Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/02/25

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Subject: Re: Making pictures with the M Leica
From: Dan Cardish <dcardish@microtec.net>
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 04:33:52 -0500

At 11:18 PM 24-02-97 -0700, Ben wrote:
>>When focusing a rangefinder camera, you
>>should start either at infinity or the closest setting, and move the ring in
>>one motion until the two images coincide--do not rack it back and forth, as
>>you might with an SLR, to improve the focus.  The reason this works, I
>>understand, is due to the nature of the mechanical linkage between lens and
>>rangefinder--racking it back and fortyh produces inaccuracies.
>
>This is an old machinists trick. As the bed screw of a mill or lathe wears
>it develops slop. When moving the bed to make a cut you back up so that the
>screw is engaged fully when your tool touches the work. Same with the
>rangefinder.

Let me see if I understand this.  Start at one end of the focusing scale.
Focus by turning the focus ring in one direction until images coincide.  Do
not rack it back and forth.  If I overshoot and am not satisfied with the
state of focus, what do I do?  Go back to infinity and start over?

Dan C.