[Leica] AF, a FAD? Kinda!:)

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@islandnet.com>]

Peter wrote:

>Let's just say your at a ball game (football, baseball, etc.) The runner is
>off and headed in your direction at about 40 mph, with AF focus tracking I
>can lock on and take 6 shots all in focus and perfectly exposed with matrix
>metering compared to having 1 or maybe 2 images with a zone focused MF
>SLR.>>>>

Peter, Peter, Peter, :)

Not to sound too parental, but when did you ever shoot any sports? I mean
serious sports?

Now you know you only need one smashing good image and locking on with the
auto focus going a zillion miles an hour isn't going to guarantee one
smashing great photograph!

If you are a sports photographer and know what you are doing, even you
shooting six or sixty frames of a guy running at you "40 MPH?" the chances
are very very good you'll have a zillion images of extremely sharp tacky
assed in focus perfectly exposed frames.  And not any of them worth a
tiddly! Well OK , one!:)

And certainly not the one smashing great image shot by the guy using manual
focus, (remember you only need one)  who really knows the sport and the
equipment in hand.

I understand there is an "auto focus eye syndrome", every image is dead
centre to use the sensor, yes I know there are now 5 or more sensors
available in some machines, but while the guy with the auto focus half
dozen sensor is figuring out which sensor to look at,  the action is over
or "out of focus!"

I completely agree, yes from experience using auto everything Canon's,
there are times when no matter how good you are as a MF Leica photographer,
a motor driven auto-focus camera is best. But that doesn't mean the picture
will be better, it just means it'll be in focus!

A comment at the Western Canadian News Photographers Seminar last week
about autofocus... "Before using auto focus equipment on skiing races, I'd
get one or two really nice images. But once I got the AF Canon gear I got
the whole 36 frames sharp!  None of them _BETTER PICTURES_ they were just
sharp."

And if AF is such a whiz bang tool as you imply, why is it that many wire
service guys I know, turn off the "auto focus for much of what they shoot?"

>Maybe the 1 or 2 are good images, but law of averages would be in my favor
>as would be technology.>>>>>>

Now Peter, I think the only thing in averages are, you'd have 1 or 2 images
in focus and that would be the extent of your technology shooting. It
certainly wouldn't make them smashing great pictures against the Leica
experienced guy using a 400mm who really knows what the sport is all about
and that he is completely focused on the action and the image in the
viewfinder.

<<<<Now please tell me how you can focus track with a MF camera and be sure
you get all 6 images in focus.>>>>>>>

Well now how often do you really need all 6 images in focus and what nut
case photo editor would give you the page space for all 6? Wouldn't happen
and like I say.....YOU ONLY NEED ONE SMASHING GREAT IMAGE!"  And auto focus
doesn't guarantee that any time!

<<<<<BTW, most AF SLRs also have high-speed rewinding so at frame 36 I will
up and running on the next roll in about 5 seconds, will you?>>>>>

Hell no lad, I'd just swing one of the other two cameras up and keep
shooting while your high-speed whining motor was trying to race me to the
end of the roll. :)  And surprise......you'd still have to reload! :)  need
I say more? :)

Have a nice day Peter. :)

Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler.
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant