[Leica] Another, ahem, shot at hockey

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Gene wondered:
>>>> This stuff about having to mess around with exposure compensation with 
>>>> every
> lens is what is keeping me from getting a Canon or just about any Digital
> DSLR.  Don't know if this is true with Nikons, but then I can't use my R 
> lenses on
> them.  But I would think the lens irrelevant with the Canon as to exposure
> compensation between lenses.  Seems like an awful lot of fiddling to do 
> before
> you can start shooting.<<<

Hi Gene,
I surely don't know what these other lads do with their cameras with all 
this talk about adjusting this, that and twiddling knobs 'cause that must 
scare the heck out of any shooter just starting out with a reasonable 
digi-box and a handful of cards. Along with an adapted Leica lens or two. Of 
course a couple of good Canon lenses to complete the kit for a fun lovin' 
happy picture taking Leicanon! ;-) :-)

You know my way is "screw the rules, regulations and the perfectionist's 
beyond reality gang, just shoot it and if it looks cool, stay with yer own 
plan and have fun.:-) KISS baby, KISS!!! :-)

Here's what I've done with the Leica digilux 1, the Canon G5 pre-Digilux 2 
and finally the 20D Leicanon. And still the Digi 2.

Out of the box, battery in, look at switches find on-off switch, turn on, 
set all to auto everything and start making exposures. Print some... "Hey 
neat, love it that quick! Photography couldn't be better!" ;-)

Then the first shooting of my grandson's high school championship basketball 
game with the Leicanon 20D.

"OOPS! Light not too good, oh yeah this camera can be set at 3200! WOW, now 
we got some fast shutter speeds, go for it!"  clickity click wham bam thank 
you ma'm! Excellent non-grain images at 12X18 picture size. Jeeesh the guys 
will never believe this! Damn digital arrived on the scene 40 years too 
late! dang!" ;-)

3200? I never give it a thought other than being damn thankful it's 
available at the incredible quality it produces. "Low light?" Spin up 3200 
and start shooting all automatic and it works nicely. Need some nice flower 
pictures? Spin-up 100 click clickity! Wham bam very nice flowers. Oh yeah 
surprise all shot at automatic. Other than with Leica glass, then it's 
manual focus.

>>>This stuff about having to mess around with exposure compensation with 
>>>every
> lens is what is keeping me from getting a Canon or just about any Digital
> DSLR. <<<<<

Gene I don't go through this routine at any time so I have no idea what the 
problem is they're having. However I'm very glad I don't, because I hate 
fiddling with anything photographic as all I ever want to do is take 
pictures while enjoying the experience to it's fullest, not fiddling. Having 
to fiddle and fart about  is a no-no and if that's the case I very quickly 
sell it, junk it, give it away, whatever if the piece of gear doesn't simply 
go with the flow of my enjoyment.

If a digi cam is giving a shooter grief, quite simply get rid of it, take it 
back and get another same model or switch manufacturer! Why waste your 
"visual mind action" setting a fully automatic camera to over ride every 
frame? Surely ones picture taking time is far more valuable than twiddling 
knobs and dials. Of course there will be times when over riding the auto is 
part of the picture of the moment, but surely not a routine of changing all 
lenses.

It's the same as the multi-focus little lights flashing in the view finder, 
hell they're enough to drive you crazy, Oh I know it's supposed to help the 
neophytes use the camera. However turn them all off but the centre square 
spot and the camera focuses exactly where you want it faster than you can do 
it yourself! Of course only with the Canon lenses.

If you don't believe me............. shoot basketball and catch the young 
athletes high in the air both feet off the ground! ;-)  Sharply!!! All on 
auto, now that's a lesson for those who don't believe in "auto anything!" 
Quite frankly for many years I prided myself while using Leica SLR's and 
long glass shooting sports and in particular the Olympics I rarely missed 
anything while manual focusing, yes I was very fast, doing it day after day 
helps .

However, the first time I used an "autofocus Canon EOS" I found out just how 
slow I was!:-)And all those beautiful sharp action shots over the years? I 
must have had an angel on my focusing hand guiding it for speed!;-)

Gene go for it, you'll have a great time opening a completely new world of 
photography you probably haven't enjoyed since you shot your first couple of 
rolls. ;-)

ted