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

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

Subject: Re: [Leica] More on lag measurement
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2003 20:32:50 -0700
References: <D1258ED0-CA0E-11D7-8195-000393802534@mac.com>

> LRZeitlin@aol.com wrote:
> > > You don't even have to use film. The flash will illuminate the
> > position of the marble and you or your friend will be able to mark how
far it has
> > dropped on the meter stick. [...] This simple test is about as accurate
as they
> >come.<<<<<<

Martin Howard responded::
> Again, accuracy is not the issue -- validity is.  Like so much
> experimental psychology, for the purpose that you are trying to use
> these results, this experiment is simple, elegant, accurate, and almost
> totally irrelevant.
>
> Pretty much the only case where a photographer is facing this kind of
> task is trying to catch the very first motion of a swimmer diving off
> the platform, or a sprinter's first push out of the blocks.  But even
> in *those* cases (reaction to stimuli without preceeding rhythmic or
> timing context) you're typically interested in action that takes place
> slightly later: the swimmer's hands breaking the water's surface, or
> the runner with one foot in the blocks, the other on the ground, and
> leg extended.  So, again, it's about timing: stimuli -- beat -- shutter
> release.
>
> For the very vast majority of photography, adding a 200 ms human
> reaction time to whatever the camera's shutter lag may be is completely
> meaningless in any sense other than the mathematical one.<<<<

Hi Martin,
In simple words, those of us who have whatever it is to capture the start
with one foot in the block and the other in first stride happens simply
because.... "we don't think about it!" We just do it!

The previous poster "LRZeitlin" may have all the good intentions in the
world with his mathematical figures, numbers and technical bull shit, but
the bottom line comes down to being there, feeling it and shooting with
instinct emotion and not some stupid Mickey mouse set of techie numbers.

Man some people just don't understand what re-actions and real life shooting
are all about.
They're only interested in dumb ass tests and numbers that are meaningless
in real life compared to actually doing it in the heat of the stadium with
thousands of yelling and screaming spectators.

This is really a stupid go no where topic and we've had some beauties, but
this one gets the golden ring! ;-)
ted



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

Replies: Reply from frank theriault <knarf.theriault@sympatico.ca> (Re: [Leica] More on lag measurement)
In reply to: Message from Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com> (Re: [Leica] More on lag measurement)