Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/02/10

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Hi from a Newbie!
From: Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 17:08:59 -0500

Bego Mario Garde wrote, in part:
>
> (BTW -- I ordered a Abrahamsson Softrelease today (i.e. sent a letter to
> him). I'm very curious, if this still will improve the outstanding results
> with available light.)
> 

The softrelease will typically let you shoot at 1 stop slower speed than
normal.  Some people squeeze two extra stops out of it, but this varies.

HOWEVER, note that there is an absolute lower limit enforced by the human
body itself.  Unless you're dead, you have a heartbeat which pushes blood
through your system.  People vary, but with me, my pulse is strong enough to
register through the fingers and as camera shake, so I cannot hold 1/4s and
even 1/8s is pushing it sometimes.

Of course, to get down to 1/4s and 1/2s, you need to brace your body, assume
a stabil position with little room for motion, relax, shoot at the end of an
exhalation and do it with the kind of Zen "I'm not squeezing the trigger"
attitude so that the shound of the shutter firing more or less comes as a
surprise.  Only exactly when you want it ;)

BTW -- great story, and welcome aboard!

M.

- -- 
Martin Howard                     | "Very funny Scotty.  Now beam down
Interactive Systems Designer      | my clothes."
email: mvhoward@mac.com           |
www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------