Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/03/30

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Subject: Shutter Release and Human Imperfections
From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 10:56:45 -0500

At 04:50 AM 3/30/97 -0500, Patrick Sobalvarro wrote:
>I guess whenever somebody posts something about the R cameras that
>only applies to the electronic ones, one of us R6-lovers has to pipe
>up and remind people that the R6 and R6.2 are different, because
>they're mechanical.  I'll pipe up this time -- the release on the R6
>and R6.2 is instantaneous, being mechanical.  There is an
>electromagnetic release for the shutter also -- it's used with the
>motor drive, the remote release, or the self-timer, but the release
>from the shutter button is mechanical, as is the shutter itself.

Well, no, it's NOT instantaneous.  On an RF camera, the only limiting
factor between the decision by the photographer to shoot and the taking of
the picture is the human slowness of responding physically to the decision:
 the actual mechanical release is a matter of 15 milliseconds or so from
release of the shutter button to firing of the curtains.  

On an SLR, though, the mirror has to be flopped out of the way, and this
delays things substantially.

There is a fine article by the late Bob Schwalberg on this point -- it ran
in Pop around 1989 or 1990.  And Goldberg covers it in THE DARK SIDE OF THE
LENS.

Marc


Marc James Small
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