p.1 #1 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
Curious question from a professional Sony user. When I manual focus (T/S lenses, etc), I really like the focus peaking option which, at my age, is a big help. Especially, if my tripod is above my head and I am using the screen or ipad to view the composition.
When I do street photography (for fun), I prefer to manual focus as well. I know the M series uses the traditional rangefinder "overlap" focusing reference. However, does the option to use some type of focus peaking exist as well?
p.1 #2 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
Yes, I think focus peaking has been there since the M10 at least, possibly even M240.. but it would be with the rear LCD screen or the optional Visoflex 2 EVF. There's no hybrid optical viewfinder like you'd see with the Fuji X-Pro line. That being said, I can't imagine trying to use focus peaking with street, I'd be far too slow at it.. zone focusing is far more effective, IMO.
p.1 #4 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
Thanks for the info. I have gotten quite good with manual focusing sing peaking on the street. I have been using my ZV-E1 (my camera for short videos for my job) and it has no EVF. I tend to stay at the same general distance for whichever lens i'm using. I'm basically use peaking for focusing on a "zone" and most subjects are in focus except for some minor tweaking here and there.
p.1 #6 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
ArcPhotography wrote:
Curious question from a professional Sony user. When I manual focus (T/S lenses, etc), I really like the focus peaking option which, at my age, is a big help. Especially, if my tripod is above my head and I am using the screen or ipad to view the composition.
When I do street photography (for fun), I prefer to manual focus as well. I know the M series uses the traditional rangefinder "overlap" focusing reference. However, does the option to use some type of focus peaking exist as well?
Thanks ahead of time for your answer
Honestly, you won't ever use it-
You are either going to use the RF patch or learn how to shoot an M series camera with zone focusing using the depth of field scale printed on the lenses.
Once you master that, you know where your lenses focus tab needs to be for a certain distance- So when you are out and see a scene you like, you can hold the camera at any angle you want and know it will be in focus just by where the tab is. The smaller the aperture, obviously the easier this is in practice.
So focus peaking in 99% of street scenarios is probably not going to be used.
For example, when I shoot with my 35 lens, I know that at wide open ( or any lens with a .7m min focus distance) the subject can be about an arms length from my camera and be tack sharp. I can usually nail this time and time again on an f/2 lens and less perfect on a 1.4 lens but maybe 70% accuracy or more.
If you are stopped down to 5.6 or f/8- you almost never miss.
Focus peaking is an option on my M11's but I just don't use it. Its really just not necessary- I would guess that is the majority of M11 shooters but I don't like speaking for everyone
p.1 #8 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
RustyRus wrote:
Honestly, you won't ever use it-
You are either going to use the RF patch or learn how to shoot an M series camera with zone focusing using the depth of field scale printed on the lenses.
Once you master that, you know where your lenses focus tab needs to be for a certain distance- So when you are out and see a scene you like, you can hold the camera at any angle you want and know it will be in focus just by where the tab is. The smaller the aperture, obviously the easier this is in practice.
So focus peaking in 99% of street scenarios is probably not going to be used.
For example, when I shoot with my 35 lens, I know that at wide open ( or any lens with a .7m min focus distance) the subject can be about an arms length from my camera and be tack sharp. I can usually nail this time and time again on an f/2 lens and less perfect on a 1.4 lens but maybe 70% accuracy or more.
If you are stopped down to 5.6 or f/8- you almost never miss.
Focus peaking is an option on my M11's but I just don't use it. Its really just not necessary- I would guess that is the majority of M11 shooters but I don't like speaking for everyone ...Show more →
Mostly co-signed, but in my case I do use the Range Finder reasonably often because I do like shooting at wide apertures, and longer focal lengths at times. I rarely use focus peaking, unless I am manually shooting my Sony system because then I have no other choice.
p.1 #9 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
ArcPhotography wrote:
You are probably correct. I'm thinking o renting one for a week and see how I like the system
A week will only give you the slightest idea about the system and how good it really is. But for sure it is worth the effort.
I dedicated a Month this kind of experiment. I committed to taking at least one image a day and uploading it to a thread her on FM. By the ned, I was reasonably profession with the M system, and how I saw and created images had changed in a fundamental and wonderful way. That continues to this day.
p.1 #10 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
RustyRus wrote:
Honestly, you won't ever use it-
For street photography, I agree. But I've used it when I was shooting a friend piano concert: with the 90mm in low light, it was more efficient than the rangefinder. I've also shot sometimes with the 135mm/3.4 Apo and in this case, I have no choice as it is not properly calibrated and I'm not ready to have it adjusted.
I could live without focus peaking, in fact I did for decades as I started shooting with the original M6 (:cool but it is still very convenient.
p.1 #11 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
I agree. For work, when attaching T/S lens to my Sony, I am no longer confident in my eyesight ability in far away details. Focus peaking is soooo nice.
p.1 #12 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
RustyRus wrote:
...Focus peaking is an option on my M11's but I just don't use it. Its really just not necessary...
Since most of the lenses I gravitate toward for an M camera are lower contrast character lenses, focus peaking is not very precise for me. And even with APOs, it's hit or miss wide open.
The only scenario where I find focus peaking helpful is when shooting street stopped down to f/8. At smaller apertures, the swath of focus peaking looks more like a field curvature test where I can see the range of focus fade in and out on either side of the point of focus.
p.1 #13 · Does Leica M11 have focus peaking option?
If you are going to use focus peeking on a M10-M11 range finder, I've found the visoflex is the best option. For those moments, I hated using the back screen.
If you are set on using M lenses manually but would really like to use focus peeking the majority of the time, look at the Leica SL bodies. The OG SL is still a very good option today to start with.
