Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Lawrence Zeitlin offered: Subject: [Leica] Re: Shutter lag Hi Larry, I'm going to try to answer your questions or respond to comments as they come up in red. > Sorry Harrison, but I used to cover hockey and basketball for the Boston > Globe in the '50s. That's when we used 4x5 Speed Graphics and 25 lb. > Strobotron flashes, not wimpy Leicas.<<<< So what's new, all of us who shot for newspapers back in those days that was the equipment of the day! And I still shot football,soccer, hockey and pro basketball, accept it was strobe lit or flash filled. I didn't think any differently in handling the gear then than I do today, only that camera's of today are smaller, lighter and quicker to use while not requiring the big heavy strobe packs with wet cell battery power. > I also shot pro bono pictures of college soccer. But all those sports > have something in common. If you know the sport, you can predict the > photo opportunities and act accordingly. <<< Actually if one dosen't know the sport one shouldn't be shooting it if you are a professional. However, there isn't anything from shooting any sport and learning what it's about developing your own method of shooting. Neither do you follow the pack mentality of everyone else because you lose the individualism of your photographs. If everybody is on the sunny side......... you go to the other! Or find a better angle and shoot their ass off! ;-) >You simply build reaction time and camera shutter lag into your >anticipation process.<<< You mean to tell me you even thought about this in the '50's? "Shutter lag? Hell I never new there was such a thing until I was on the LUG several years ago as a topic. And I didn't have a clue what the hell they were talking about. It's never been in my thoughts at anytime in my life. I see-shoot and that's it! Regardless of the numbers. Other than when I'm playing with the grandson's digi cam and yes I know what you mean about "shutter lag." It sucks! But it never enters my thoughts simply because I don't use any camera that has a lag worth being in my thoughts at any time .But there are ways to beat it to some degree. Story for another day. ;-) > As for prefocusing, you have two options. For manual focusing cameras, > you can prefocus on the action zone or you can focus on an area of the > arena and wait until the action moves into that area. I defy anyone to > follow focus on a sport like soccer, especially if you are on the > sidelines and the play is moving toward you. I know I can't.<<<<<<<< I suppose the only thing to say here is.. "just because you can't doesn't mean some of us can and do":-) Follow focusing is quite easy and I've done that throughout my career. Still do when I shoot R8 and the 400mm or whatever long glass I'm using. The only time I beat myself doing manual focusing is when I use one of the autofocus lenses for the Canon. Damn it's fast! ;-) Heck there's even a trick of making autofocus work faster much like follow focusing.... just follow your subject and constantly touch tap very lightly on the shutter release popping the autofocus along withthe moving subject & everything's in focus. I do believe some of the top end DSLR's have follow focus through the autofocus system? > Still, no one has answered my question about what percentage of success > those great action shots represent. One of the best baseball > photographers I knew used a Hulcher sequence camera to get pictures of > Ted Williams at his peak. He would routinely run through 100 feet of > film, 800 shots. to get the few sensational pictures that ran in the > sports pages.< My average has always been about 10% are the major keepers. That doesn't mean the other 90% are trash, most times they're quite useable but not as perfect as they should be. And within that 10% you always hope to find a couple of diamonds. Quite normal really 10%. It doesn't matter whom the photographer is. By the same token no matter how good someone is, or worse think they are.....SOMETIMES NONE ARE FOUND! :-( Dang I hate having to use a second choice! ;-) > And Ted, you need no support for those great pictures<<< Thank you most kindly Sir. > But I suspect that you are so capable and experienced that you have > forgotten how hard it is for we photo neophytes to internalize the skills > that you spent a lifetime developing. You might not have to think about > clicking the shutter and making an outstanding picture, but I know that I > have to spend precious seconds in the decision process. Peace.<<< Quite frankly I know at times I make it sound so simple about re-acting and seeing, then blurt out some dumb ass thing at what I perceive as ... "what is this idiot thinking? Why can't he understand how easy this is?" Then it comes to mind ..... "Well your the idiot because you've done this for over half a century it's easier than breathing because it's completely in your blood! ... lighten up on these guys!" But never stop teaching them! However, I do try to make it easier..... sometimes with what might be perceived as a smack across the head, but my comments are always made with good intentions. But this is the internet and words don't always come out in the manner sitting across the table with a tea or a beer! :-) In response to a previous post on "action - re-action" I thought folks might like these. :-) http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/095+PM+Pierre+Trudeau+sliding+down+railing+.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/1988+Summer+Olympics_001.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/A+close+one_.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/Diver+Barcelona+Olympics.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/Horse+dumping+rider+_71.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/STOCK-CAR+2++FLIPjpg_.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/BUCKING+BRONC+_amp_+RIDER.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/leicated/Wave+back+splash-STAY+WITH+THE+ACTION.jpg.html ted. .