Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/03

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Subject: RE: [Leica] AF, a FAD?
From: Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>
Date: Mon, 03 May 1999 19:31:29 -0200

At 10:36 AM 03/05/99 -0700, you wrote:

>As to your comment, nice attempt to try and put me in my place. 

        I gotta try :^)

> Now please
>tell me how you can focus track with a MF camera and be sure you get all 6
>images in focus. 

   ....by using my left hand to rotate the barrel of my lens.

     Second...  I don't need 6 frames of someone running towards me. When
shooting sports, I need the key action shot.  If you know the sport you kow
where that action will take place.  While you are taking pictures of a guy
running, I am thinking ahead, watching the action and focusing on where his
"running" will end up in peak action.... like the collision at home plate or
the second plate double play throw.

        The last serious amount of "action" photography I did (not including
oil well blowouts, aircraft aerobatics, air to air aircraft shoots or other
NON-sports action photography) was F-1 motor racing for various magazines.
A whole season with four Nikon F-3's, manual focus lenses from 20mm to
300/2.8 and KODACHROME 25!  I did just fine and got paid very well for my
efforts.

I think my point is that KNOWING what to photograph (and how to do it) is
more important then a whole lot of sharp frames of less exciting action. 

At the Barcelona Olympics, Dave Burnett of Contact Press Images used a
MAMIYA 6! for God's sake.... never mind AF, he didn't even have a motor
drive! ...and his photos are some of the most striking sports images I've
ever seen.

> BTW, most AF SLRs also have high-speed rewinding so at
>frame 36 I will up and running on the next roll in about 5 seconds, will
>you?
>
>Peter K

        While you are reloading your camera, I have picked up of my other
bodies and continued shooting.....

Don't let your equipment get in the way of a good photo. The human decision
making process is more important to making good photographs then technology.
If you know WHEN to push the shutter button your are %95 of the way to a
good photograph.

...in a Whrrrrrr Free Zone,


Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>                               
St. John's, Newfoundland. 
http://www.straylight.ca/locke
- ----------------------------------
TOUCHED BY FIRE: doctors without borders in a third world crisis.
McClelland & Stewart Canada.  ISBN#0-7710-5305-3 
http://www.straylight.ca/touchedbyfire.htm