servicing time especially for Film cameras.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

@@ming-artoflight2761 Well if you want to buy a Leica you already have already factored in the price. Besides that, since there is a Leica SL a lot of people like to buy that camera over an M cause it has the possibility to shoot manual Leica M lenses via an adapter but also AF lenses and for the less fortunate, Panasonic lenses. Although the set is bigger and not that well suited for street photography (but for them there is the Q) , there are a lot of advantages with an SL system. Servicing is all over a problem, in the past I had some problems with my Fuji camera, brought it in for repair at my shop in The Netherlands , it was shipped to Germany where it only was registered for repair in their system, they send it to England for repair, after repair, back to Germany to register it as been repaired, and back to the Netherlands to my camera shop. 5 weeks in total ! I can tell the same stories from people around me with Sony cameras. On behave of the older film cameras, there are lot of Leica repair shops that are top notch.

[@3irik]

In the Norwegian Leica store I actually think you get to try a joyride with the M for free.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

@@3irik that's great. Maybe when you are a regular customer as in bought camera and or lenses before, chances are better. Or when they have a used M in store.

[@ming-artoflight2761]

@@RS-Amsterdam I ve been referring to your first statement about the biggest resist. On a side note: I am shooting Leica M for over 2 decades.

[@deemdoubleu]

Excellent advice thank you.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you 🙂

[@schecterman7193]

Congrats for this video and your beautiful work! What about if I'm in full manual mode (I choose my ISO, shutter speed and aperture)? I guess it doesn't matter which light metering mode you choose (spot, evaluative etc...). Am I right? I've done some tests, and the metering mode makes no difference when I'm in full manual.Could you confirm (or not...) please ? Regards.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes in fully manual mode the light meter is of no relevance.

[@GrenvilleMelonseedSkiff496]

Excellent tip … I’ll have to try this with electronic “manual” focus mode on my Fuji X100V … thanks!

[@goarmymp1]

Excellent explanation The more I'm looking at getting a rangefinder these videos are a great start

[@krolldavid]

Really useful tip! Thank you!

[@mikehogan3741]

Any recommendations for when it seems the rangefinder itself is off? My lenses are constantly focused just behind what I had sharp in the patch.

[@schecterman7193]

How do you focus on moving people or objects with the OVF? Without using the liveview of course... because I don't like it and I find it rather inaccurate. The reason I have a Leica M is to do everything with the OVF. Thanks in advance for your reply, Regards.

[@gibbions]

Any news yet on the M11 with buoy in EVF?

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

We'll see it when we see it 🙂

[@JimEmbury]

Thank you. I tip I will be practicing….

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you 🙂

[@wilfredshum3703]

That’s how I focus with the 50 mm Noctilux on any M. While most Leica users would use their right eye for focusing, I always use my left eye.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Left or right eye doesn't make a difference, one should use the most dominant eye. The majority of people seem to have their right eye the dominant, mine is the left so I get to hide my face behind the camera and smudge the screen with my nose.

[@Gravitys-NOT-a-force]

Thank you for that great tip. If you have the camera in your hand your first thought is usually to turn the focusing ring, NOT to move the camera. I have the Leica M-A and the 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux. I've accidentally dropped my M-A onto a wood table - just 4 inches. Now, if I hand my camera to a friend - who's not a photographer - I first have to explain how a rangefinder works. Then, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking: "Whoa, is my M-A rangefinder mechanism now out of adjustment? His accurately focusing my M-A at f/0.95 would be difficult in any case. Should I have had Leica (the factory) coordinate my 50mm Noctilux with my new M-A - a very unwelcome 6-month-long (?) process?" Focusing a Leica rangefinder can be less than stress-free.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes, a lot of focusign the rangefinder is *confidence* that the mechanism works properly, and secondly that you know that some photos are just not tack sharp (never are in AF or manual focusing anyways). One has to be confident and relaxed, then it works (new video coming on that). As for the rangefinder, if you point the camera at a far building or hilltop or mast and turn the focusing all the way to infinity, then that object should match. If you can't reach the object or the focus reach beyond, then the mechanism has either back focus or front focus - and need to get adjusted. It is always the camera that need adjustment, seldom the lens. But that said, Leica in Germany will pair lenses with cameras; which I believe means they set the focus of the camera not just to 'default for all lenses" but for your lenses specifically. There is adjustment possible of lens focusing as well (the tab on the back of the lens is the one you would adjust then). But generally speaking, if you have 3-4 cameras and 3-4 lenses, getting the cameras adjusted (without the lenses present) should ensure enough precision.

[@Gravitys-NOT-a-force]

@@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard, thank you very much for that very thorough response. After I'd read your response I got out of my chair, picked up my Leica M-A, and walked outside to focus on a skinny tree in the far distance. At 'infinity' my M-A rangefinder aligned perfectly - Yahoo! - with the tree. You've definitely made my day. 🙂 I really like my M-A except for the fact that it does not have a self-timer. If my M-A had a self-timer, "selfies" would involve only me.

[@betterburnout]

Starts at 1:01…

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

So impatient ;-) in a 4 min video

[@Paco_TG]

A habit of those that must be copied to turn it into a tic.

[@wojt4spes]

XD

[@k.tanaka8979]

This man is just babbling, mostly about himself. Rarely finishing a thought or sentence. You won't learn much of anything from this mess.

[@nicokremers7150]

I love babbling.

[@moky99]

Thanks Thorsten for all these details. I'm a landscape photographer but I just started street photography. I'm using a M10p (and also a M10M) all with a Summicron 35 asph. I set the aperture to f/8 et set my focusing range (45° to the right so about focus range from 3 meters to infinity). In a crowd, not everything is sharp if I want to focus to a specific person. I have to correct the focus with the focusing ring on the lens. I thought that zone focusing enabled perfect sharpness on all the range. Maybe I did something wrong ? Thanks for your help.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Focusing only is relevant at f/1.4 and f/2.0 and so on where the depth of focus is narrow and must be precise. At f/8 you have some freedom and about +50% of focus distance in focus (at 2 meter focus everything from 3 meter to 1.5 meter will be in focus)

[@moky99]

Thanks a lot @@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard