Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/07/13

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Subject: [Leica] RE: Digital M
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Tue Jul 13 22:10:11 2004

On 7/13/04 12:06 AM, "Richard Ogden" <richard@ogdenonline.co.uk> typed:

> Mark Rabiner wrote:
> 
>> On 7/12/04 8:13 AM, "Richard Ogden" <richard@ogdenonline.co.uk> typed:
>> 
>> 
>>> Some of the unique qualities of the rangefinder-type camera relate to the
>>> direct 
>>> relationship between photographer and subject, the continuity of viewing
>>> through 
>>> the moment of exposure, and the miniscule time-lag between seeing the 
>>> moment
>>> and 
>>> capturing it - no mirrors, blind spot or shutter lag. Now we are to
>>> interpose
>>> monitors and histograms into this formula? Surely this goes against the
>>> whole
>>> philosophy of the rangefinder experience.
>>> 
>>> Richard
>>> ************************************************************************
>>> From:               Richard Ogden
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> But how would monitors and histograms get in the way of the direct
>> relationship between photographer and subject, the continuity of viewing
>> through the moment of exposure, and the miniscule time-lag between seeing
>> the moment and capturing it - no mirrors, blind spot or shutter lag.
>> 
>> You look at the histogram later if you feel like it.
>> 
>> Same with the monitor.
>> 
>> Mark Rabiner
> 
> Because they're there! Watch people using digital cameras. Observe the 
> first
> thing they do when they've pressed the button. They look at the monitor. I
> know 
> they don't have to - as you rightly say they could look at it later - but 
> they
> don't. Worse, they often show the monitor to their subject or the friend 
> who's
> with them! This may be of benefit to fashion / portrait photographers, but 
> for
> me it would get in the way of the picture-taking experience.
> 
> Of course, at the moment, there's a good reason for doing this because, 
> thanks
> to the shutter lag of digital cameras, it's the only way to know whether
> you've 
> captured the picture you saw through the viewfinder, That situation may 
> change
> as the technology evolves, but as of now only with a Leica M can you be
> confident that, if you saw it, you've got it. That's not even true of a 
> reflex
> camera, let alone a digital one.
> 
> Richard
> 


These may be the same people who meticulously line up the lights or center
the needle between every shot with film; spending 10 or 15 seconds focusing
every single shot in a situation before pressing  the shutter button.

There will always be a majority of people who don?t even get close to
getting a "handle" on there equipment.
... Before trading it in for something else... The big new thing.

Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/





In reply to: Message from richard at ogdenonline.co.uk (Richard Ogden) ([Leica] RE: Digital M)