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

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Photographic reaction time
From: "Ted Bayer" <tedbayer@charter.net>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2003 20:46:23 -0700
References: <861E7358-C9EC-11D7-8195-000393802534@mac.com> <008001c35e07$17a6df60$87d86c18@gv.shawcable.net>

Ted:

Do please be careful when you do your practice by the side of the road.  As
you look through the viewfinder, please remember what is written on many car
side mirrors, "Caution:  Cars viewed in this mirror may be closer than they
appear."

We wouldn't want to lose you just before the big event!  ;-)

Take care,

The other Ted

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Photographic reaction time


> > LRZeitlin@aol.com wrote:
> >
> > > My old experimental psychology textbooks give the simple reaction time
> > > of most people as about 200 milliseconds.
>
> Martin Howard responded:
>
> > This is largely irrelevant.  The way such experiments are conducted is
> > by having someone wait for a stimulus, then respond when they detect it
> > as quickly as they can.
> >
> > In the real world, and certainly for most things that photographers
> > point a camera towards, rhythm and timing is much more of a factor than
> > reaction time.  Photographs catch the height of action by
> > *anticipating* the rhythm of something and by *timing* their exposure
> > to coincide with the photographically optimal moment.  Read Ted's
> > comment on horse jumping, for example.<<<<
>
> Hi Martin,
> But you failed to point out that for a month before I go to an Olympic
event
> I "practice" using el cheapo B&W film shooting on coming cars travelling
at
> 100 KLMS  -- 60 MPH standing at the side of the highway focusing and
> shooting their license plates to capture as amny as I can as sharp as I
can.
> It helps to improve ones re-action to action timing.. ;-) Not to mention
the
> improvement of manual focus dexterity! :-)
>
> And you folks all thought I was some kind of wonder boy! ;-) heck it's
> practice and being there ;-)
>
> Tests in a lab, as far as I'm concerned, are meaningless because the
athlete
> / location creates a stimulant atmosphere to stop him dead in his tracks
and
> no amount of diddling around in some sterile lab is going to produce the
> finger twitch re-action time real life does. No matter what their machines
> say it is.
>
> I mean if the techie people want to do real stuff research, go to the
> Olympics or any international sport event and wire a bunch of the guys,
then
> make their tests.
>
> It might wipe out a hundred years of test tube testing. ;-) It's called
"do
> it real time baby!"
> ted
>
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> --
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>


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Replies: Reply from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] Photographic reaction time)
In reply to: Message from Martin Howard <mvhoward@mac.com> (Re: [Leica] Photographic reaction time)
Message from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] Photographic reaction time)