[Leica] Slide show

[Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>]

LUGnuts:

Had pleasant experience yesterday seeing first of two 18 projector
multimedia shows built upon my boating work for dealer meetings.  Nice
to see images displayed 20x60+ feet and sharp!  It was stuff at dealers
using E200 pushed two stops and lit with sb-24s on the fly, it was stuff
with Velvia from helicopter in San Francisco, other stuff from Lake
Meade and even here this last week in San Diego bay.  

All done with Nikon, I must confess, though most manul focus.  I would
shoot R gear if I had it, but what I shot just not appropriate for
Ms--the need for zooms nearly imperative, given the difficulty of
controlling precisely the sets because of moving boats and helicopters. 
I did use AF (on 80-200) for part of helicopter stuff where we were
doing run along sides then buzz twenty feet up straight overheadand
traveling 40mph..  I don't know if I could do a MF with that, especially
since I was both zooming and focusing while doing a pass that might last
5-6 seconds and half a roll of film.  Especially difficult with a two
ring model lens.  At least with the German 35-70 3.5 Leica you can (if
lens old and loose enough) do a push pull zoom and could maybe follow
focus and zoom at the same time.  Biggest bitch with the Nikon 35-70 is
rotating front.  So when using polarizer, had to hold the filter so it
wouldn't turn and use AF.  All this while trying to balance no-hands on
the fly bridge and not touch anything that would transmit vibration.

Also in the display area saw numerous of my photos as duratrans displays
blown up 36x80 inches.  In one case the image was of a child blowing
bubbles.  The original included his sister and space--in other words the
image used for the duratrans was about 1/3 of the frame and the Velvia
(shot with 80-200 at longer end of range handheld from one boat to
another right as sun going down) was tack sharp and nearly grainless.  I
can only imagine what a 180 APO version might be like, especially if
full frame

Had wonderful luck with the LiteLink device giving TTL cordless metering
with second strobe. It would work just as well, I suspect, with a Metz
strobe on an R8 and the LiteLink attached to a Canon or Nikon strobe
(the only ones it is available for).  Did interiors of cabinets and just
pop the one light down hidden somewhere and flawless two-light exposures
on program automatic.  

Also did image of beautiful couple sipping wine (truth in
advertising?).  Weather was dreary, so shot backlit with what little sun
left was reflecting off water and put assistant with LiteLink on boat
with couple and  I stayed on the photo boat.  My strobe lit the side of
the boat, the assistant's light was key light for the models (about a
stop brighter).  Slick.  Assistant said he could see the intensity of
the light change as I dialed exposure compensation up and down.  

Also used the LiteLink set up for quicky shots of people inside
dealerships--no match for setting up all the Balcars, of course, but
quick and easy, especially with the E200 pushed a stop and FLD on lens
and Rosco Plus Green on the strobes to match the flourescents. 
Painless.

A little news from the trenches.  And aren't you glad I didn't drone on
about shooting a dog biscuit catalogue last week!

donal
- -- 
Donal Philby
San Diego
http://www.donalphilby.com