Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Julian, I would vote for the 50mm Summilux if that is to be your truly only lens, but as others have written, it does not really matter as you will be getting the other focal lengths too--you just don't know it yet (or maybe you do...). I want to comment on photographing children in the situation you describe. I have done it a lot, having a 5-year old daughter and a 10-year old son. Just this week I spent an hour in my daughter's classroom, snapping shots of her and her classmates doing various activities. In this kind of situation, forget 1/15. Five-year olds do not sit still enough. Even if you have a steady enough hand, your pictures will all be blurred due to subject movement. I was using the M3 with a Noctilux and Fuji PJ800 film. This allowed me to shoot at f1.4-f2 at 1/125 or 1/250. Had the classroom been a bit less brightly lit (the usual combination of overhead fluorescent lights and window light) I would have gone up to f1, keeping the shutter speed up. The same thing has been true when I have been taking pictures of my son's boy scout activities etc. You need to have a lens/film combination that will allow speeds of at least 1/60 and preferably faster. Nathan Julian Koplen wrote: > I agree that the eyes should be the focal point, but I just don't think I > can do it with a 35mm or 50mm R lens indoors. These are wiggly children, > ages 2-5. Maybe I've got it all wrong. Comments/helpful hints from the > group would be welcome at this point. Am I off base on this? > > I plan to re-check light levels tomorrow. Today, I was getting one or two > stops less light than what you mentioned in your message, but even if your > estimates turn out to be accurate, I don't think I can hand-hold an R camera > and get a reasonaable number of sharp pictures of unposed little children, > using 1/15 second--even though the depth of field would be wonderful. > > Thanks for your input. Every suggestion helps me in my thinking about the > task. > > And welcome (picture your message here) back. > > Julian - -- Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium General photo site: http://belgiangator.tripod.com/ Belgium photo site: http://members.xoom.com/wajsman/ Motorcycle site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/1704/