Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Just been looking through some of the photos referenced in the last digest. While looking at Neal's sunflowers, it hit me (the question, not the sunflower). How do you rangefinder people know the appropriate f-stop to use to get the DOF you want? I know there is a DOF scale, but that doesn't tell you how a particular background will react to a given f-stop. Do you take many photos at different stops and choose the best????? Is it just experience? I am constantly using the DOF preview button on my SLR's. On my old Rollei SL-35 it was a must. Stopped down metering, while a pain in some low light situations, really allowed you to preview all your photos DOF because when you pressed the meter button, the lens had to stop the lens down to make the meter reading. On my R4 and R8, it is a bit less convenient. Pressing the DOF previw actually messes up the metering, so it makes an additional step. Meter, then check DOF, then perhaps meter again and take picture. Or use aperture priority and check DOF. With the Rollie, it was all done in one step, then take the picture. I wonder why cameras with DOF previews do not lock the meter reading when the DOF button is engaged??? Anyway, I have always thought that f-stop is more important than shutter speed in most situations, and pass this on to my students. I had a friend, and great photographer, visit my class once many years ago and he told the class he was going to teach them how to take pictures fast. I cringed a bit. Then he expounded. The FAST rule is Focus, Aperture, Shutter, Take your time. I had never heard this rule at that time, and I have used it in my class ever since (25 years). Thanks, and thanks to all those who post pictures even in these turbulent LUG times. Pictures are what it is all about. Aram This message is made of 100% recycled electrons. No new atoms were destroyed in making it. Aram Langhans Science Teacher, Naches High School 101 W. 5th. St / P. O. Box 159 Naches, WA 98937 "Science Rules" - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html