Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/05/19

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Subject: [Leica] Mark's 5.6 and be there
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:39:29 -0400

I don't know what percentage of the time I shoot f 5.6 I shoot f 8 a lot
too. Even at night. Mainly I tend for most shots to stop down as much as I
can so I can get as much information in it as I can. But sometimes I do the
selective focus thing to isolate a main subject. Maybe a third of the time.
But I'm excited by information. Not Bokeh.

I like to stop down a couple so if what I think I'm seeing as sharp in my
groundless deceives me I still have not missed my focus in the final image.
As my first camera with adjustments was a 2.8 (Color Scopar 50mm on a
Voigtl?nder) 5.6 was two stops down.
Stopping down two has been basic photo advice since day one.
Lumiere said to Talbot: stop down two idiot!

In the 70's though late 90's in Portland most of my friends were
photographers most of them commercial photographers and none of them shot
much wide open unless they were in a very dark room or alley with no tripod
or flash and had to squeeze out a shot for something editorial like.
In other words pretty much never.

When joined photo lists a few decades back the topic of the Bokeh on my
Zeiss for Hasselblad lenses came up. After figuring out what Bokeh meant I
told them I had no idea as I'd never shot a picture with any of them for ten
years over f 8. Which was pretty much true. Mainly f 11.  I went from studio
strobe to Norman 200c battery powered strobe to tripod. Not too many shots
hand held with no flash. Which was the case for most photographers I knew.
By the way I was told the "Bokeh" on Zeiss for Hasselblad glass a few
decades back was "notorious". So I did test it out. Horse crap.


On 5/19/13 12:38 AM, "Mark Rabiner" <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> I had always heard f 8  and be there for the speed graphic era!?!?
> 
> I know that traditionally 5.6 is the favorite f stop for cinematographers.
> The f stop where they feel safe. That is where they know they're going to
> get their focus. That is film guys shooting 35mm film stock which gives you
> what we think of as half frame. 18x24. But they think of as single frame.
> 
> 
> On 5/19/13 12:11 AM, "Marshall Hunt" <huntmc2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> It is a modification of a motto from the early days of press photography,
>> when you needed three hands and big pockets to use a Speed Graphic.
>> :
>> "f.6" set your Speed Graphic lens at 5.6 so you have some depth of field
>> when you estimate the distance.
>> 
>> "and be there" be at the scene of the action; otherwise you can't get a
>> fast shot.
>> 
>> 
>> On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 3:25 AM, <philippe.amard at sfr.fr> wrote:
>> 
>>> Mark repeatedly writes:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> F 5.6 and be there.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> What's YOUR rationale for shooting at 5.6?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> If it is about DoF it is completely irrelevant for it also depends on
>>> sensor size, but this you know.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> So what is it please?
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> AMiti?s
>>> Philippe
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
> 
> 




-- 
Mark William Rabiner
Photography
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/




In reply to: Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Mark's 5.6 and be there)