Of course, there is the argument that the addition of
autofocus would have been a welcome addition to many. That is basically
correct, but as stated above, that would have required extensive changes to the
camera and more so, the lenses.
One of the advantages of the Leica M
cameras is the small size of their lenses. Added autofocus mechanisms and
electronics could not be achieved without a considerable increase in size and
weight. The same would be the case for the camera body.
Instead, hyperfocal settings are the solution with the help of a depth of field scale. Most lenses available today no longer have depth of field scales and thus make focusing via hyperfocal settings impossible. Fortunately, most Leica lenses still offer this advantage, and its application can overcome the lack of autofocus to quite an extend.
That is because the vast majority of the Leica M lenses are non-zoom lenses. That is the reason why to this day all of them have a depth of field scale. Many photographers and picture takers have no idea what a depth of field scale is, and if they do, they rarely know what to with it.
It is a known fact that the aperture setting on our lenses, the f-stop used to take a picture, determines how much of what we photograph will be in focus, how much depth of field there will be. The smaller the aperture, the more depth of field. That is what a depth of field scale is all about. It will show the distance from the point closest to the camera to the point furthest from the camera that will be in focus.
Effectively one third of the total depth of field will be in front of the point of focus and two thirds will be beyond it. If applied correctly, this can actually greatly improve the sharpness of our photographs. Imagine taking a picture of a mountain scene. The mountains are obviously far enough away to constitute infinity as far as the focus settings on our lenses are concerned. Subsequently it seems to make sense to set our lenses to infinity to make sure the mountains are in focus. As a matter of fact, with any camera, this is exactly what will happen.
However, let’s remember the above fact which states that two third of the depth of field is beyond the point of focus. That means in our mountain scene, two thirds of the depth of field will be wasted. The depth of field scale will help to prevent that, if properly applied.
Our exposure settings will always be a combination of shutter speed and aperture. Once we or the camera determine the correct exposure settings, we will know what aperture the picture will be taken with.
Back to our mountain scene. Instead of setting the infinity mark opposite the focus mark on the lens, all that needs to be done is to set the infinity mark opposite the marking of the aperture we are using. That will still give proper focus to infinity, but it will greatly increase sharpness in the areas closer to the camera as indicated by the other aperture mark on the depth of field scale.
It is a fact that the smaller the aperture, the more depth of field we will have. But we shouldn’t indiscriminately use the smallest aperture all the time, because this can easily lead to the necessity of too slow a shutter speed which in turn can lead to blurry pictures because of camera movement. In addition, most lenses will display a decreased performace with very small apertures.
Why do all of this instead of just using the rangefinder and focus on our main subject? Because you can greatly increase your speed of operating the camera. Using the depth of field scale and setting the lens as explained above, using hyperfocal setting, will eliminate the need to focus altogether and thus make the operational speed of your camera that much greater.
What about the opposite? What if we want to minimize depth of field, to make sure the background is out of focus? Here too the depth of field scale can be of help just as well. If using a smaller aperture will lead to a greater depth of field, it stands to reason that a larger aperture will do the opposite. The depth of field scale will once again display the range of focus from the point closest to the camera to the one furthest from the camera.
Are there any other advantages to a Leica rangefinder camera? Yes. For instance, Leicas have always been some of the quietest cameras available, and the latest models of the digital Leica M cameras have nearly silent shutters. In most cases, rangefinder cameras are also lighter than their SLR/DSLR as well as their mirrorless counterparts.
Leica rangefinder cameras essentially have not changed their appearance since the introduction of the Leica M 3 in 1954. They certainly don't look at all like any of their modern counterparts. I have had it happen quite frequently that people think I am using an ancient piece of equipment. That might make the Leica rangefinder cameras less desirable to thieves. Personally, I don't put much stock into that argument. My equipment is covered by my insurance. Besides, many people don't consider cameras as a necessity anymore unless they are in form of a mobile phone.
Ultimately the choice of a camera is up to each individual. But the Leica rangefinder cameras are not anywhere near the anachronism many like to make them.
For other articles on this blog please click on Blog Archive in the column to the right
For other articles on this blog please click on Blog Archive in the column to the right
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