Am I the only person who finds the focusing thingie to be really difficult? I'm beginning to think so. I learned years ago to hold the camera with one hand gripping the body and the other underneath the lens, focusing and also steadying the camera. While the focusing gizmo makes it really easy to focus, I can't seem to get a good grip on the camera. And as far as I can tell, it doesn't come off.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), May 11, 2000

Answers

Whoops, maybe I should mention that this is with the 35/2ASPH although I know there are other lenses with it.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), May 11, 2000.

They took that off the current 50 'cron lens, the one with the built-in hood. I actually like it on my older 50 and 35 crons. I've never held an RF the exact way as the SLR, but I do use my left hand and third/fourth finger combinations to focus with the tab. And with one hand I just use the middle finger of my right hand. I do have the grip on my M, though, and that makes it much easier to hold w/one hand.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), May 12, 2000.

You follow LUG long enough (I see you there, right?) and you'll discover that one of the preoccupations of Leica folks is trying to figure out how to put those on lenses that don't come with them, so you're pretty much alone in not liking it :-) Maybe you should try it for a while. The real advantage from my point of view is that it lets you move the focus to approximately the right distance while the camera's still on its way to your eye. My Voigtlander Ultron doesn't have one--want to trade, even up?? :-)

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 12, 2000.

You follow LUG long enough (I see you there, right?)

Not anymore, it was too religious in there. Tony's not religious, that's why I'm here.

you'll discover that one of the preoccupations of Leica folks is trying to figure out how to put those on lenses that don't come with them, so you're pretty much alone in not liking it :-) Maybe you should try it for a while.

I try it every day. Maybe I will get used to it, so far I keep trying to twist my hand into the position I use with every other lens I own.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), May 12, 2000.

Jeff: I find the little tab is what speeds up focusing with the Leica, so much so, that the focus point is physically intuitive, and I've pre- focused even as I'm lifting the camera up to my eye. Without it, I cant tell, just by touch, where the camera is. Its a bit like learning where to place your finger on a fretboard without thinking about it.

With lenses that don't have it, such as the Elmarit or telephoto leica, one loses this fast focus ability. With it, the 35 and 50 focus as fast as an AF camera, in practice. No exaggeration.

Check out the manual for technique, which is different from SLRs.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), May 16, 2000.

I also prefer the "tab" in any of the various forms it's taken over the years. I like the current one the best, on the wide-angle lenses. I definitely miss it on the current 50's. I found it more comfortable if I use my middle finger rather than my index finger. But then I'm left-handed so it comes easier. It might take some practice for a right-hander to get comfortable using the left middle finger, but it's worth it.

-- Ken Shipman (kennyshipman@aol.com), June 10, 2000.

Once you learn to use the focusing tab, you will find that you literally can't live without it. Your hand will automatically position itself to both support the camera and manipulate the tab. A good exercise to practice is to stand in a large room. With the camera focused at infinity, pick something and focus on it with the rangefinder. With your eye looking at the object... Feel the tab. Now return the lens to infinity. try to adjust the lens to the proper distance of the object...without looking trough the finder... just by feel. Now look through the finder to see how close you got. Pick another object in the room and repeat this process. Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day on this exercise and you will be able to focus the lens before the camera gets to your eye. You absolutely can not do this without the tab. If Leica lenses were all recomputed to give a quantum leap in performance, and were priced at half the current cost, but lost the tab, I would be looking for used lenses. Fast handleing will beat out optical performance. It is a good practice to always return the lens to infinity after shooting. that way you need only move the lens in one direction, again speeding up the process. With my 90mm lens, I find focusing to be a back and forth manipulation that just takes too long. LONG LIVE THE FOCUSING TAB!!!

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), June 10, 2000.

Left hand palm toward you. Thumb of left hand pushes camera firmly into right hand. Left index finger on tab. Left middle and ring finger under camera body. Solid grip, fast focusing. I have taped a tab on my 50 to match the 35. Can't imagine not having the tab.

-- Henry Ambrose (digphoto@telalink.net), June 14, 2000.

Henry, Thanks for sharing your way to hold and focus Leica camera and lenses. Now it become my standard way to hold my 35/50 'cron and M6. It can also be applied to the tab-less 50 'cron I have. Just use the friction between left hand's index finger and focusing ring to focus while hold the camera.

By the way, what kind of tab you use and how do you 'tape'it on the lens?

-- Kenny Chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), June 14, 2000.

An revised version can also be applied to vertical frame and focusing.

Hold the camera by the left thumb on top and middle finger at bottom and palm facing you. Turn the camera 90 degree and the thumb become almost vertical (pointing up) and use the index finger to focus for lens with tab or tab-less. The ring finger and base of the thumb in your hand become the base support of your camera. This can be applied to my 35/50 'cron. Cannot do it with my 90 'cron due to the focusing ring is way to tight. Now my next question are:

Is there any way to loose my focusing ring on my 90 'cron.

Does the 90 Elmarit has a tight focusing ring like the one on a 90 'cron?

-- Kenny Chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), June 14, 2000.

Yup. It has a tight focusing ring.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), June 14, 2000.

I found a better way to focus my 90 'cron.

Let the M camera be vertical with the finder on top right. Left hand holds the lens with thumb under and the other fingers above the lens (palm facing down). While focusing with the thumb and index finger using left hand, let right hand grip the camera with right thumb next to the film count and left hand middle and index fingers on bottom plate. The lower right corner (where the film counter locates) is in the first joint of my thumb. After focusing is done the tip of the right thumb cab be put on the shutter release and ready for the shot. At this time the grip and stablization of the camera is mainly from my left hand which grips the lens barrel as I described above. The tightness of focus ring is very important for this practice. Also use your left eye to focus.

Same can be applied to 90 Elmarit or the 135 lens as long as the focus ring is tight.

-- Kenny Chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), June 21, 2000.

I should say'... right hand middle and index fingers on bottom plate' in my previous post.

-- Kenny Chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), June 21, 2000.

While I was browsing the photo book by Jeanloupe Seiff, I found that he also using right thumb to trip shutter in vertical mode and of course the finder is on up right corner. He seems using 21mm lens exclusively without external finder. His left hand's thumb on back side and index and middle on front side (just above the lens) snaps and grips the camera and all in parallel pointing to right. The other two left fingers bented and pointing toward to his body. Right hand index finger may be on the focus ring tab to focus. I tried it with my 35 'cron lens which has tab and works pretty well.

For 50 'cron witout tab in vertical mode, I prefer finder in lower and left corner as I mentioned above.

-- Kenny Chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), June 23, 2000.

In response to Kenny's last input, I have experimented with the thumb as the shutter release digit. The one detriment to this practice is that while it is fine for static subjects, the process of firing the shutter and then winding on to the next frame is slowed down quite a bit. You must totally reposition your entire right hand everytime. I normally use my right index finger on the shutter and keep my thumb on the film advance lever, which I use as a double stroke action even on my M6. This keeps the camera at the eye and the stability intact at all all times. For virtical shooting, this means the viewfinder in down.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), June 24, 2000.

I don't miss the focusing tab on the 50mm Summicron, but I enjoy using it on the 35mm Summicron. My favorite is the focusing lever on the Leica screw mount lenses. They have a little spring-loaded button to release the infinity lock. It always reminds me of playing with a ... err, ahh ... well, it reminds me a girl I know ;)

For what its worth, I've always used my right thumb to release the shutter on vertical shots.

-- Joe Buechler (jbuechler@toad.net), June 26, 2000.