Critical focus of live view vs. RF

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awilder

Alan Wilder
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Being only intimately familiar with my E-P2, I find that magnified critical focus with it's full time live view gives extremely accurate focus with my M lenses. Does magnified live view with the M8 or M9 also agree with it's RF or is there a noticable difference? If so, is their live view more accurate given the greater sensitivity of a digital chip to reveal misfocus?
 
Dear Mike,

I missed it too. Presumably involves installing a new, transparent shutter. Interesting assumption, though, that the digi-Ms must have live view.

To OP: Sorry, we're not meaning to be supercilious. It's just that it had never occurred to me that anyone didn't know Leicas have proper shutters.

Cheers,

R.
 
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awilder said:
Being only intimately familiar with my E-P2, I find that magnified critical focus with it's full time live view gives extremely accurate focus with my M lenses. Does magnified live view with the M8 or M9 also agree with it's RF or is there a noticable difference? If so, is their live view more accurate given the greater sensitivity of a digital chip to reveal misfocus?
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If your rangefinder and lens are both well aligned, it's no problem achieving critical focus with a rangefinder camera.
 
Well- the Viewfinder/RF is live-view. It does not use the CCD for imaging, but certainly is not delayed.

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I have adjusted some lenses using the M8, the inaccuracy was with the lens. This is wide-open with a Nikkor 10.5cm F2.5, wide-open. I added one layer of Copper tape to the RF cam. This corrected the error.

With the EP2- the Zoom-in function is required to get focus this accurate. It is difficult to focus and compose at the same time. Requires a shift. The M8 "Live-View" allows focus and compose more quickly.
 
You can zoom in on the shot after it's been taken...
Though that is pixel-peeping and it doesn't sort of fit in with the idea of using a RF.

End of the day, it's a Rangefinder. As long at your rangefinder is aligned, live view would be going backwards in terms of accurate focus.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Mike,

I missed it too. Presumably involves installing a new, transparent shutter. Interesting assumption, though, that the digi-Ms must have live view.

To OP: Sorry, we're not meaning to be supercilious. It's just that it had never occurred to me that anyone didn't know Leicas have proper shutters.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

Do SLRs not have proper shutters?
 
Neare said:
End of the day, it's a Rangefinder. As long at your rangefinder is aligned, live view would be going backwards in terms of accurate focus.
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For me live view is the most precise focussing. I always use it from a tripod with my dslr. With 10x magnification an a 3" screen it's absolutely precise. Not really usable from the hand.
 
Hi Awilder, I think I know what you're asking, while the M8/M9 don't have the "live view" of through the lens, if you're asking if the RF mechanism focuses as accurately, the answer is probably not.

But the image review after the shot, can be quickly magnified to check your focus, although it's not live, like 'live view' it's after the shot.
 
I'm sorry for the confusion, never actually used an M9. I thought it might have had some form of live view mode similar to my Nikon D700.
 
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I was quite excited to discover that my D700 had live veiw when I got it!

Having tried it I'm not sure why they bothered. 😛
 
The CCD used in the M8 and M9 have a frame readout rate of 3FPS.

The delay caused by light traveling through the viewfinder is much shorter.
 
"live view" for me is the digital equivalent of focusing on a ground glass. wonderful for landscapes, products, anything where speed isn't required.

i guess i just don't understand the idea that RF is somehow highly analogous to it. the only part of the VF that indicates focus is the RF patch. not the case at all with live view or a ground glass where the entire screen can be used to confirm focus accuracy.
 
awilder said:
Does magnified live view with the M8 or M9 also agree with it's RF or is there a noticable difference?
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I missed that firmware upgrade for my M8. I have no clue. But I'm sure whether the M8 or M9 is a RF, the difference would be quite noticeable. I for sure would notice it, because if it had live view, I'd know I just licked a toad.



awilder said:
If so, is their live view more accurate given the greater sensitivity of a digital chip to reveal misfocus?
Click to expand...

Another upgrade I missed. Mine has a few gnomes that move the RF mirrors. They're not cheap. I think that's why it's so difficult to manufacture in mass quantities in time periods spanning less than nine months.
 
Gabriel M.A. said:
Another upgrade I missed. Mine has a few gnomes that move the RF mirrors. They're not cheap. I think that's why it's so difficult to manufacture in mass quantities in time periods spanning less than nine months.
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I'm pretty sure the very first firmware version on the M8 (which no one has anymore) has an "enable live-view" setting on the second page of the menu. 😀



[note: M8 menu only has one page]
 
Keith said:
I was quite excited to discover that my D700 had live veiw when I got it!

Having tried it I'm not sure why they bothered. 😛
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Dear Keith
the live view really is superb if you are doing macro. Just go live view and then enlarge the central portion and focus manually. It is very nice. Obviously one is unlikely to choose a rangefinder for macro and even then the thought of a tripod is not much more likely so I dont think it has much value here, but as always horses for courses, its quite a nice trick on a DSLR.

best wishes

Richard
 
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