Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/06

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] M7 vs M3 "lag time" -- How can we find out somerealnumbers?
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 05:29:38 -0700
References: <BB55ED0D.2B443%mlquinn.mail@earthlink.net>

Mike Quinn explained:
>>> It's the same with choices of camera gear. The differences in lag times
are
> important. You can ignore them and still make good pictures, but knowing
> that some gear takes a long time to record the image affects the way that
> you work and the results that you get.<<<

Hi Mike,
But I never knew any of this stuff until it started to appear on the LUG. In
my life as a photojournalist I've not ever related to these kinds of things
and I've either been the luckiest shooter in the world in not knowing it and
yet capturing some very compelling moments in sports, wild life and people.

So reading about it and obviously it appears it's a big deal for some folks,
I just can't fathom what the heck the big deal is knowing it.

I understand what Doug Herr said when he explained about the effect of LAG
in the type of photography he's a master at. But if one never knew that
"release lag existed" and still captured award winning moments does it make
any difference knowing it or not knowing it?

> Well Ted, you're lucky that shutter lag has never lost you an image in
your
> long and rewarding career. (Luck is an extremely useful photographic
> accessory). <<<<

I suppose so, but it's always been my understanding that "one makes their
own luck." What ever that means.

> But could you have built the equipment you used for the last 52 years?
> The people who did build it were concerned about the "number stuff".<<<

That's true but we're not designing  /building cameras, we're using them to
take photographs. I realize what you're saying and I'd be curious about lag
and mirror return and all that kind of stuff if I were building a camera.
However, that isn't what we're talking about.

I suppose my point is, that not knowing this information and have the
successful career I do, does it really make such a big deal that some folks
make of it?

Excluding Doug Herr because I know exactly what he means in his work. But
photographing people in photojournalism coverage of disasters, war and the
likes of every day living and dying? Does it make any difference and is it
so important to know that one must know it, to be a successful photographer?

> Still, I think you'd agree that the time difference is important to
someone
> trying to decide whether to use a brush or a camera.<<<

Possibly so, but I think it's far more important to have the "feeling in
your gut" to capture a motivational moment than knowing the
multi-milli-second of a lagtime.

ted



- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

Replies: Reply from Daniel Ridings <daniel.ridings@muspro.uio.no> (Re: [Leica] Haze and the Leica Tenderfoot)
Reply from "Gary Williams" <nasmformyzombie@mindspring.com> ([Leica] Haze and the Leica Tenderfoot)
Reply from JCB <jcb@visualimpressions.com> ([Leica] Re: M7 vs M3 "lag time")
In reply to: Message from Mike Quinn <mlquinn.mail@earthlink.net> (Re: [Leica] M7 vs M3 "lag time" -- How can we find out some realnumbers?)