Getting Started - Any tutorials available?

[lencap]

Greetings - Still become acquainted with my new M9/50 'Cron. So far I'm progressing slowly, sticking with the single lens until I become more proficient, as suggested in replies to an earlier post I made.

I'm still trying to learn technique, how best to hold the camera, how to learn the controls, etc. and I was wondering if someone could recommend a tutorial, or some other guides to help me get familiar with my camera. For example, I'm learning more about focus and depth of field, but I don't know the fine points of how this applies to integrating ISO settings, etc. I also find that many of my outdoor shots have a blinking 4000 meter reading. Do I get a ND filter, or is there a better way to adjust for this? How does that impact the depth of field versus changing shutter speeds, etc.

All of this is basic photography, but some of it is much more accessible on an M9 than on a film camera, so I find myself unsure of how to get more familiar with my camera and its controls.

Sorry if this sounds basic, but with a DSLR when I got confused I just turned to the "Green setting" and the camera did everything for me. Now I want to learn the proper technique from the start. I had done that years ago with my M7, but the digital M9 has so many features and settings that are easy to access I find that I'm changing too many things all the time and losing track of what does what and why.

Any suggestions?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

The M9 should work just like the M7. Focus with the rangefinder, set aperture and shutter speed, push shutter release.

The other controls are mostly things you set once and forget (like setting the date and time, choosing a file type - raw or jpeg, etc.

 

[Hosermage]

When I started out, I found Thorsten's site quite valuable to read and to understand about the camera.

http://www.overgaard.dk/leica-M9-digital-rangefinder-camera.html

I'd start from page 1 🙂

 

[cam]

Roger Hicks (who has his own forum here) has an excellent site: http://www.rogerandfrances.com

it's more about film (although he also owns an M9), but rangefinders are rangefinders and it's a really fantastic resource if you're new to that.

whilst digital is different (less tolerance for error than film, imo), both the site and Roger helped me immensely when i was just starting out.

 

[Damaso]

Read your manual and go out and shoot! Doing the same sort of basic excercises you did when you first started out (e.g. depth of field, shutter speed etc) will help you get more comfortable with the camera. Last resort of course is to take some classes!

 

[jaapv]

If you can find a copy ( it has been out of print for a long time):

Gunther Osterloh: Advanced Photo School

Is basically the ultimate Leica M Book, albeit strictly analog.

 

[Richard G]

If you can find a copy ( it has been out of print for a long time):

Gunther Osterloh: Advanced Photo School

Is basically the ultimate Leica M Book, albeit strictly analog.

Recently reissued and very cheap.

I agree with looking at Overgaard's site.

Your blinking 4000 is just the camera telling you that at f2 your aperture is too wide for the camera's maximum shutter speed.

ISO setting and reformatting the card might be the only menu items you need to touch. You'll see that Overgaard switches to ISO 800 indoors.

Don't follow his exhortation to shoot wide open all the time. Pick f8 and the A setting for exposure and it will work in good light very well. Forget ND filters for the moment. Check your result on the LCD and adjust exposure manually if necessary. Or shoot manual predominantly - which I don't with this camera.
Expose as if for slide film.

As for holding the camera: the manual is a good guide, if it's anything like the earlier manuals - I can't remember. Adjust lens focus with left hand. There aren't too many options, if any.

And de-activate exposure compensation from the command dial and make it from the Set menu only. Inadvertent adjustment of the exposure compensation can be the cause of some wildly off exposures.

Relax. It's just another camera.

 

[jaapv]

On how to hold the camera - the pictures in the manual don't give a stable position, as the elbows are not tucked in for extra support. The trick is to get a three-point rigid connection to your body, using your forehead/nose and hands. Legs slightly spread, and one foot a bit forward to minimize wobble.

There is of course a variation in users' ability to handhold slow shutter speeds, as there is individual variation in the steadiness of people's hands, but holding the camera correctly should enable anyone to shoot at speeds of 1/15 or even much slower with a 35 mm lens.

1. Hold out the left hand like you are begging (not hard after just buying Leica gear😉)
2. Hold the camera in the palm of your hand and focus with thumb and index finger.
3. Hold the camera firmly with your right hand and put your finger flat on the collar and release button. Relax that finger.

