Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/07

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Ted vs "lag time"
From: frank theriault <knarf.theriault@sympatico.ca>
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 17:27:21 -0400
References: <BB57C024.268A%steve@streetphoto.net>

Hi, Steve,

I used to take motorsports shots back in the early 70's - I think these were around
'73 or '74 at Mosport near Toronto, back when they had the F1 races there:

http://www.urbancaravan.com/images/perkins_car.jpg

http://www.urbancaravan.com/images/elf.jpg

Not as dramatic as yours, to be sure (great shot, btw!), but hell, I was around 17,
shooting with a Praktica and a Soligor  200mm and 300mm.  Whether your "dumbing
down" comment is accurate, I don't know.  As a relative neophyte, pre-focusing,
getting the exposure all set, and anticipating a car's arrival to where I
pre-focused wasn't that tough.  Mind you, if one out of 10 shots turned out, I was
happy.

These ones may not be spectacular, but I'd say they're competent, anyway.  And, were
I shooting more than 360 frames in a weekend, and had press access, I'd say I could
do a damn sight better.  But, that's another story altogether...  <vbg>

regards,
frank

Steve LeHuray wrote:

> ...well Frank, I do not know how you or Ted does sports action shots, the
> way I use to do it 30 years ago was with two Nikon F bodies and two lenses,
> a 50mm and a 200mm. No auto-focus, no motor drive, no program modes. Had
> hundreds of photos like this published:
>
> http://www.streetphoto.net/images/im130.jpg
>
> Back when I took this picture of 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini at
> the Daytona 200 1974, sports photography was a craft that had to be learned.
> You had to learn how to expose and learn manual focus. You had to learn how
> to compose because you were not going to get many chances to make the shot.
> It was a challenge compared to today's high-end, bloated point-'n-shoot
> high-end Pro SLRs. I know that if I say that there has been a massive
> 'dumbing-down' of photographers in the last 30 years I will upset a lot of
> people, but there, I said it anyway.
>
> sl
>
> sl
> >
> > Ted Grant wrote:
> >
> >> Hello David,
> >> I don't doubt that for a moment, however I don't re-call it ever being
> >> something of concern simply because I never knew it existed until I heard
> >> people with digi cams mention something about lag between tripping the
> >> shutter and the picture being taken.
> >>
> >> Which I took to mean a failing with digital cameras. End of thought about
> >> lag.  UNTIL!  Oops, it happens with a Leica? Well gee whiz eh, it never
> >> happened to me. Or I believed so, maybe!
> >>
> >> However, what I still can't understand is, if it's such a big topic, OK
> >> certainly with el-cheapo digi cams and some P&shoots, that it's never been a
> >> high ticket item of using cameras until I start reading it on the LUG from
> >> concerned folks.
> >>
> >> I'm not trying to be a nerd here, I just can't get overly excited over
> >> something that in 50 plus years I'd never known about and yet still been a
> >> successful sports photographer. I suppose in one's wildest imagination I may
> >> have missed the "ultimate peak" action of a Carl Lewis or Ben Johnson, or
> >> who knows. But what I did capture were still award winning photographs
> >> without any knowledge of "lag time." Obviously not all of them, but a fair
> >> number.
> >>
> >> Now if I should ever go digital, not likely, I am now fully aware of this
> >> lag factor folks have explained. And to those who've coped with me during
> >> the past 24 hours trying to get lag through my head as a real thing to
> >> understand, I thank you for your patience.
> >>
> >> And once again the "old dog" has learned a new trick or two.
> >> ted
> >>
>
> --
> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

- --
"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist fears it
is true." -J. Robert
Oppenheimer


- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

In reply to: Message from Steve LeHuray <steve@streetphoto.net> (Re: [Leica] Ted vs "lag time")