Re: Motors, Winders, Handgrips, & Tripods

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

At 10:26 AM 8/8/97 -0700, Patrick wrote:
>At 08:56 AM 8/8/97 -0400, Richard Clompus wrote:
>
>>If I was going to get a motor for the R 6.2, would fellow LUGers recommend
>>the winder or the motor?  Since I plan to use it for along time, the cost
>>difference between the two is not significant.  I do not have to take lots
>>of action shots but do use the camera on a copy stand a lot for macro work.
>
>I use a Motor R4 on my R6.2 for macro work.  I bought it second-hand; it had
>been advertised as a winder and turned out to be a motor.  I occasionally
>leave it on the camera when I take non-macro photographs, because the
>handgrip feels good and it's nice not to have to wind on the next frame.
>I probably also leave it on because the Motor R4 has a design flaw that you
>would be well-advised to avoid: the handgrip interferes with the attachment
>of a strap to the body.  You have to attach it to the motor handgrip.  This
>means that attaching and removing the handgrip from the body takes a minute
>and a half or so and is generally a pain in the butt.  I understand that the
>Motor R does not have this design flaw.
>
>I wouldn't care about this if I felt I needed the drive in normal shooting,
>but I don't -- I really prefer it only for macro, where winding a frame
>manually can move the camera around and mess up framing.
>
>Incidentally, I have never felt I needed 4fps.  I'd happily trade my Motor R4
>with its 4fps drive for a Winder R with its more-easily-removed handgrip.
>

Richard, Patrick,

Just so interested people don't get the wrong impression, the handgrip IS
NOT part of the Motor or Winder. It is a separate accessory. As I said
earlier, my R cameras always have the winders attached, but I have never
owned a handgrip. I have Really Right Stuff Arca 2-way plates on the bottom
of the winders which slips into an Arca quick release on my tripods. My
photography is 90% tripod based. Probably closer to 99%. So a handgrip
would just be in my way.

A few days ago, there was a discussion about making large display prints
from 35mm (vs MF). Everyone should realize that hand holding a camera at
anything less than perhaps 1000th sec shutter speed will result in reduced
image quality. And to use those very fast speeds, you cannot use fine grain
(slow) film. So a tripod is of extreme importance if your goal is to
produce large gallery style display prints.

I read an article that states "each heart beat creates a body motion of 0.2
mm (200 microns). A lens that can resolve 100 lpm, drops to 78 lpm at a 200
micron movement at 1/250 sec shutter speed. A 22% loss. Hand held tests of
a 50mm Nikkor show a very noticeable loss of resolution even at 1/500 sec.
The bottom line is that a tripod ALWAYS improves quality." Not my words,
but my belief. Therefore, when not acting like a tourist, I use a tripod.
But I don't do "street" photography or reportage, which, of course, is not
synonymous with tripod use.

Jim