Tips to help low light focus?

[rageon09]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the whole RF scene but I think I'm getting the hang of it...

My focussing in bright/normal lighting conditions is pretty good after a couple of months of practice. My photos come out nice and sharp, just gotta learn to focus faster. But I've realized that focussing in low light situations can be rather difficult! I'm talking about like an alfresco table lit by a candle and some ambient lighting in the background. My shots tend to turn out 50-50 mostly because I can hardly see the images in the focussing patch while I'm trying to focus.

I'm wondering if there are some tips or tricks the old timers here can teach me? :think: I've tried shining a small pocket torch at the subject to aid focus. It helps but I don't think it's the best solution. Any ideas?

 

[Yoricko]

Is your rangefinder old/faded?
If its new and working in pristine condition, you should find it a LOT easier to focus in dim-light compared to SLRs.

Try to find a "line" or a distinct shape to focus on.

 

[rageon09]

I'm using a 1yr+ old R-D1s. I wouldn't call the viewfinder faded, its perfectly clear during the day. Maybe its my eyesight no good? I can "see" the brightlines perfectly, but the images in the focus patch is hard cos its dark and hard to see if the focus is good. I haven't had any SLR experience so I can't compare. Like I said, I can focus no probs during the day cos I can see much clearer.
I do try to look for corners or edges, but sometimes when it comes to faces, I try to focus the eyes, but it takes me much longer to get my focus right. I guess, it comes down to practice?:dunno:

 

[Royale With Cheese]

but it takes me much longer to get my focus right. I guess, it comes down to practice?:dunno:

Yep, all about practice.

I still have problems focusing at night sometimes just take your eye off the VF & look again, it helps.

 

[tribal.snake]

try to scale-focus