[Leica] Re: Helicopter Aerials - stabilizer question

["Gary Todoroff" <datamaster@humboldt1.com>]

From: Donal Philby (Gary - heard of a cheaper way to go for gyro
stabilization?)
> Really no alternative [to gyros] other than the Canon IS lenses as far as
I know.  Have you tried the Canon lenses?

I am wondering how the Canon IS would function, since the ground is moving
behind the subject, such as another aircraft in flight. Also, how would the
lens work if focusing on the ground itself, since it is moving below. Would
you "pan" the ground, and hope the IS would lock on?

> Using Ms for aerials is really nice too, since you can frame while seeing
around, but is a pain not having a zoom.  Changing lenses is not
> fun up there.

Standard equipment for me is an M6, M3 and sometimes a CL along as well.
You're right about changing lenses "up there" - so far all I have lost out
the door is a 35mm lens hood, but the usual worries about dropping something
is magnified considerably at 1000 feet!

My "big game" setup is a Hasselblad ELM with the double grip with built in
shutter release. The sports finder fits on the top of the camera, with a
tiny focus area down the tube onto the ground glass and frame lines on the
flip up yellow plastic. With the 250mm lens mounted, I feel like a door
gunner.

From the helicopter, I used the 80mm Planar to photograph St George Reef
lighthouse last week, and made an 11x17 print last night on my new Epson
1200 printer. The 6x6 neg was scanned on a service bureau's Imacon
Flextight. The color and detail are amazing - almost Cibachrome quality. I
never woulda' thunk it! There may be something to this digital darkroom
stuff after all.

But vibration is still a problem. Even at 1/500th, only one lighthouse photo
out of eight is "Leica sharp". A couple others are good, but not like the
one I printed, where you can count every brick and see every ocean ripple.
Guess I better be on the lookout for a gyro or Canon IS.

Regards,
Gary Todoroff
Tree LUGger