Focusing Poll, Left to Right or Right to Left ?

[raytoei@gmail.com]

A simple Question, when you focus your Rangefinder, do you focus from Right to Left (Min Distance -> Infinity) or Left to Right (Infinity -> Min Distance).

I normally focus from Right to Left (near to far),my rationale is that it reduces the issue of back-focus problems found in some russian lens. However, I have 2 lens which is more accurate from LEFT to RIGHT, as they have front-focus issues.

So this is a poll, do you shoot left to right or right to left, or it doesn't really matter to you ? Please share your reasons.

thanks

raytoei

 

[Tom A]

Cameras always left at infinity and f8 (this is with 400 iso film). That way I always know which direction to turn for focus and or aperture. Shutter speed set at 1/250 for the same reason.

 

[Ljós]

Generally speaking, from right to left (infinity to near focus). And I used to adhere to Al Kaplan's advice to always have the lens racked out to infinity, so as to never be in doubt which way to turn the focus.
For quite some time now I have changed that, and it came about because of the (in my opinion and for me) fantastic focusing tab of the 2.8 35 Summaron. It is very good for knowing by feel where the lens is at, AND: focusing is smooth but so well damped that the focus does not move by itself just from carrying the camera, nor does checking the position of the tab without looking change the focus!
And so I have it set at 3m once I go out of the door. I can nudge the tab in either direction from there by feel (or by checking the rangefinder patch, if there is time) and be very fast.

If I meet someone, or anticipate a distance etc., I will preset, by feel or looking at the scale, depending. Final picture only takes a small adjustment.

For me, this method is way faster than focusing down from infinity every time.

Going to be interesting to hear how you all do it. Thanks for starting the thread, I guess there is going to be a lot of differerent "systems", much like Roulette players who swear by their "perfect" "system"

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

Tom and Ljós, thanks for sharing your techniques!

 

[xwhatsit]

I go from near focus to infinity (right to left -- is your camera different, Ljós? My Minister III is back to front compared to all of the others). This is because you can push down on the focus tab with your left finger for fast focusing. Also, the screwmount Yashinon 50/1.8 attached to my YF has an infinity lock, so leaving it at minimum focus when in use is a bit faster.

 

[Harry S.]

I just turn the barrel any-which-a-way! Ive never thought about it.

I suppose when you have a bunch of cameras that all focus differently its hard to stick to a set operation.

 

[whitecat]

I start at infinity and go back.

 

[Phew!finder]

I'm a wide shooter so proper focusing is reserved for near subjects, therefore left-to-right (infinity-to-near) for me. Most shooting is done by zone/DoF and anything far away I just nudge the lens towards infinity a tad. This is where tabs come in useful...

 

[Paul Luscher]

Usually from blurry to sharp, in my case.

 

[Rayt]

For street I leave it at 2 meters in case I have to zone focus. If I have time to focus then I don't think the starting point is important.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

thanks people for all your responses. as i shoot open-wide apertures, i find that the accuracy of the rf differs if my starting point is from left or right. Recently at 1.5f, i am more accurate if shoot from the left, this is perhaps RF dependent and reflects possible rf mis-alignment.

 

[johannielscom]

From infinity to minimal distance (which is the opposite direction on Nikkor lenses, BTW) by preference, but not by law.

From infinity to desired distance is a shorter throw and DOF a deeper range there if I fail to focus completely before having to take the shot of a passing moment.

 

[rogerzilla]

Maybe the question should be: "Are Leica and Minolta right, or are Nikon and Canon?".

 

[zauhar]

I might point out that "right to left" or "left to right" depends on whether you're talking about the bottom of the lens barrel or the top. ;-)

Now that I have a lens with an infinity lock, I guess I started thinking that "right to left" to mean infinity to near focus. Although I am a RF newbie, I think I can say I normally go from infinity to close.

 

[Timmyjoe]

This is interesting. On my iiif with a collapsible Summicron with a focus tab, I always start at infinity and come back from there. But on my M6 TTL with pre-asph Summilux, without the focus tab, I just seem to leave it where I shot it last and go from there.

The TTL I've had for over a decade and was my first Leica. The iiif is new to me. Can't get over how much I really love the focus tab on the Summicron and how I focus almost by feel now. Wish I could find a way to attach a focus tab to the pre-asph Summilux. I love the way I can tell where the lens is focused before I bring it up to my eye, and without looking down at the camera at all. Just grab the lens, feel the focus tab, and bam, I know where the focus is and which way I need to turn it.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Neare]

Left to right always, a shorter throw means quicker response. You know, I'm very rarely focusing at 0.7m on the street.

However that said, when shooting my lens is always parked at either 2 or 3m in distance for hyper focal reasons.