Re: [Leica] asking cropping advice

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

simon said:
> Thanks for the advice.
> Maybe i should stop uploading and switch to the political discussions.<<<

Simon,
No no no no!!!! Stay photo, we need a few shooter folks to keep the ship
afloat! Besides if you do that and stop posting pictures how the heck are
you going to improve? Besides your improving is far more important than the
other stuff. ;-) No matter how discouraging the comments are at times, or no
comments at other times, just do it!.

And when you're using the 15mm it can be very frustrating due to distortion
created from not squaring off the camera as you make your exposure.  A
little trick I do all the time hand holding the M and the 15 mm.

Once I have the shot lined up I want through the 15 external viewfinder on
top and have picked the absolute centre spot of the frame. I switch my eye
to the camera viewfinder and square the camera off on the same centre spot,
then line up an edge of the camera internal viewfinder with the edge of a
building or other vertically stable point.

Yep it's going to be a narrower view through the M viewfinder, doesn't
matter, as you've kept the centre point right on, therefore the 15 lens will
still cover what you saw through the 15mm external finder.

Don't look at the viewfinder rangefinder, waste of time, as the 15mm is
sharp from the tip of your nose to the darkside of the moon and beyond. Most
of the time. ;-) You are only using the internal viewfinder to line up the
camera with your centre point as seen through the 15mm viewfinder and a
vertical side frame to avoid distortion.

Then it's a simple "click!" And 99.9999% of the time everything is squared
away straight. Lining up through the camera's viewfinder also helps with
avoiding slightly forward or back tilting. It does take a wee bit of
practice but once you've got squared away a few times it becomes a piece of
cake.

I hope this helps and don't feel bad about the guy walking as it was just
one of those things that when we first look we think we have a keeper,
however on second look or more it's just one for the dumpster. Hey it
happens all the time! :-) I've lost count of the screw-ups! Besides they're
the ones that help us become better photographer's.

And most important, there are NO perfect photographers in the world! Yeah I
know there are a few clowns who think they are. ;-)

Now get out there with that 15 and do some cool shots. Hey how about an
internal of a '47 transport empty? ;-) Something like you did with a 35mm a
short time ago.
ted


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