swangga
Newbie
Hello rangefinder masters....I am a cameras collector and had just realized that i have some rangefinder camera. But i don't know how to use it....So please give me advice to make good pictures with it... At least the basic tecnique of RF.....
I have Canonet 19, Canonet QL 17, Canonet 28, Yashica Electro 35, Minolta 7s, Eastar S2, Seagull 203, Ricoh GX 1, and Seagull 205.
Thx for the information.....
I have Canonet 19, Canonet QL 17, Canonet 28, Yashica Electro 35, Minolta 7s, Eastar S2, Seagull 203, Ricoh GX 1, and Seagull 205.
Thx for the information.....
batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
Hi and welcome! It'll help us to know what other photography experience you have, what your favorite subjects are, etc.
If you've been shooting with SLRs before, remember to take the lens cap off. No matter what anybody else says, that's the one fundamental difference. Everything else is just details
(But that's where all the fun is!)
If you're coming from scale focus, there is very little you need to learn. You can use your RF camera just like a scale focus, and you would never know the difference. The RF will give you more confidence that your focus is right. Which makes it much easier to shoot close up and wide open, such as for low-light portraits and/or blurring the background. Creative use of focus is what sets RF apart from scale focus.
If you've been shooting with SLRs before, remember to take the lens cap off. No matter what anybody else says, that's the one fundamental difference. Everything else is just details
(But that's where all the fun is!)If you're coming from scale focus, there is very little you need to learn. You can use your RF camera just like a scale focus, and you would never know the difference. The RF will give you more confidence that your focus is right. Which makes it much easier to shoot close up and wide open, such as for low-light portraits and/or blurring the background. Creative use of focus is what sets RF apart from scale focus.
Merkin
For the Weekend
when you look through the finder, you will see a small box inside of a bigger box. just adjust the focus until the image in the small box lines up with the image in the big box. looking at the edges of the small box is often easier than looking in the center of it. when the images line up, the picture is in focus. fire away.
oldoc
oldoc
Congratulations.
You already own the best.
Work at the focus, and you'll have sharper, better images than those mongrel dogs shooting (if that's what you call it!) SLR's.....
You already own the best.
Work at the focus, and you'll have sharper, better images than those mongrel dogs shooting (if that's what you call it!) SLR's.....
charjohncarter
Veteran
Advice #1, develop your own B&W film.
Advice #2, use one camera for a while so your really get to know it.
Advice #2, use one camera for a while so your really get to know it.
Carterofmars
Well-known
Take one of those cameras, hit the street, and find the busiest corner you can. Holding the camera no higher then your bottom rib, charge directly into on coming crowds snapping away.
You'll feel like your bull fighting.
Be sure it's sunny. Have the camera preset to a small aperture. Get good a holding and operating with one hand. Be very bold sometimes and hold that camera directly up to their faces; don't worry they won't bite. Usually, they are too preoccupied to even notice what your doing, and some just won't give a crap. They'll think your just one of many nuts encountered in the big city. All the better.
When you reach the far sidewalk- turn and repeat.
You'll love it more than anything I bet.
You'll feel like your bull fighting.
Be sure it's sunny. Have the camera preset to a small aperture. Get good a holding and operating with one hand. Be very bold sometimes and hold that camera directly up to their faces; don't worry they won't bite. Usually, they are too preoccupied to even notice what your doing, and some just won't give a crap. They'll think your just one of many nuts encountered in the big city. All the better.
When you reach the far sidewalk- turn and repeat.
You'll love it more than anything I bet.
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emraphoto
Veteran
When you get to where you are going to photograph stop, close your eyes and listen for 5 minutes. Open the eyes, set the focus distance for ten feet in front of you with an aperture that gives you some dof and get close. Real close.
Works like a charm
Works like a charm
xxloverxx
Shoot.
It really depends on what you're shooting IMO. For street photography, you could either go crazy and stick the camera in peoples' faces (as mentioned above), or you could do as I once saw someone with a Leica M6TTL and 35 1.4 do:
Stand on the pavement, out of the way, be discreet, don't look like you're there for photos (look like you're waiting for someone), see a subject, prefocus, hold your eye up to the camera, do the final focus and shoot. Make sure that you're fast and put the camera down as soon as you've taken the shot if you don't want to be noticed. Remember - it's not illegal, so if you get any threats, call the police.
And the best advice for any photography I've ever read: if something feels wrong, get out of there.
If you're shooting landscapes then you can take a bit more time (depends on how fast the light's changing) - use a tripod, please make sure your horizon's level, don't tilt the camera unless it's intentional
For low light photography, nothing beats a rangefinder (unless you're shooting a 1DIV or 3Ds with ISO 104,200, but that's not the point) for holding the camera steady - it is technically possible to hold a 35 1.4 still for 1 second (I've seen a photo taken like that…no surprise as that photog shoots mostly Velvia 50 & at night it's a bit more challenging, obviously); just exhale and hold your breath, legs spread slightly (or if you don't mind looking a bit strange in public, horse stance (http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=horse%20stance&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi), elbows resting on lower ribs, close your eyes (after composing & focusing) and gently touch the shutter (depending on which camera you're using, this could be easy or difficult; the few times I've played with an M6 I found it ridiculously easy to stroke the shutter)
Oh yes and - run a roll through every camera - in a lot of cases, certain cameras (even though they're all rangefinders) will be more suited to one type of photography than the other; say if one has a very soft shutter release and vibration-free shutter, clearly it's an advantage to you when doing available-low-light photography. A big rangefinder patch for easy focusing will be well suited for moving subjects where quick focusing is critical (street photography maybe?). For landscapes, I can't really think of anything you would really need…well if it has interchangeable lenses, it's only an advantage for landscapes (portraits too)
When you've tried all the rangefinders, you might find you have 1 or 2 favourites; just don't forget to regularly run all your cameras (commonly used or not), through every shutter speed once in a while just to keep things going well, also I'd advise exercising the aperture ring just to make sure nothing gets stuck. Same goes for film advance & shutter release. Regular exercise keeps it all going nicely.
