I remember that was part of the charm no civilians were there. I was in the Marines just post Vietnam so we were discouraged from wearing our uniforms out in town anywhere in the US because of all the anti military feelings. Sad....
airfrogusmc wrote:
I remember that was part of the charm no civilians were there. I was in just the Marines post Vietnam so we were discouraged from wearing our uniforms out in town anywhere in the US because of all the anti military feelings. Sad....
I'd almost given up on using the loaner Q2M for street photography but decided to give it another chance before returning it to the dealer. Much to my surprise I came back with a few pictures I was happy with.
genji wrote:
I'd almost given up on using the loaner Q2M for street photography but decided to give it another chance before returning it to the dealer. Much to my surprise I came back with a few pictures I was happy with.
What wasn't working for you? Or point me to where you've already discussed this...
Rented a M10r a few hours prior and risked my daughters 1st birthday pics with a rangefinder. I was worried they'd all be out of focus. I was right but only slightly.
Tired eyes, dark interiors, dirty viewfinder, a glass of wine, a baby that moves and no experience with a RF was quite the experience!
That said, any tips for using the focus patch on faces?
You are a brave man. I am just beginning my Leica experience as well. I invite you to participate in my Learning Leica M thread. I am sure we can learn from each other's adventures with Leica Range Finders.
That being said, I don't hold myself out as an expert by any stretch. So, read my thoughts below with that in mind.
If the EXIF data shown with your images is correct, you were shooting at very wide open apertures. This has two effects. It makes getting critical focus very very difficult with MF and Range Finders. It is probably unrealistic with moving subjects like a child. Second, lenses are less sharp at these apertures, often giving a dreamy appearance to the image. This dual personality of many lenses is a wonderful thing. Dreamy wide open, extremely sharp stopped down a couple of stops.
The next thing I noticed is that you were shooting at ISO 400. One thing I am finding in my M10 experiment is that with the sensors in these camera you can shoot at much higher ISOs and still get very high IQ. That enables you to shoot stopped down a bit even in lower light. This make getting critical focus mush easier.
One technique I have found in situations similar to what I see in these images is to set the drive mode to one of the continuous modes, focus with the Range Finder, then rock ever so slightly back and forth while taking multiple shots. This can compensate for the very shallow depth of field. You can then pick the best out of the batch.
That is a beautiful child. You are a fortunate Father. Enjoy every moment.
You have to admit that the Leica colors and rendering are beautiful in those images. One of the things that make Leica cameras special. To heck with the critical focus. The images are beautiful. You will love these pictures the rest of your life.
but only slightly. 
