Rangefinder technique advice

[John Camp]

I just started messing with rangefinders about last Christmas after decades of using Nikons (which I still use and like.) The rangefinder was simply better for some new kinds of things I am doing, especially on streets and in markets. But today I saw a shot I wanted to take -- new mown hay in evening light -- and normally would have used the Nikon and a zoom. I only had the R-D1 with me, so I used that, and I noticed a problem that I've encountered a couple times before.

What do you do when there are no edges to focus on? I was trying to focus fairly close in, letting the distant part of the photo drift out of focus (to be paired with another photo in which the distant part was sharp.) But I couldn't find anything to focus on; nothing that the rangefinder edge could cut across. I got it eventually, but it wasn't quick. Is there any technique for this, other than looking at the focus-guide numbers on the lens?

I've had the same problem with what I call "mini-landscapes" -- chunks of land that are eight or ten feet across, a jumble of grass, weeds and wildflowers. I may want to focus with critical sharpness on, say, a flower the size of a quarter, in a chunk eight-feet across. The flower's too small to focus on and everything else is a jumble of weed and grass...

Anything to do other than look at the guide numbers? How do you focus quickly? This with a 50mm or 35mm Leica lens...

JC

 

[Finder]

I have never had that problem. I would be able to focus using the flower. I use a Mamiya 6 and 6MF. Must be that cheap German gear you use. ;->

 

[Finder]

Oh, my Ansco De Jour will focus a small flowers as well.

 

[clarence]

I have the inverse problem: I cannot focus my SLRs accurately at all.

Clarence

 

[peter_n]

John unfortinately you do need to find a vertical to focus on. One technique is to (without the camera at your eye) look at the plane of focus and then pan left and right visualizing the plane of focus and looking for a vertical. If you find one focus on it then recompose and take the shot.

 

[FrankS]

John, in your case where you are photographing landscape (field of mown hay) where nothing much moves and there is no distinct object with hard edges to focus on, just use the focus scale on the lens.

A technique that can be used for street photography where you don't want to give away your photographic intentions because it would affect the image, is to focus on something else that is the same distance as the actual subject.

 

[dmr]

John unfortinately you do need to find a vertical to focus on.

I've found that about anything with detail in it is good for focusing. The facial features of a cat are a good example, even though there are no strong verticals, assuming you can get the cat to sit still. 🙂

Sometimes it helps to turn the camera 90 degrees, then focus, then turn it back and recompose.

 

[whitecat]

You might also want to try Always having your lens set to infinity before you focus. When you focus you just turn it one way until in focus. No need to keep going back and forth.