Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/01/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Jan 30, 2010, at 6:48 PM, Aram Langhans wrote: >> * I cheated when I timed the exposure lag of my Oly E-500 several years >> ago. >> I simply photographed the face of a 1/100 second electric timer. An >> assistant started the timer. When I saw the hand start to move, I clicked >> the shutter. The exposure lag (reaction time plus shutter lag) varied >> between .35 and .45 seconds. Certainly not instantaneous. In this time a >> baseball thrown by a mediocre pitcher would have traveled about 3/4 of the >> distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate. Three examples of this >> measurement of exposure lag are:* >> >> * > I have used the ruler drop for 35 years as a teacher not so much to > measure reaction time but to show how to design an experiment to account > for variables and use statistics to analyze the data. A great method and > I am sure it works (I trust gravity). However, the question is: exactly > what is it showing you about the initial question. Does it really predict > the actual reaction when taking a photo. You mentioned the pitcher > throwing a baseball. I have taken many photos of my nephew when he played > baseball. Of course, so have many other photographers. How could this be > if the ball is already to the plate? Of course, a photographer > anticipates. They take their past experience and press the shutter to get > the shot they want. No one just reacts, because if they do they will miss > the photo no matter how fast the camera is (shutter lag). Even if it was > instantaneous. HBC had to anticipate the decisive moment. W/o > anticipation, there would be no decisive moment. So, the whole system > must be considered, as you do in your test. The skill is in anticipating > the decisive moment, not reacting to it. > In your example, to catch the pitch, you must hit the shutter 0.4 seconds > before you see the pitch. perfect Aram...I agree... likewise for the catcher... :-) Steve > > Aram > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information