Will van Manen Kamera Service for calibrating Noctilux?

[Alex Krasotkin]

Guys,

I am cosidering to adjust focusing of my Summilux 50/1.4 pre asph and Noctilux 1.0 with Will van Manen Kamera Service. Any difference, if i will send to Leica (that is quite costly and takes pretty long time).

Any good experience with these guys?

My M9 is absolutely fine with Summicron C 40/2 even at f/2 in 100% cases. However I experience incorrect focusing with the above two lenses (summilux 50/1.4 pre-asph and Noctilux 1.0 at the range of f/1 to f/2.4.

Noctilux 1.0 (late version) seems to be fine at f/1 when focusing at the small object (like a flower, or a small leave) but only there is no other objects at the same distance and closed to the flower , means that the background is quite remote. If the there are few objects at the very closed distance range like ears, eyes and nose, when, for example, shooting portrait, I can easily miss the focus on the eye.

Appreciate your advises.

best regards,
Alex

 

[Roger Hicks]

. . . Noctilux 1.0 (late version) seems to be fine at f/1 when focusing at the small object (like a flower, or a small leave) but only there is no other objects at the same distance and closed to the flower , means that the background is quite remote. If the there are few objects at the very closed distance range like ears, eyes and nose, when, for example, shooting portrait, I can easily miss the focus on the eye.

Appreciate your advises.

best regards,
Alex

Dear Alex,

If it focuses accurately on the flower at 1m, it's a question of technique when it comes to focusing on the eye: I can't see how any form of 'calibration' can change this.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Alex Krasotkin]

Dear Roger, maybe it is because of there are no other close objects at the same distance. I am really confused with the results. I will post later the shooting samples.

 

[jaapv]

If the lens focusses correctly when you have a single object in your focussing patch it is really a matter of your personal focussing technique, not the lens.
If other objects confuse the issue, you should really be contrast focussing.

Here is ca copy-paste of a post I wrote a while ago for the M FAQ on LUF:

Question: I come from an autofocus camera background. What is the best way to get good focus on the M9?

The M9 works the same way as any rangefinder camera, the central patch in the viewfinder is your focussing tool.
It is important to look through the viewfinder in the optical axis. Looking into the camera skewed will result in inaccurate focus.

The first thing to do is to ascertain that you can see the rangefinder patch properly. A correct match between the rangefinder and your eye is even more important than it is using an SLR.
Leica sells corrective diopter lenses. Determining which one you need - if any- can be done by going to your optician and holding his try-out lenses between your eye and the viewfinder. The one that allows you to see the rangefinder patch and framelines sharply is the correct one. Order the nearest value from Leica. In a pinch you can use over-the-counter reading glasses for this test. If your eyes need special corrections, you can use your spectacles, provided you can see clearly at 2 metres distance ( the virtual distance of the rangefinder patch).

For special cases there are viewfinder magnifiers. They can help, especially with longer and fast lenses and they can give confidence, but they can also be not very useful; they cannot correct errors in the focussing mechanism. Leica offers a 1.25x one and a 1.4x. These need diopter correction like the camera, but often of a different value than the camera viewfinder.

There are also third-party magnifiers, sold by Megapearls, that include a variable diopter correction. 1.15x and 1.35x. For patent reasons they cannot be sold in the USA and Germany for use on a Leica camera, but they can be purchased for use on for instance a rifle scope.
Basically, for an experienced user, magnifiers are not needed and will only lower contrast and brightness, but many users do like and use them.

Once the viewfinder is corrected optimally, there are three methods of focussing, in ascending order of difficulty aka training.

1. The broken line method. Look for a vertical line in the image and bring it together in the rangefinder patch to be continuous.

2. The coincidence method. Look for a pattern in the image and bring it together to coincide. This may lead to errors with repeating patterns.

3. The contrast method. Once you have focus by method 1. or 2. a small adjustment will cause the rangefinder patch to "jump" into optimum contrast. At that point you have the most precise focussing adjustment.

Side remarks:

If you try focussing on a subject emitting polarized light like a reflection it may happen that the polarizing effect of the prism system in the rangefinder will blot out the contrast in the rangefinder patch, making focussing difficult. In that case rotate the camera 90 degrees to focus.

Note that when one focusses and recomposes the camera will turn. For geometrical reasons one must bend slightly backwards to keep the focussing distance constant.

 

[rickp]

Kameraservice

Kameraservice

hello alex

if (IF) your lenses need service (see other comments), here are my thoughts:

will & cathy (kameraservice) have just cleaned and relubricated the focusing helicoid on my 35mm summilux pre-asph lens and fine-tuned the focusing for me. in the past, they've worked quickly and successfully on dozens of lenses and a few cameras, including coding, lens element separation, normal CLA work, etc.

in your specific case, you may want to call or write to them and ask about your lens questions before committing. i'm sure they'll be open and honest with you about chances of success.

good luck

rick

 

[Monochrom]

Hi, you can perform a simple but very usefull test...get yourself a measuring tape, extend it on a flat surface like a table....and shoot wide open at the mark of 3 feet (1 mtr)...second shoot the same at 2.8 and check what cames up...

