Using slowwww shutter speeds.....

["BIRKEY, DUANE" <dbirkey@hcjb.org.ec>]

Ted wrote:

>I think what must be taken into consideration is the expertise and
>experience of handling the camera in relation to his recommendations.

>He might be right for a new handler of the equipment, but someone who
>consistently shoots at slow shutter speeds on a regular basis learns 
"how
>to" use 1/15, 1/8th and still have sharp images with no appearance of 
loss.

I respect your opinions  and don't doubt your results.  But what Brian 
may have been taking into account something which no one else has yet 
mentioned and that is subject movement.   I take a lot of pictures of 
people preaching and teaching in dark locations.  If a person is 
animated and talks a lot with his hands you will often get blurred 
hands (at least) at 1/60.  Anything slower than that and you better 
wait until they pause and stop moving.  Try taking pictures of active 
kids playing at a 1/60 or 1/30 of a sec and let me know how many sharp 
shots you get.  We had a Leica user go to Columbia to do a story for 
us.  He felt he could shoot at 1/15 or 1/30th (at 5.6 for more depth of 
field)  he had only one or two sharp shots out of the group and they 
were the pathetic ones of the bunch.   And no..... the problem wasn't 
subject movement.

You are also making the assumption that you can lean against something 
and there isn't gusting winds.  

I think for general , Brian is closer to the truth than recommending 
1/30 or 1/60 for a 50mm  or (1/15 with a 560mm lens). But I agree with 
the conservative Parkinson's user theory.

Having said that, I usually carry a Leica table tripod and large ball 
head on location with me and use it a lot to get shots at all kinds of 
speeds.  I have had good results at 4 seconds putting cameras sans 
tripod on railings and anything else flat I can find. You have nothing 
to lose in trying slow shots except a few cents and a missed 
opportunity of not getting that  or a shot period.  If I had the 
opportunity to shoot a million dollar shot though I would make sure I 
took some of it at a far faster shutter speed.  I always take at least 
one flash along to make sure I can get something decent.  Even though I 
prefer available light, a flash often produces better 8 x 10's than 
pushing 400 ASA film to 1600.

Thanks to Ted for the vet chuckle.  We had a nurse in our hospital who 
got covered in similar stuff by a non-cow patient.  That was really 
gross.   I got a good chuckle about the heifer joke.  Except I think 
it's as useless a teats on a steer or a bull!   

I grew up on a pig farm and I can tell you some stories of looking for 
tools in the manure pit of a hog house.  It took almost two weeks 
before my arms and legs stopped smelling like pig ..........   

No.... I really don't miss the farm all that much......

Duane Birkey
HCJB World Radio
Quito Ecuador