I feel better about asking this question of leicaphiles after having read the recent post regarding everyone's age. I am 50 and experiencing the common age related lessening of my ability to see as well in low light situations. I was wondering if others here around my age that use leica rangefinders have noticed a gradual decrease in their ability to capture well focused shots in low light situations.

-- Rick Sikora (RLSikora@aol.com), January 31, 2002

Answers

I'm almost 54 & haven't noticed any problems. I shoot exclusively Leica Ms & much of it is low light work. But I would guess it must vary from individual to individual...

-- Patrick Garner (pg@patrickgarner.com), January 31, 2002.

After attaching a correct ocular diopter- lens to the camera things worked again for me. Try. Now I can shoot again without being obstructed by glasses.

Best regards

-- K. G. Wolf (k.g.wolf@web.de), January 31, 2002.

I have a few years left to 50, I have noticed a lessening ability to focus at close distances, but no change in visual acuity at low light levels. I was told by an opthalmologist that reduced night vision as people age is a product of the growth of cataracts and in some people they start earlier and grow faster. He said that is exacerbated by exposure to UV (sunlight)which might be one reason it doesn't affect me. I have worn glasses since I was in the 5th grade, and my glasses were *glass* up until just a couple years ago, and all glass reduces UV to a certain extent. (The modern plastic lenses need to be anti- UV coated). My mother wore glasses since her teens also, and now in her mid-80's she was told by her opthalmologist that she had "very mild cataracts" that do not require surgery.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 31, 2002.

that's a very difficult question -- with decrease and age, focus is a little slower for me -- but perhaps (for me) minimla more diffculty with the pattern overalp recognition, nad less certainty when absolutely lined up -- though my precision in rangefinder focus never lessened over my SLR (which creates more of an illusion of precise focus, in my opine).

Cataracts are not the only cause of worsening night vision -- such things as flare, astimgatism (and other assymteries) all may be worse at night, and of course presbypoia.

I was reasonably happy with my focus abaility, and always with the overall camera, but I just had Lasik eye surgery, after considerable debate -- the benefit was not extreme, the risk (worst case, or even reasonably bad outcome) quite scary(my prescription wasn't awful, but my astigmatism was never as perfect as the I_use_ Leica_lenses and can_tell_image_degradation_from_5.6_to_8 person I am). I can say that though my degree of presbyopia has become more certain (the age- realted decrement in close vision is not much more obsvious that I am really clear eyeglass-less. In essence, though I am still slightly uncertain, this seems a bigger and worthier investment on my current photography as any of the lenses that that cash could have obtained. I certainly don't have to swivel to see all the outermost frame lines, anymore.

I am not endorsing this, it was a hard decision for me. And, it will not take away night vision problems -- worse night flare is a complication.

-- lacey smith (lacsm@bellsouth.net), January 31, 2002.

I came back to Leica RF a couple of years ago because I just couldn't focus my Olympus anymore, and the Leica, though not as easy as it was when I was 25, is a distinct improvement over the Oly.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.

Rick,

Had I not read all of the responses, mine would have been identical to Michael Darnton's. My first "serious" camera was a Konica Auto S2 rangefinder, then to an Olympus system, and I came back to a rangefinder because of the ability to achieve sharp focus, as well as the relatively small size of the camera. I just couldn't bring myself to buy into another SLR system, even with autofocus.

I also where progressive tri-focals.

I have the M6 TTL with the 0.58x viewfinder and have the Leica Viewfinder M 1.25X on order for use with my 90mm lens, which is the only lens that I occasionally have trouble achieving sharp focus.

-Nick

-- Nicholas Wybolt (nwybolt@earthlink.net), January 31, 2002.

Sharpness may not be a requirement for a "good" pic. Overall we are over obsessed with biting sharpness.

My eyes are still good, thankfully, still don't need glasses at age 45.

However if they ever deteriorate until I cannot use a rangefinder properly, the next best thing is to make a visual estimate of the distance of the subject and calibrate the focussing ring accordingly. This can be surprising accurate with practice. If you want better accuracy Leica makes a pair of binoculars that has a laser rangefinder !

If it gets very bad I suppose it will have to be autofocus cameras from there or use wide angle lenses only which are characterisrically sharp at any distance.

There is also some digotal software that makes pics appear sharper in the market if you care for that kind of stuff.

If it gets worst than that, I suppose you could hardly see a pic by then so off to learn some braille !

-- Yip (koklok@krdl.org.sg), February 01, 2002.

Hello Rick,I am in my late 40's and have found despite noticing a similar slightly increasing viewing difficulty that I can still focus my Leica M's. I think that the objective focusing of the Leica rangefinder becomes difficult when the focus patch deteriorates and becomes dim .. as in older M's..M2's and M3's.Regards.

-- Sheridan Zantis (albada60@hotmail.com), February 01, 2002.

The nice thing about screw-mount Leicas is that the magnified RF with diopter adjustment is very easy on my 57 year old eyes. The VF is another story, but thats what aux. VFs are for.

-- Robert Marvin (marvbej@earthlink.net), February 01, 2002.

Maybe it is just an age related thing, but I'd definitely go to see an opthalmologist and have it all checked out. I had a problem with tear-production which caused haziness in my vision (especially when I was tired, at night) which was cured by eye-baths and "viscotear" drops. In any case, don't suffer unnecessarily. Even if it is age-related, it's worth remembering that not all M's are created equal as far as ease of focusing is concerned - my friend's m6 classic has a brighter, more contrasty, less flare-prone r/f patch than either of my ttls, for example (I have the .85 and .58, he has the standard .72). That's before going to the older, and supposedly better m4,m3 etc. Also, check your spectacle lenses, if you wear them, are they the correct presciption? scratched? Clean? Some anti-flare coatings can cause reflections (making the lens act almost like mirrors - One pair I had, I could actually see behind me!). Notice, that the more coatings you have the cleaner you need to keep the blessed things!! Do go see an expert. Very best of luck.

-- steve (stephenjjones@btopenworld.com), February 01, 2002.

Hi, Rick !

I'm 54. No problems focusing my M3s in available darkness.

I think Patrick is right: it most possibly is an ability which varies from person to person but I have noticed that is is true that focusing RFs in low light is easier than SLRs (as far as my experience goes and has been said many times before).

Regards, Patrick !

-Iván

-- Iván Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), February 01, 2002.