Stand on the pavement, out of the way, be discreet, don't look like you're there for photos (look like you're waiting for someone), see a subject, prefocus, hold your eye up to the camera, do the final focus and shoot. Make sure that you're fast and put the camera down as soon as you've taken the shot if you don't want to be noticed. Remember - it's not illegal, so if you get any threats, call the police.
And the best advice for any photography I've ever read: if something feels wrong, get out of there.
If you're shooting landscapes then you can take a bit more time (depends on how fast the light's changing) - use a tripod, please make sure your horizon's level, don't tilt the camera unless it's intentional
For low light photography, nothing beats a rangefinder (unless you're shooting a 1DIV or 3Ds with ISO 104,200, but that's not the point
) for holding the camera steady - it is technically possible to hold a 35 1.4 still for 1 second (I've seen a photo taken like that…no surprise as that photog shoots mostly Velvia 50 & at night it's a bit more challenging, obviously); just exhale and hold your breath, legs spread slightly (or if you don't mind looking a bit strange in public, horse stance (http://images.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=horse%20stance&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi), elbows resting on lower ribs, close your eyes (after composing & focusing) and gently touch the shutter (depending on which camera you're using, this could be easy or difficult; the few times I've played with an M6 I found it ridiculously easy to stroke the shutter)Oh yes and - run a roll through every camera - in a lot of cases, certain cameras (even though they're all rangefinders) will be more suited to one type of photography than the other; say if one has a very soft shutter release and vibration-free shutter, clearly it's an advantage to you when doing available-low-light photography. A big rangefinder patch for easy focusing will be well suited for moving subjects where quick focusing is critical (street photography maybe?). For landscapes, I can't really think of anything you would really need…well if it has interchangeable lenses, it's only an advantage for landscapes (portraits too)
When you've tried all the rangefinders, you might find you have 1 or 2 favourites; just don't forget to regularly run all your cameras (commonly used or not), through every shutter speed once in a while just to keep things going well, also I'd advise exercising the aperture ring just to make sure nothing gets stuck. Same goes for film advance & shutter release. Regular exercise keeps it all going nicely.
Papa Smurf
Established
All good advice.
All good advice.
Swangga, you have received some very good advice, especially from xxloverxx. He/she has condensed a whole beginning photography course into a few paragraphs. Rangefinder cameras are the cats meow when it comes to just plain fun and genuine satisfaction while taking pictures. Best of luck and remember to enjoy yourself.
All good advice.
Swangga, you have received some very good advice, especially from xxloverxx. He/she has condensed a whole beginning photography course into a few paragraphs. Rangefinder cameras are the cats meow when it comes to just plain fun and genuine satisfaction while taking pictures. Best of luck and remember to enjoy yourself.
CopperB
M3 Noob
emraphoto
Veteran
your subject Patti
CopperB
M3 Noob
I'm sure my question must seem stupid but I'm confused a bit. If you're focusing 10 ft. in front of you and then getting close to your subject, I'm assuming you've set an aperture to give considerable DoF. On average what do you use?
Thanks for tolerating a newbie.
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batterytypehah!
Lord of the Dings
I don't think emraphoto meant "set focus to 10 feet and then get closer than 10 feet."
Here's a practical example. With a 50mm lens, if you stop down to f/8 and set the focus for 10 feet, your depth of field will be from about 7 feet to almost 20 feet. That's a pretty nice margin already for shooting people on a sidewalk and such. It gets better the wider your lens is, e.g. with a 28mm at f/8, everything between 5 ft and infinity is in focus.
Essentially, you've just turned your RF into a point'n'shoot, with the downside that a lot of stuff in front of and behind your subject is also in focus, which can be undesirable.
Here's a practical example. With a 50mm lens, if you stop down to f/8 and set the focus for 10 feet, your depth of field will be from about 7 feet to almost 20 feet. That's a pretty nice margin already for shooting people on a sidewalk and such. It gets better the wider your lens is, e.g. with a 28mm at f/8, everything between 5 ft and infinity is in focus.
Essentially, you've just turned your RF into a point'n'shoot, with the downside that a lot of stuff in front of and behind your subject is also in focus, which can be undesirable.
emraphoto
Veteran
that about covers it (keeping in mind i usually have a 35 or down).
CopperB
M3 Noob
Hyperfocal distance I understand. Thanks for the clarification guys. I knew I was misinterpreting something. LOL
jarski
Veteran
good advices above, one addition from limited personal experience. on street, never take eye contact with your subjects, otherwise they know for sure they are/were subjects. look past them, even if camera was just pointing at them. usually and they feel unsure should they come and ask what you were doing (those few ones that dont want to be photographed).
Lauffray
Invisible Cities
I second the advice on using one camera to get used to it. I've been using one camera exclusively for the past 5 months to get the hang of it, and I can say that even though i'm used to the controls I'm far from mastering it (admittedly 5 months is not much, even every day)
If you're like me when I started and are constantly afraid of missing your focus, set to the minimum aperture, and hyperfocus, you will get it 98% of times.
Do you know how to read distance scale? if you do then hyperfocus is a joke
If you're like me when I started and are constantly afraid of missing your focus, set to the minimum aperture, and hyperfocus, you will get it 98% of times.
Do you know how to read distance scale? if you do then hyperfocus is a joke