Leica is probably best known for its compact rangefinder designed camera bodies and accompanying lenses. Early Leica lenses attached to cameras using a thread-mount design, in which the lens was screwed onto the camera body. Since the mid-1950s, Leica has built its cameras with a bayonet, or "M mount," system. Older thread-mount lenses can still be mounted onto cameras with the "M" mount by using an adapter.
Instructions
1. Attach your Leica lens to the rangefinder camera body by lining up the guide dots located on the lens and on the camera.
2. Carefully place the lens onto the mounting ring. Rangefinder cameras do not have a mirror, like 35 mm single lens reflex (SLR) cameras. When mounted, the rear element of the rangefinder lens enters the camera. When attaching lenses, care must taken not to damage the rear element of the lens. Rotate the lens until it locks into place.
3. Focus the lens by looking through the viewfinder and rotating the focusing ring on the lens until the two rangefinder patches line up. Unlike SLRs, rangefinders do not focus through the lens. The photographer looks through the viewfinder, where there is a small dark patch in the center. This patch has two layers. When the image is in focus, the layers appear to be one; when the image is out of focus, the layers are separated. Only the center patch changes; the rest of the viewfinder does not change its focus.
4. Rotate the aperture ring on the lens to select the f-stop you want for your picture. The exposure is determined through a light meter inside the viewfinder.
5. Press the shutter release, and your picture is taken.
Tags: camera body, cameras with, focus layers, image focus, image focus layers, lens until