On the pre asph lux you should have different focusing points one at 1.4 and another at 2.8...

On the noctilux i believe should be something like that...but i´ve never owned nor tested one of these...

i think it´s a matter of lens design rather than a need for adjusting..

Bye!

 

[maddoc]

I had my Noctilux calibrated once by Leica Japan (it had been calibrated and 6-bit coded before that by Leica Solms ordered by the previous owner) and in my case Leica requested me to send also the camera body intended to use with the Noctilux to them. Even then it is very difficult to get correct focus at close distances (< 2m) at wide open aperture (f/1.0 or f/1.2) with this lens. Also, make sure your eyesight is optimal or your glasses are a perfect match...

I don`t have any experience with Will van Manen Kamera Service but in the case of the Noctilux my only choice would be Leica ...

 

[jaapv]

Personal and hear-say from others experience: Van Manen is okay for lenses but not so much for bodies.

You could ask for him to send focus tests before signing off and receiving the lens in the mail, maybe? Just a thought.

Will is fine for bodies, but like all other independents has specialized in mechanical cameras and the mechanical aspects of digital ones. I would will not hesitate to send for instance an M9 body in for rangefinder calibration.

 

[thegman]

Guys,


Noctilux 1.0 (late version) seems to be fine at f/1 when focusing at the small object (like a flower, or a small leave) but only there is no other objects at the same distance and closed to the flower , means that the background is quite remote. If the there are few objects at the very closed distance range like ears, eyes and nose, when, for example, shooting portrait, I can easily miss the focus on the eye.

Appreciate your advises.

best regards,
Alex

I agree with Roger, if you can focus accurately on a flower, then you can focus accurately on anything. However, I have found with many cameras, not just range finders, that some thing are easier to focus on than others. A flower's petal has defined edges which are easy to line up in the RF (or a TLR/SLR split screen), a person's face rarely has such defined lines, and at f/1.0 on 50mm lens, 1 metre away, you have 2cm of depth of field (according to a DOF calculator).

That means you can have very little in focus indeed, so your subject needs to be completely motionless, as do you, and then, in the best possible case scenario, you'll get a 2cm deep field of focus of their face. In reality, you may move a bit, your subject may move a bit, and your lens/RF combo may be ever so slightly not-quite-perfect.

I think in situations like this you may be looking for accuracy and precision which cannot really be had without a very high resolution live view,perfect eyesight, and motionless subjects.

 

[mugent]

I'd bracket your focussing, take one image, lean forward, take another, lean backward, take another. Ultra-fast lenses are always going to be a problem, you aren't going to get perfect focus every time.

 

[taskoni]

Will is fine for bodies, but like all other independents has specialized in mechanical cameras and the mechanical aspects of digital ones. I would will not hesitate to send for instance an M9 body in for rangefinder calibration.

Yep, I am seconding that! Very nice communication as well as fabulous work! Do not hesitate.

Regards,

Boris

 

[Ronald_H]

Personal and hear-say from others experience: Van Manen is okay for lenses but not so much for bodies.

You could ask for him to send focus tests before signing off and receiving the lens in the mail, maybe? Just a thought.

Why not for bodies? Will has worked on many of my cameras, Yashica TLRs, Canon and Leica rangefinders, Nikon SLRs and even a Werra 3 that was gummed up beyond belief. On top of that he also fixed a bunch of Nikkors and Hasselblad V lenses for me. And two MB-11 motors.

Therefore I think I have plenty reason to recommend him without hesitation.

 

[nobbylon]

Yep sorry Johan, I also have to disagree. Will and Cathy have serviced both lenses and bodies for me. Superb work and a great couple who always have the time to chat and discuss what your requirements are. Will has twice sorted problems that were very elusive on my M's.
They also let me test out a 35 summilux on their M digital for fitment and focus.
If it does need adjustment then give him a call for an honest answer as to what is needed.
regards john

 

[FrankHarries]

They sure did a fast and good work on my Rolleiflex 3,5f.... (CLA - sticky shutter)

 

[HuubL]

I can vouch for Will and Cathy too! They did excellent work on five of my Ms in the past and a number of lenses. He also fixed a Nikon S2 and a Contax II, every item to my great satisfaction.

 

[Alex Krasotkin]

Many thanks, guys! I have decided to do a pre-check of both camera and the lenses for future focus adjustment with Leica Russia in Moscow. They have testing equipment for this exercise. Afterwards I can decide on sending equipment for adjustment work. I will keep you posted. Big thank you again!

 

[chrishayton]

I can only speak highly of their quality of service. Ive only ever had a great experience with Kamera Service.

 

[Ronald M]

Fast lenses frequently have some focus shift.

Use a meter or yard stick at 45 degrees at MFD and do some checks from a tripod wide open and stopped down some.
If the focus moves, it will be impossible to calibrate for app apertures.

I have a book by some factory guru in the 80`s and he showed the Noct 1.0 was as good as any other 50 if you allowed for the focus shift. The pre ash also had it. The Summicron had almost none.

 

[Fotohuis]

These lenses are very difficult in calibration. I can recommend Will van Manen without any hesitation. They also did some work for me in the past with 100% satisfaction.