Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/08/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Frank Filippone offered: Subject: RE: [Leica] Super cool 360 degree photo! >>>Really cool! Now, if you spend a minute estimating the number of big glass lenses in sight, multiply by $15K each ( you must include the body), you get an idea of a single market for Big Glass. Well over $2 Million...... well over..<<<< Hi Frank, Add to that figure, then imagine how many photographers are in other venues with the same kind of glass? And quite frankly, without the long glass you wont have a chance in hell at getting pictures simply because these guys are all sitting in designated photo positions. You CANNOT go where you want! Period. NO TRIPODS PERIOD! Monopods OK! That's why if a race starts at 1 pm you get in your photo position at 6 a.m.! If not there will be several dozen guys and gals there by 8 a.m. or more and the best spots are gone! :-( Certainly when it comes to being in the very best shooting positions. That's how I got my picture of Ben Johnson winning in Seoul 1988. I was in my position at 6 a.m. the race went at 1.30 p.m. The gun sounded and it was all over in 9.79 seconds! :-) Hey and I did it with a 280mm 2.8 manual focus lens! The first frame was manual, my reaction to his action "click!" Then I let the motor follow through as the rest went by. Actually if you have a copy of the Leica book, "75 years of LEICA Photography." you'll find the picture on page 280! :-) If you look closely as the camera begins to pan the stadium, the area below at track level, the photo position continues left and right as the image broadens out. You can see another bunch of long... Mostly Canon big glass! I'd be prepared to put money on it that there isn't a Leica lens in the bunch. At all the Olympic venues? Well maybe one or two held by Leica tech people! Working sports photographers these days? ZERO! In this pan I think for many of you it illustrates just how packed in we photographers are at the games with all the gear. Trust me it really isn't a fun place to be at times. Certainly after the first week and some of these guys haven't had a shower or hardly washed! Would I ever pass it up if asked to go? Not on your life because it's an absolutely amazing adventure no matter how hard and how many hours a day you put in! There are always amazing wonderful experiences. Why am I not at these games? I was considered a tad too old in my 80th year! ;-) The reality? How many of you would still be standing at the end of 3 weeks of 12-18 hour days carrying gear that you see in the pan? However, :-) You just gotta love it! :-) ted