Re: [Leica] It's the lens, stupid.

[Harrison McClary <harrison@mcclary.net>]

>AF turns serious photographic instruments into point and shoots.
>Shooters do not have to learn the technique of zone focusing.
>The fact that the general perception is that autofocus is something that
>can be not lived without is going to be hard to break. And it becomes
>more entrenched as it hits the medium format world where I feel it has a
>real need.

Mark,

AF does not turn "serious photographic instruments into point and 
shoots".  Just because the camera is capable of predictive AF and capable 
of out focusing a good photographer a high percentage of the time in no 
way makes it easy to shoot sports with an AF system.

First the photographer must still be able to capture the height of the 
action with good composition in a manner that tells the story of the 
game.  Anyone who thinks this is easy has never tried doing it.

Second to be able to shoot sports using AF requires a photographer to 
TOTALLY rethink the way he works.  I know, I have been shooting sports 
for the past 12 years including some of the top events in sports in the 
USA (Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA Championship games, major golf 
tourneys..ect) and learned to shoot sports using manual focus lenses and 
cameras.  Even though I have the EOS system I still prefer manual focus 
for my long glass because it works the way I shoot.  I am totally keyed 
into what I am shooting...total concentration on the image and action in 
the finder...keeping the focus on my subject is automatic and transparent 
to me.  With AF I would have to be aware on where the sensor is in 
relation to the subject and alter my composition accordingly.  Also would 
have to worry about people in the foreground and other things that would, 
for me, get in the way of making the best sports photo possible.  In 
other words, for me, to use the AF would require more work, and be more 
tedious than the manual focus way.  I personally know of several top 
sports shooters who work the same way I do...using the AF for what it is 
best those grab shots where you do not have time to set down the long 
glass and set up you short lens to catch the action...with the EOS 1n and 
70-200 I can get photos with one hand I used to miss...this is what the 
AF is best at for me.

Does not matter how fancy dancy the cameras get it will always be the 
"eye" behind the camera that makes the image and the more that eye 
understands light, composition and the basics the better the resulting 
image will be.

Harrison McClary
email: harrison@mcclary.net
http://www.mcclary.net
preview my book: http://www.volmania.com