[Leica] Would Ted Be Jealous? NOW 4 CAMERAS :-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

John Black asked and wondered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Would Ted Be Jealous?

>> 3 bodies I can see, but 4???  Maybe he had different kinds of film in
> some.

> Sorry, I wasn't clear... I see there are 4 cameras, I was musing that I
> can't imagine why he would NEED 4 cameras.<<<

Hi John,
Well it depends on the assignment you are covering, whether you have to
shoot colour and B&W. How you approach the assignment, what's called for and
any number of other things. And in this case it appears to be a motor car
race and he's working the scene to death for every angle he can squeeze out
of it. Certainly if it's for a magazine then hundreds and hundreds of frames
are shot to make the final layout. And you can not be fooling around
changing lenses.

Maybe he's like me... I hate having to re-load film any more times than I
have to or change lenses in the heat of the shoot. On many an assignment
similar in nature as this chap, I've worked with three M's off my neck,  2
motor driven R's off the left shoulder and a third on the right shoulder.
All with various focal lengths. In other words you cover yer butt from 15mm
to a 280mm and a couple of extenders in your pockets, "just in case!":-)

Now obviously you do not load up like this for every assignment, however it
is the assignment that dictates how you will cover it, what gear you use and
or how many cameras you will require. Sometimes it's just ones own style of
working if you like, being comfortable that you wont miss something.

Besides when you shoot in this fashion you do not haul one of those
humongous equipment bags off your shoulder because you've everything right
there to use in the blink of an eye and not digging around in a bag head
down and missing photos.

I've said for years I'd much rather have a sore back and neck at the end of
the day than miss a key picture because I didn't have the right lens at
precisely the right moment the picture happens.  It's being a good Boy Scout

By the same token on more than one occasion I've had one M on the shoulder
and that's it! :-) Much nicer by the way without all the weight! :-)

ted