[Leica] Speed

[Alastair Firkin <firkin@netconnect.com.au>]

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Yesterday I picked up a roll of color prints that I shot over the
weekend.  On several occasions I missed a nice shot (a little girl
playing with a beach ball) by being too slow.   My old SLR was manual it
seems it was faster to set than the M6.  Is this just me?--or are there
some techniques I need to learn.  I try to set the exposure for the
general lighting, so all I have to do is focus at the last minute, but
I'm often off by a split second.  (I got an interesting shot of the girl
with the beach ball right in front of her face.)   I've visited many of
your websites and have seen some really "just right" action shots.  Would
love to know how you do it.
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Mary,

The M system is a difficult learning curve, especially if you try to apply
SLR rules and techniques to it. Most here would say that to even be partly
proficient, would take a year or so. I do not profess to be an expert, but
this group has stressed some things which have helped me.
Firstly, I think the SLR is slightly easier for me to focus on fast moving
subjects. Also, the central focus patch on the M6 tends to lead you to
shooting with your subject always in the centre of the image --- a very
boring look to me as most non-thinking snappers. My father had an SX70
polaroid. The focus patch was in the lower half of the screen. All his
portraits had the face in the lower half of the image. So the M is not
suited for fast action photography?

Well I think it is. I spent some time learning to judge distance [and I
practice whilst H is cooking most evenings] using an M or the IIIF, I watch
the dogs moving around and playing, estimate the distance, raise the
camera, compose and shoot on the run, then check my focus. I'm usually
pretty spot on. Occasionally, I'll do this with film, which of course is
the final test. One weekend when my niece and H's nephew were in Ballarat,
we went out with the new autofocus Leica Z2X and the IIIf. The training had
paid off, and I was much faster and accurate than the Z2x at capturing the
"moment". I'm quite proud in fact of some of the candid images I took that
day. Of course the Z2x is not an EOS1n, but then the IIIf is almost the
same size of camera, and in some ways this is a fairer comparison.

Last week, I was trying to capture the dogs at play, using the R8 ----
managed to capture the backs of their heads every time. I said to H that
this was the first time the mirror delay had been so obvious to me. The SLR
was easier to move the focus with the dogs, and it was good to be able to
keep the camera up to my eye and compose througout, but I missed the shot
;-( This weekend, I'll try again with the M.

Now there is a limitation. On the R cameras, I find I follow the action and
take the images best a little "withdrawn" so the 100mm is ideal. I cannot
pre-focus the 90 on the M with enough accuracy, so I ---- like so many M
photographers before me ---- have been force to move into the action, and
use a 35 or 50. Outside with "faster" film, this allows the use of f8 or
f11 and therefore the focus is a little less vital. I stalk subject now,
trying to emulate HCB. The camera is held hidden by my long sleaves, or
inside the flap of the jacket, I estimate the exposure using the sunny 16
rule opening a stop if the subject is "shaded". Once I've set my exposure
[if I'm using the M3 this is done with the external meter] I tend to forget
it except to "whip" open the iris a stop as mentioned. I wander the crowds,
moving the lens to its focus setting each time I see a potential subject. I
do this by "knowing" where the little tab that locks the lens into infinity
sits for 5 major distances, and I can usually do this without even looking
at the camera now. Then if the image presents itself, I raise the camera
and fire without hesitation. The composition required me to learn to see 35
and 50 mm frame lines in my minds eye. The whole thing is over so fast,
that most people have no idea that the camera was aimed at them, and even
if they do, they think I could not have taken a picture in that time. If
they are not looking at me, I will sometimes wind the camera on [how I wish
I'd bought a "rapidwinder" when the chance arose] and then chect focus and
[exposure if I'm using the M6], and if possible shoot again. The only 50
with which I cannot do this, and which requires other tactics all together
is the Noctilux, but that is a whole different story.

One last point. I spend a lot of time studying the images made with M
cameras that I like, trying to think how the image might have been created.
Many of the best are not technically perfect, so I've lowered my technical
standards a bit, and tried to raise my artistic standards a LOT, and the M
is a great teaching tool for this disipline.

Cheers


Alastair Firkin,

http://users.netconnect.com.au/~firkin/AGFhmpg.html