Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jim: How about Grand Slalom Snowboad racing. I set up at a gate, focused at just in fron of the gate and when the snowboader hit the gate I fired the shutter. All at 400mm and F2.8. I must have ten consecutive sharp shots fron that spot. The same could be done for river racing as long as you were ashore and not moving as well. I did a Basket ball shot with a Noctilux at F1.4 zone focusing and it is sharp. As I explained to the guys with the F5's beside me while I was sitting on the floor shooting the game "Neither I nor the basket are moving so if I focus near the basket, they will be in focus when press the shutter". A Ilfochrome print of this shot has been selected for a CAPA display at Canada Camera College in Calgary next month. I used an EOS 1n for soccer pictures last night. I was using a 300 2.8 and it focused really well if you put the sensors on the subject and followed them. It did however not focus very well if for example you followed a ball that was in the air and tried to get the shot as the players butted it with their head. The cameras just don't focus quick enough for that. My hit to miss ratio on that film was only marginally better than the game I shot a few days earlier with the Leica. Links to the snowboard and Basketball shots are below. The noctilux shot is also on the noctilux page. Some of the Basketball was also shot with a 90mm Summicron and R6. http://home.istar.ca/~robsteve/photography/ciau.htm http://home.istar.ca/~robsteve/photography/ciau.htm Regards, Robert At 11:40 AM 6/7/99 -0700, you wrote: >I use zone focusing (or "snapshot settings" or "hyperfocal settings) all the >time. But it's only useful when you can have a relatively wide angle lens >(at least 35mm, better with 28mm), and can stop down to at least f8 or f11. >As the technique requires wide angle lenses, you need to be able to get >close to the subject. > >It is not a very worthwhile technique for something like white water >rafting, where you are often shooting in the 150-300mm range to get high >impact compositions. When you are shooting with ISO 100 film in a shadowy >canyon at 1/1000 sec with a 300mm lens at f2.8 or f4.0, your focusing had >better be absolutely dead-on. Under these conditions, the smallest focusing >error will squander any optical advantage the best lenses from Leica may >provide. > >--Jim > >-----Original Message----- >From: Mark Rabiner [mailto:mrabiner@concentric.net] >Sent: Monday, June 07, 1999 10:51 AM >To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >Subject: Re: [Leica] Canon really has AF figured out...BLASHPEMY? Or it >is? > > >Jim Laurel wrote: >> >> Actually, it seemed to spawn a pretty thoughful discussion. I didn't get >> any flames, which is a testament to the reasoned thinking around here. A >> few folks thought I was comparing the EOS1n to the M6. >> >> Clearly, the R8 is just not as suitable for the kind of subects I was >> working with on that trip. But when you have the time to be very >> deliberate, I have no doubt that you could acheive better results with it. >> On my upcoming Spain trip, I don't anticipate any fast action and will >have >> time to be deliberate. The Canons are staying home this time. >> >> --Jim >> >Not so Clearly, you are forgetting Jim Bricks point about Zone Focusing. >Using AF Camera's has a way of making one forget about setting up your >camera to grab a sizeable or definite hunk of space in front of you and >point and shooting away. I shot people on carnival rides this weekend >and they were moving so fast past me that even looking through the >viewfinder was not an option. We were just pointing our preset cameras >at the people whizzing by on their little chairs, etc. >White water rafting just does not sound like a lower light situation >requiring AF. >Black water rafting however under the light of the silvery moon requires >the latest in predictive AF! >Mark Rabiner > >