Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/07/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: Focusing a 280 F2.8??? NOW Miro talent!
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@home.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2000 16:28:54 -0700
References: <398497FE.B76C2175@home.com> <a1.8c87492.26b5ac88@aol.com> <398497FE.B76C2175@home.com> <3.0.6.32.20000730181520.00925b30@pop.microtec.net>

Dan Cardish wrote:
> 
> Can you imagine showing up with something like the Leica RIFLE?<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Hi Dan,
Well it doesn't quite look like a rifle but it sure looks intimidating. ;-)

On a Royal tour across Canada and during the stopover in Toronto, I
stayed on the media bus, opened the hatch in the roof and stood up on
the backs of a couple of chairs. Good high angle, "clean shot" so's to
speak of Her Majesty.

So there I am concentrating on focus and timing with what appears like a
leaning rifle prone position on the roof of the bus with half my body
still inside.  I figure I've got it made with a 1.4 extender attached
using a 400 mm f4.0  giving me a very nice tight frame  of Herself right
over the heads of everyone else.

All of a sudden I'm jerked down into the bus and on the floor by a
couple of Mounties and a Scotland Yard guy!  Whew, bad scene for a
moment, particularly with the Scotland Yard guy.
Then I was face to face with a couple of mean mothers who weren't
fooling and didn't have a smile on their faces, fortunately one of the
Mounties recognized me from past VIP tours and  Parliament Hill duty in
Ottawa. Then everything cooled quickly and an RCMP Inspector said, "Ted
for God's sake get that damn shoulder thing off,  you're freaking out my Officers!!"

"Yes sir!" It came off right away. 

Then the Mounties helped me up through the roof hatch and the rest of
the tour across Canada was shoulder brace / pistol grip free. :-) 
However, I did shoot everything hand held and only lost a couple of
frames due to pushing in the media crowd. And there wasn't a sign of a
tripod nor monopod anywhere and yet there were long and longer lenses
used by media photographers.

Like 300 mm 2.8 Nikon and Canons with extenders, me with my 280 2.8 and
1.4 or 2X extenders making it 400 or 560 and even a few with extenders
coupled making an 800 mm f.8.0.  Hey it isn't easy using them in this
hand held fashion, but you gotta do what you gotta do in the real world
of photojournalism. And there isn't a photo editor in the world who'll
accept, "Gee they're not sharp because I couldn't use a mono or tripod!"
 And they do expect absolute sharp, hand held or not!

So one must use good judgment when using the shoulder brace/pistol grip
equipment for the simple reason of today's sick society and major
concerns of security forces.  I mean, there isn't  a picture in the
world worth getting blown away for simply because you didn't use common sense.
ted

In reply to: Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@home.com> (Re: [Leica] WAS: Focusing a 280 F2.8??? NOW Miro talent!)
Message from CapsTeeth@aol.com (Re: [Leica] WAS: Focusing a 280 F2.8??? NOW Miro talent!)
Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@home.com> (Re: [Leica] WAS: Focusing a 280 F2.8??? NOW Miro talent!)
Message from Dan Cardish <dcardish@microtec.net> (Re: [Leica] WAS: Focusing a 280 F2.8??? NOW Miro talent!)