Ease of focusing for you ... SLR or Rangefinder?

Ease of focusing for you ... SLR or Rangefinder?

  • An SLR with a good screen and finder and a fast lens.

    Votes: 39 24.8%

  • A rangefinder.

    Votes: 81 51.6%

  • Sigh ... autofocus.

    Votes: 37 23.6%
  • Total voters
    157
Rangefinder for me. I've always found that I can focus rangefinders accurately without my glasses or a dioptre. Whereas with SLRs I need one or the other.

Regarding eyesight though, I once heard that your vision changes at different times of day and is not consistent. I'm not sure whether this is true or not, but mine certainly changes after a few beers ....

John
 
I focus much better with my manual focus SLR's than I do with my Rangefinders, especially since I got a new pair of distance glasses that I wear only while photographing.
First simply because I've used SLRs for over thirty years, and rangefinders for only about four, so I'm much more accustomed to and comfortable with the former than the latter.
And second, while I'd deny saying this in Court, the truth is that the rangefinder focusing patches in my Nikons are not all that great compared to those of Leicas or my Bessa R2S, and I often find I'm hunting for focus with them. Something I never do with SLRs.
 
I wear specs and need a new pair.

I was pretty slow to focus an SLR and I am pretty slow to focus a rangefinder. The only AF camera I had was also slow. Luckily for me, it takes me a long time to actually decide to take out the camera and take a shot. The decisive moment has usually passed. I just accept that as something about me.

I have situations where I struggle to focus. Usually, when there is a time constraint and humans are involved in the shot. For me, it is a confidence thing.

Beer helps alot. More beer means more confidence. Does not always mean better results.

For group shots in low light I use a tripod and scale focus. I have not taken a group shot that I am proud of.

Groups are hard!
 
I learned on an SLR, even in low light. I learned to use the screen instead of the microprism. I got pretty good, but of course there were errors if I couldn't use flash and smaller f/stops. When I got my MF RF, it was just something else to use. I learned to use it as well, but not as often in very low light. It just never seemed as handy. That was probably just my mental attitude.

But overall, I prefer SLR most of the time.
 
Slr's are easiest for me, especially if you can get the correct dioptre (as Paul has already mentioned)

I have gone from having to struggle with glasses, to wearing NO glasses at all to focus an F3 and FM2n now - liberation!

Al
 
Rangefinders for wide lenses, SLR for telephotos. Before Lasik my vision was 20/250, I could still focus a RF. A RF only requires you bring two lines together. It is handicapped by the RF effective length and thus focusing for fast teles like the 135/2 becomes problematic. SLR requires that you determine when an image is sharpest, can be very difficult with wide angle lenses, especially slow ones because of the DOF.
 
I do not wear glasses, but am presbiopic. I wear one contact in my right eye (non-dominant) to read. My left eye is uncorrected for far or near vision - it is 20-30, quite acceptable for far vision. I look through a viewfinder with my left eye.

I find it almost impossible to focus an SLR. My R7 has become almost unusable, even in bright daylight - and it has very good diopter correction. I simply cannot focus at all on a fresnel screen. The split image is usable at near distance but not far. For some reason, my Nikon F2 is much easier to focus, but still a pain. I think it is because it has the diagonal split screen, and that helps.

I have no trouble at all focusing a Rangefinder. I used my R7 the other day as I really would like to keep it for long lenses, but I have to admit that I cannot focus it effectively. I will sell it soon. Rangefinders only from now on and 135mm max.
 
Mid-50' eyes here. In good light, and depending on the subject, both rangefinder and SLR are usually ok. But for dim light that I can barely frame an image in, I'll take the autofocus system in the Fuji GA645 any day!
 
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RF by Far!

RF by Far!

Hi, i love RF´s because i just can´t focus on SLR´s, no matter what i do i just can´t.

Got a Yashicamat and it´s sitting on the shelve, i can´t manage to get proper focus although the camera is perfect i just get dizzy, go front back uf!

So Rf is perfect for me, just align and no further thinking!

Bye!
 
Manual focus: rangefinder, particularly in low light. The only SLR that comes close for use under these conditions is my Olympus OM-2.

But yes, I do use autofocus...largely because prety much all digital SLRs are autofocus...
 
I bought my first ever pair of prescription glasses last month...I'm not blind but I wasn't seeing as clear as I used to...they are Progressive Lenses and that in it self is hard to get used to...I don't need or use them when shooting...
I don't have a real problem focusing with either a RF or SLR...
I do have a slight problem when using the Nikon F4 or F5 with a manual normal to wide angle lens in low light...the main reason are the focusing screens...I have the "E" Grid Screens in both of them...neither one has a Split or Microprism so it's just the screen..
It's easier to use the cameras built-in RF focusing, watch for the Green Light then shoot rather than relying on my eyes to tell me it's in focus...
My answer for the SLR's is a Microprism type screen...I just bought a Brightscreen Proscreen 20/20 for the Mamiya m645 (ebay-great price) and it is brighter but most importantly is has a Microprism...
Most of my older cameras have this type of screen along with a horizontal or vertical split but I never really cared for the split...
Now if I could find a screen with a huge Microprism patch for all my cameras I'd be in heaven...
 
Generally I find a rangefinder easier -- but not for (fast) moving objects. Those I find easier to catch with an SLR. Not much experience with autofocus.

FWIW, I like to 'tune' my SLRs with grid-etched screens without a split screen (rangefinder). But that's for better composing, not easier focusing.
 
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A few months ago I would've said RF (by far). The ZI's viewfinder is just a joy to use, and makes focusing quick and painless. But now that I have changed focusing screens (Nikon K2 and K3 screens to Nikon B3 screen), there is now much less of a difference in ease of focus.

I still enjoy using both the RF and manual focus SLR, but after installing the B3 screen, I find myself using the SLR more. It has opened a new world, especially with the number of Nikon AI/AIS lenses I had already owned to begin with plus the general availablity, selection, and lower cost of AI/AIS lenses compared to M-mount lenses.
 
I require more contrasted subjects to focus a RF... On good light both are easy, but on bad light and flat contrast subjects, RFs are in my case even harder to focus...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Juan Valdenebro said:
I require more contrasted subjects to focus a RF... On good light both are easy, but on bad light and flat contrast subjects, RFs are in my case even harder to focus...

Cheers,

Juan
Click to expand...

The best of my SLR's is my black OM-2 and it has a matt screen with a microprism circle in the center (no split image) ... with my 50mm f1.2 it's definitely way ahead of my FM3A which I still really struggle with in spite of getting a diopter that did improve it.

I think an F6 may be in my future at some stage because that dot system in the viewfinder is actually very quick to use IMO.

By the way ... welcome back Juan! :)
 
Old buzzard here. Depends on the camera. F3 focusing is nice and fast. same for my M3,6,7. The split screen in my F6 isn't very big, so with wides it's hard to tell. I'd rather use AF with the F6 anyway.

Went out with a Leica IF/Nikkor 28 today. No problem with focusing since there is no rangefinder. Full sun, sunny 16, f/16, everything is in focus :)
 
Keith said:
The best of my SLR's is my black OM-2 and it has a matt screen with a microprism circle in the center (no split image) ... with my 50mm f1.2 it's definitely way ahead of my FM3A which I still really struggle with in spite of getting a diopter that did improve it.

I think an F6 may be in my future at some stage because that dot system in the viewfinder is actually very quick to use IMO.

By the way ... welcome back Juan! :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, Keith! It's great to see you all again!

By the way... Has someone bought from dh-photo before? (Recent "Spring clearance" ad...) Does anybody know him? Thanks!

Cheers,

Juan
 
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