RE: [Leica] Ted vs "lag time"

["bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

These days we seem to forget that many of the iconic sports photos were
taken years, if not decades before the advent of the motor drive. That
said, today's good sports photographers do not, as Frank suggested,
simply blast away and hope for the best. Yes, they fire bursts, but
they, like Ted and those who favor the "single-action Colt" method of
shooting, go for the peak moment and get what they get because they know
the sport, the teams, the players, and are good at what they do.

B. D.

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Ted Grant
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 9:47 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Ted vs "lag time"


frank theriault asked:
> Hi, Ted,
>
> Since you mention sports photographs, let me ask you, in most cases 
> are
you
> taking a few frames of an event, trying to capture the perfect moment?

> Or
are
> you simply following the action with your camera with your motor drive
pounding
> out as many frames per second as possible?
>
> It seems that most sports PJ's are doing the latter, figuring that in 
> a 10 second 100 meter dash, they'll have at least one keeper (or more
importantly,
> one to publish) out of 80 shots taken in that race.  If that's the way

> one photographs a sports event, then shutter lag isn't really an 
> issue, is it?
>
> If you really are aiming at the "ultimate peak" in action, I wonder if
you're in
> the minority among sports photographers.
>
> Or am I completely wrong here?<<<<<

Hi Frank,
I'm in the  minority, as I follow along and as the peak is beginning to
happen I shoot one frame when it does! And if necessary I follow along
letting the motor pick up the aftermath of whatever happens.

Motor drives, as much an asset as they are for sports, can also be the
worse thing invented for shooting them. Many of the younger lads and
lasses rely on the machine gun effect of letting the motor rip off 8-10
frames a second, sounds cool, but a hell of a waste of film.

What happens in far more cases than not, the motor actually misses the
"peak moment" while changing frames. Yes even at 8-10 frames a sec!

If one is a practiced sports shooter you know the sport and the moment
where best action usually happens, therefore you're prepared and follow
the athlete leading up to where it should happen, if it looks good,
"click!" Then the motor can be used to follow through with the post
action if any.

However, that still doesn't mean one squeezes off an AK47 burst of
frames, a total waste of film, period!

I use the motor as a quick advancing of my re-actions to the action and
each one of those exposures are one frame at a time or my finger tip
twitching at what I'm motivated by and not blasting away.

Old guys like me shot sports with 4X5 Speed Graphic's or Graflex's one
sheet at a time long before motor drives were thought of, so it helps
having that experience of good reflects to the action of the happening.
In many cases I believe sports photographers' must have equal or better
re-action to athletes' action than the athletes themselves.

I know lots of people think all we do is stand on the sidelines and
blast away with motor drives and it's a piece of cake shooting sports.
Can't any idiot with an all auto everything camera do it? I suppose some
shoot like that, but I like to point out, " I use Leica manual focus
cameras with a motordrive for rapidly advancing the film at "my
discretion to the action I'm re-acting to." And not wildly blasting away
wasting a ton of film!

Response is usually, "Oh! That must be hard then."

ted








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