Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/28

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Real M7 discussion of lag time
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 10:27:22 -0500

First, I basically agree with your assessment that the images will not be
materially affected for most images.  I have very mixed success attempting
the fleeting moment shot which is attributed to lack of skill..  Most
ascribe success to many attempts and luck.  A few would disagree, if you
recall the HCB image of the man jumping over the puddle,  I think the time
lag would make a different image.

- -----
"Time" for a reality check -
By now it is no secret that HCB's success really had virtually NOTHING to do
with THE decisive moment - rather, it had to do with spotting a scene, or a
setting where a good photo might be expected - at least by HCB - to unfold,
and then waiting for it to unfold, and shooting the bejaysus out of it as it
unfolded. Several folks on this list have referred to seeing a documentary
about HCB in which he is seen "dancing" around a subject, shooting,
shooting, shooting, and shooting. And documentary photographer Eugene
Richards, who was a Magnum member for a number of years, has told
participants in at least one of his workshops that as a Magnum member he had
a chance to look through HCB contact sheets, and saw that the "decisive
moments" were extracted from often dozens of shots.

None of this is meant to deny, etc., HCB's enormous talent. It is simply to
point out that the importance of the question of milliseconds of shutter lag
may be pretty meaningless in terms of real world photography. Yes, when one
is talking about fast moving sports photography, milliseconds may count -
but then I would contend that anyone shooting competitively in that realm
today who is not using a high-speed motor drive is in serious trouble to
begin with.

B. D.

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