Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/10/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Doug Herr offered Subject: Re: [Leica] Pitching for a job >Fast frame rates aren't always the panacea they're made out to be; it's > >timing and practice, practice, practice whether you use a burst mode or > >single shot.<<<< Hi Doug, Along those lines here's a copy of a story in my next book. :-) ======================== The Rocket Car When 35mm camera motor drives' appeared on the market, it was perceived to be the answer to the action photographer's prayer. The motor could advance film at 4 or more frames per second, allowing the photographer to capture peak action every time; well it was thought to. Many photographers found to their sorrow, by relying only on the motor and not their reflex instinct to release the shutter, were missing the peak moment of the action. A story from small town Ontario of an old time photographer shooting with a 4 X 5 Speed Graphic and how he bailed out a "hotshot" big city news photographer explains it all.. An inventor in the town had built a rocket engine car that caught the attention of a Toronto newspaper. The paper's regional editor phoned and arranged a test of the car to allow a writer and photographer to do a story. On test day the news photographer mounted three motor-driven cameras along side the track to ensure he would capture the moment of engine ignition. He tested them with several bursts to ensure they were synchronized ready for the fiery blue flame spurting from the exhaust upon ignition. While the hotshot was going through all the testing, the old timer made ready. He removed the dark slide from his Speed Graphic film holder, cocked the shutter set for action with his one sheet of 4 X 5 film. Finally everyone was ready, car and driver, motor driven cameras, Speed Graphic and one sheet of film. The engine ignited, there was a brilliant flash of blue flame, the hotshot fired his three rolls of motor driven film, the old timer's shutter went, "Click!" The hotshot asks for a restart of the car, "Just in case we missed it." Same sequence takes place, three cameras burning up film at 5 frames per second; the Speed Graphic went, "Click" ! The next day the old timer received a phone call from the photo editor of a Toronto paper. "Were you shooting the rocket car start-up?" "Yep" the old timer replied. Photo editor, "Our guy missed the flame, did you get it?" Old timer with a smile on his face said, "Yep, which one would you like?" Moral of the story: Equipment isn't everything. Photographers must have an acute sense of timing to capture peak action. ;-) ted