M6 RF accuracy question

[rashumon]

Hi,
I shoot with an M6 classic (1995 serial), a cron 50 (latest), cron 35 ASPH and Elmarit 90 Tele 2.8. and this happens with all of them sometimes and sometimes not...
The problem is that when I focus on something that is clearly out in infinity, setting the lens to the infinity setting, the RF seems to indicate that the focus is off and according to it, to get correct focus I need to pull back the focus just a nudge. images seem to come out sharp enough but I'm using film so its hard to judge critical sharpness... the weird thing is that this can happen one moment and then stop happening the next, even when shooting the same object from a slightly different angle or if the light changes...

A friend of mine who uses an M2 mentioned he's also seen this issue with his Zeiss lenses...

What gives? who do I believe the lens or the RF?

Thanks for your help!

 

[sojournerphoto]

If you can't see the difference in a print it's within tolerance and not ulitmately important, albeit annoying. Infinity focus should be OK in nay case, but you might like to check near focus with each lens.

Something may be slightly loose, but you'd need to check both body and lens to be sure.

Mike

 

[ferider]

Believe the lens.

Most likely it's not the camera, but how you position your eye. You can train this.

For the lenses you mention, it shouldn't make a difference in practice, though, the most sensitive one is the 90.

Roland.

 

[rashumon]

Roland, Mike, thanks a lot for your comments.
How does one know if the RF mechanism on an M is calibrated? do others here see the same thing sometimes?

 

[John Elder]

The "trick" I am about to explain seems to work well. I learned this test from photonet. Having said that, I have only had 1 lens that failed the test and was then cla'd by Dag. I shoot with an M6 and M4. Go to a mirror and put some masking tape vertically on the mirror. Set your lens to 1 meter. Stand directly in front of the masking tape and move back and forth until the rangfinder indicates the tape is properly focused (again the lens is set at 1 meter) Now focus on your reflection in the mirror. The distance on the lens should read 2 meters exactly. If the lens passes this test it is properly aligned for close focus.

 

[Steve_F]

rashumon,
I don't know what camera you used before but when I first used my M6 TTL I had the same concerns. I was trying the rangefinder out at various distances for accuracy and noticed that when I focused on the roof of house a way off I went to infinity then came back a smidgin'. On my manual focus 50 1.8 Nikkor it was infinity. What I then was found something a long way of and focused on that and it was at infinity on the M6. I focused on a commercial aircraft passing over my house at however many 10's of thousands feet away.
All I could think of was that the Leica is so accurate, that the house that was a hundred or so + feet away would have shown on the lens scale if Leica had the room to put it on.
Subsequent shots showed the RF to be accurate.
Best of luck.

Steve.

 

[payasam]

Roland is right: the position of your eye at the finder will make a difference.

 

[PICHA]

With a Leica M, the infinity is a star.

 

[Beemermark]

With a Leica M, the infinity is a star.

Easier check is a street light a block or so away.

 

[degruyl]

From http://nemeng.com/leica/034b.shtml

"As others have pointed out, infinity is a long way away. At least three kilometers but preferably farther if you can. I often use the moon at night. It is rather far away and there is great contrast between it and the night sky. This makes checking the adjustment easy."

I had a similar experience with the M6. It is a much better (wider) rangefinder than I am used to. Infinity check against something very far away.

 

[rashumon]

Hummmmm
So what are you guys all saying? If I'm using my cron 35 to shoot a landscape shot where most of the image is 50 meters away or more at F2, should I still confirm that the primary subject is aligned in the RF even if that mean I need to go back a smidgen from infinity and even if that subject is hundreds of meters away? or should I just set the lens to infinity and ignore the RF patch?

Im confused now

 

[john_s]

Hummmmm
So what are you guys all saying? If I'm using my cron 35 to shoot a landscape shot where most of the image is 50 meters away or more at F2, should I still confirm that the primary subject is aligned in the RF even if that mean I need to go back a smidgen from infinity and even if that subject is hundreds of meters away? or should I just set the lens to infinity and ignore the RF patch?

Im confused now

I don't think you could see the difference with the lenses you're using. I would use the infinity stop of the lens.

There is a comment above about lenses that deliberately go beyond infinity, such as some SLR lenses, but the Leica RF lenses are at infinity at the infinity stop.

There is a possibility that there is some dirt on the roller or the cam. Cleaning the roller must be done with care: I'm sure there are some instructions out on the web.