Re: [Leica] Thanks!! OT Nikon F5

["Bryan Caldwell" <bcaldwell@softcom.net>]

A great deal of the "look" of Capa's D-Day pictures comes from the fact that
an overzealous darkroom technician left them too long in the film dryer and
melted the emulsions - leaving most of them unprintable. This would have
happened regardless of what camera he was using.

Bryan


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2000 12:26 PM
Subject: RE: [Leica] Thanks!! OT Nikon F5


> Aw, come on...THE Life photographer at Omaha Beach, Robert Capa, got some
> iconic images - but I would argue that they are iconic images precisely
> because they came from the early hours of Omaha Beach...to argue that he
> wouldn't have done infinitely better - under those circumstances - if he
> could have kept the cameras dry enough - with a couple of F5s  or EOS1nVs
> and wide aperture AF zoom lenses, is ludicrous on its face. Yes, manual
> focus cameras are wonderful tools. Yes, Leica rangefinders are wonderful
> tools. But some tools are better for some sorts of photography than other
> tools. And on Omaha Beach, an autofocus, motordriven, matrix metered, tool
> that would let the photographer simply concentrate on making the image and
> saving his skin, would have been INFINITELY better.
>
> 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 Robert
> > Stack
> > Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2000 10:28 AM
> > To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Thanks!! OT Nikon F5
> >
> >
> > Greetings Simon.
> > I think you answered your own questions.  Before computers in
> > cameras,autofocus and motor drives, photographers measured the light,
made
> > exposure decisions, pre focused, etc.  I don't think there were too many
> > problems that the Life photographers on Omaha beach couldn't
> > overcome using
> > their manually operated cameras while dodging all forms of nasty
> > stuff from
> > the enemy above.  Not the same as photographing a fast lion, I grant
you,
> > but tough to do nonetheless.  And they succeeded brilliantly!
> > Bob
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Simon Lamb" <s_lamb@compuserve.com>
> > To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> > Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2000 5:33 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Leica] Thanks!! OT Nikon F5
> >
> >
> > > Uwe
> > >
> > > OK, so that I can understand how non AF people operate is fast action,
> > what are
> > > your (and the groups) opinion on this.
> > >
> > > You are tracking a lioness stalking a hers of wildebeest and
> > you know that
> > you
> > > are going to see a high speed hunt in action. Suddenly the lioness
> > accelerates
> > > and gives chase, dodging this way and that as a single young
wildebeest
> > tries to
> > > evade capture.  The action is happening realtime and sometimes
> > the animals
> > are
> > > passing behind trees.
> > >
> > > Do you use your super SLR with predictive AF, focus lock-on so that
you
> > don't
> > > refocus when the action goes behind obstacles, colour metering
> > so you can
> > forget
> > > about exposures as they will be spot on and high shutter speeds
because
> > you has
> > > 400 film in the camera and don't have time to change rolls.  You get
36
> > frames of
> > > action captured in about 4 seconds, five seconds to change to new
film,
> > and off
> > > again.
> > >
> > > OR
> > >
> > > M6 or R8 rangefinder/manual focus camera with none of the above.
> > >
> > > Now, don't shoot me down in flames.  As I have said, my new M6 is
great
> > and I
> > > love it but it is not the tool for the job IMHO for the scenario
above.
> > My F5
> > > is.  So, as so many have said before, the picture counts and I know
what
> > will
> > > give me the best chance of getting it.
> > >
> > > I would be interested in finding out how others with M6 or R8 would
> > approach this
> > > situation.  I know that many have said they were sports action photogs
> > before AF
> > > existed, so I would be interested to learn of any techniques that
could
> > work in
> > > this type of scenario.
> > >
> > > Simon
> > >
> > > Uweflammer@aol.com wrote:
> > >
> > > > <<If you don't need AF on your rangefinder system why would
> > you need it
> > on
> > > > your
> > > > SLR system?>>
> > > >
> > > > According to my experience, AF only makes sense if i can see
> > what the AF
> > is
> > > > doing, and so i need the SLR focusing screen to see this. This was
the
> > reason
> > > > why i did not by a Contax G2, although this system is well made and
is
> > sold
> > > > for a reasonable price.
> > > >
> > > > Best regards
> > > > Uwe
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>