You'll find that just the slightest "rolling" twitch of your finger will release the camera without shake.

The most common mistakes are a waving elbow and above all!! a crooked index finger that does not rest on the collar around the release button. Don't jab the release!

The use of a soft release will make your grip on the camera less stable. It may be comfortable in use, but for slow shutter speeds remove it.

This, of course, works for me and is not a law for others 😀. But it is the traditional rangefinder way, and who am I to argue with tradition 😉?



The images show the right way (top) to hold the camera and the wrong way (bottom).
Note that I am using a handgrip here, but its presence makes no difference in the slow speed holdability.

 

[rover]

The basics of photography apply no matter what camera/film/sensor you choose. To that end Horenstien's book is a very good simple basic guide.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Black-and-White-Photography/Henry-Horenstein/e/9780316373050

From there you can learn to apply you knowledge to your leica.

 

[Damaso]

The use of a soft release will make your grip on the camera less stable. It may be comfortable in use, but for slow shutter speeds remove it.

I could not disagree more. I find the use of a good soft release makes the camera more stable. But the use of a soft release is a personal preference of course...

 

[Damaso]

The basics of photography apply no matter what camera/film/sensor you choose. To that end Horenstien's book is a very good simple basic guide.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Black-and-White-Photography/Henry-Horenstein/e/9780316373050

From there you can learn to apply you knowledge to your leica.

And Henry is a great guy, I got to meet him here in BCN earlier this year...

 

[jaapv]

But the use of a soft release is a personal preference of course...

As I said. 😉 However, it will prevent resting your finger on the collar of the shutter button.
I find having a finger resting on the collar having set the camera to soft makes for a hairtrigger release. It is like thinking "click" and the camera goes "click" ( and "whizz"😱)

 

[lencap]

Thanks to all for the help - much appreciated. Jaap - thanks for the pictures. As you noted there aren't any pictures in the manual.

I now also realize why I had problems with the M7 - I hadn't braced my arms.

 

[IEDEI]

my advice: it's digital....no worries about wasting film.....just take your camera everywhere and shoot, shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. you will learn it all just buy using it A LOT.

 

[Joosep]

As I said. 😉 However, it will prevent resting your finger on the collar of the shutter button.
I find having a finger resting on the collar having set the camera to soft makes for a hairtrigger release. It is like thinking "click" and the camera goes "click" ( and "whizz"😱)

I "grab" my softrelease with my finger, does work.

 

[jsrockit]

However, it will prevent resting your finger on the collar of the shutter button.

I have to agree with this method. I did not understand it until someone showed it to me. The soft release never seems as soft as the little twitch of the tip of you finger resting on the collar around the shutter button... for Leica M cameras anyway.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Watch out for very bright areas near the short edges of the frame. The metering pattern is rather flat and wide and the meter can be easily fooled into underexposing images due to bright areas at the sides.

As for the soft release, it makes the M9 shutter a little bit more "notchy." Not that it's bad, it's just different. A well used but cared for M4 shutter, it is not. The M9 shutter button has three steps to it and the soft release will allow you to feel these more precisely depending upon your shutter button technique. With my M4 I always used the inner portion of my index fingertip, right by the crease, almost like a firearm trigger. With the M9 I needed a lot more leverage control due to the electronic switch nature of the M9's shutter so I used the second joint in my index finger and rested the tip of the finger on the shutter speed dial. Eventually, I took it off since it wasn't recommended to use in an M8 or M9 due to the electronics being more sensitive to knocks and such and the torque applied to the button for mounting and removal was more than the button should regularly sustain supposedly.

But really, any way you do it, just go out and shoot. You'll learn how the camera works just fine. That's a lot more fun and rewarding that reading a book on its use.

Phil Forrest

 

[colonel]

Any suggestions?

All you want is here:

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/

look under tutorials
go from the first to the last

good luck!

 

[ShinX414]

since i'm in the same position as the threadstarter, does anyone know a tutorial how to improve focusing in places with bad lighting or dark places? i fond it quite hard to focus correctly even though i chose the best light object which is approximately the same distance as the main subject...