Re: [Leica] Trade off between film and lens speed

[Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>]

Michael Gerard wrote:
>> I try to shoot at 1/60 or above, though I'll go down to
> 1/30--but that's pushing it. <<<

Hi Michael,
The important part is... at least you try and make it work. Some folks just
wave off any shooting slower than 1/125, they can't get sharp frames and
that's true at times and conditions. However, if they never try or work to
improve their camera handling or learning how to steady their body or
elbows, they'll always shoot unsharp pictures. Or worse loose beautiful and
endearing moments of life in the family or of friends.

For me it's always important to try! If we don't try how do we ever learn we
can do?

The worst that will happen while trying are a few lost frames. But trying is
far more important than not trying at all. I bet with a little practice
you'd find hand holding for those quiet intimate moments of your daughter
when she's engrossed in something and not moving and the light level is low,
you could shoot at 1/15th. :-)   And wide open. ;-) Give it a try sometime
you might be pleasantly surprised. ;-)

>>Since I've been shooting small groups more than individual shots, I
> haven't wanted to shoot wide open--I don't have enough depth of field to
get
> more than one face in reasonable focus in candid shots.  So I stop down
the
> lens a few stops--usually around f/5.6.  That means using faster film.  I
> love Fuji Neopan 1600 for indoor or twilight work--I shoot at 1200, and
have
> liked the results.  <<<<

I've become quite taken with Neopan and XTOL  @ 1:3 while shooting the
medical women project under varying low light levels. We're getting
beautiful 11X14 prints and the grain is meaningless.

In your comment
>>I've been shooting small groups more than individual shots, I
> haven't wanted to shoot wide open--I don't have enough depth of field to
get
> more than one face in reasonable focus in candid shots.  So I stop down
the
> lens a few stops--usually around f/5.6.<<<

That's common sense use of film and camera operation as the "assignment"
dictates a reasonable depth of field to cover the faces and bodies in the
group. And quite frankly under similar conditions of subject I'd work
exactly the same.

Regardless of what we say on the LUG about how we shoot, it still comes down
to the assignment dictates what can and can't be done for a successful
shoot. I mean it's all well and good for some of us to come on and say
"shooting wide open etc etc." is the cat's meow for great results. However,
as you pointed out, one wouldn't do that shooting a group of folks. It might
be dangerous to ones health if the pictures didn't turn out. ;-)

Many of the comments we see have to be tempered with a grain of salt and the
beauty of common sense in how we shoot anything. And what works for one or
two may not work at all for a half dozen. Applying what we learn, and in my
case in the past half dozen? years of being on the LUG I've learned a ton of
stuff. But anything I've read and thought was interesting as an improvement,
I've tried.

As far as buying used, nothing wrong with that anytime, as quite often
that's where the bargains are. And I think why pros buy new in many cases is
because when we know there's a lens we need for a successful shoot, we can't
wait for a used bargain to come along. Therefore we go new.

But then we are making our living with these tools and "good tools" can make
for a better shoot. I.E.: the M7 for example. ;-)

ted






















> Peter,
>     I really enjoy the interesting questions you raise.  With my limited
> experience, I can't hope to raise all of the intriguing questions that
many
> fellow LUGgers can, but here's what I generally do.
>     Like you, I can't afford any of the really fast lenses, and I buy
used.
> That said, my friends with cameras think all of my lenses are fast,
including
> my Elmarit.  I try to shoot at 1/60 or above, though I'll go down to
> 1/30--but that's pushing it.  However, since I received so much good
advice
> on the LUG regarding camera shake and improved my technique, I've found
that
> my hands are reasonably steady, and if my daughter isn't terribly revved,
I
> can shoot at 1/30.




Doesn't seem too grainy to me, but I don't do a lot of
> enlargements.
>     Just my .02.  I'd love to hear what others think.  Your conversation
with
> Ted really piqued my interest.
> Regards,
> Michael Gerard
> geeman1066@earthlink.net
>
>
>
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