Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/09/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]....that one goes in too! Peter PS Put me down for a copy!! On 25/09/2012 06:40, tedgrant at shaw.ca wrote: > OK ! Glad so many liked the first couple. :-) > > The Rocket Car > > When film motor drives' for the 35mm camera appeared on the market, it > was > > the answer to the action photographer's prayer. So many thought! > > > > The motor could advance film at 5 or more frames per second, allowing the > > photographer to capture peak action every time; well it was thought to. > > > > Many photographers found to their sorrow, by relying only on the motor and > > not their reflex instinct to release the shutter, were missing the precise > > moment of the action. > > > > A story from a small town in Ontario, Canada of an old time photographer > shooting > > with a 4 X 5 Speed Graphic and how he bailed out a so called super > "hotshot" big city news > > photographer explains it all. :-) > > > > An inventor in the town had built a rocket engine car that caught the > > attention of a big Toronto newspaper. The paper's regional editor phoned > and > > arranged a test of the car to allow a writer and photographer to do a > story. > > > > On test day the news photographer mounted three motor-driven cameras along > > the track to ensure he would capture the moment of engine ignition. > > He tested them with several bursts to ensure they were synchronized ready > > for the fiery blue flame spurting from the exhaust upon ignition. > > > > While the hotshot was going through all the testing, the old timer made > > ready. He removed the dark slide from his Speed Graphic film magazine, > > cocked the shutter set for action with his "one sheet of 4 X 5 film." > > > > Finally everyone was ready, car and driver, motor driven cameras, Speed > > Graphic and one sheet of film. The engine ignited, there was a brilliant > > flash of blue flame, the hotshot fired his three rolls of film, the old > > timer's shutter went, "Click!" > > > > The hotshot asks for a restart of the car one more time, "Just in case we > > missed it." Same sequence takes place, three cameras burning up film at 5 > > frames per second: The old timer and Speed Graphic goes, "Click" ! > > > > The next day the old timer received a phone call from the photo editor of > > the Toronto paper. "Were you shooting the rocket car startup?" "Yep" the > > old timer replied. > > > > Photo editor, "Our guy missed the flame, did you get it?" > > > > Old timer, "Yep, which one would you like?" > > > > Moral of the story: > > Equipment isn't everything. Photographers must still have an acute sense > > of timing to make it work. > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- =========================================================== Dr Peter Dzwig