[Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...

[bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen)]

There's one thing about all the available darkness shooting that I admit I
simply don't get - and I've done my share of it, God knows, beginning with
Kodak Recording film back when...

If you're shooting in a dark setting in which there are highlights - say in
a room with candle light, there's usually plenty of light on the subject -
maybe a face - to shoot at 800, maybe 1600 - at a 1.4 at 1/15th, maybe 1.4.
Obviously it's advantageous to shoot at f 1 because you can up the shutter
speed.

However, when there is essentially no light on the scene, whatever you shoot
with you generally get a flat, dirty image. So f1 or no f1 - what's the
point unless you absolutely must get that shot of Ahmed Chalabi passing
documents to Dick Chaney? If it's dim and dark to your eyes, the final
result is going to be dim and dark - Nocitulx or no Noctilux. Again, it
seems to me the real advantage of the Noctilux is its allowing you to shoot
at one shutter speed faster than you might otherwise shoot - which can be
the difference between getting and not getting a useable image.

B. D.


On 11/15/05 1:24 PM, "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca> wrote:

> Chris Lawson offered:
> Subject: Re: [Leica] A Noctilux and Velvia ...
> 
> 
>> First, I start with the Rabiner Neopan 1600 film/developer solution. Then,
>> with the Noct at f/1.0, I have latitude in shutter speed choices. Sure,
>> it's cheating. <<<
> 
> Hi Chris,
> Not sure what you mean by "it's cheating?" Man when you go f1.0 using 3200
> and shoot, it's truly "available darkness." No cheating there, just
> extremely interesting photographs. Imagine f1.0 and an 1/8th of a second
> hand held!!! ;-) And with correct exposures it's amazing the neat pictures
> you can shoot. ;-) Cool coal mine stuff! :-)
> 
>> I'll sometimes venture to 1/15th second, hoping for a zen-like,
>> semi-comatose state while the shutter is open. Fat chance.<<<
> 
> Heck a 1/15th is a high shutter speed sometimes because with a little
> practice you can get down to 1/4 without any trouble. It's learning how to
> breath, how to set your body, how to get body support from any number of
> things, then go "click!" :-) Now see how easy it is? So go do some. ;-)
> 
>>> Even if I do my part, 1/30th is a crap shoot, what with people being more
>>> dynamic that your usual peeling paint study. <<<<<<<
> 
> Naw not at all mon ami, with people it becomes timing! You watch their
> movements and watch for a pause in whatever they're doing, "click!" Besides
> sometimes if one does it well, a slight "motion blur" adds to the effect of
> the action.
> 
> Show no fear, don't think about how slow the shutter speed is, then
> physiologically you beat it. Just think about being right on the mark in
> focus and tripping the shutter at precisely the right moment.
> 
> If you think and worry about a slow shutter speed you surely are going to
> screw it up.!!!!
> 
> Don't think, shoot it!
> 
> ted
> 
> 
> 
> 
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