[Leica] IMGs: A Sporting Trial (& framing too)

[imra at iol.ie (Douglas Barry)]

Thanks to everyone who guessed. John's high speed picture was close but 
way-y-y too fast!
Have a look at these.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/Sport/Motorsport/2013/Gallows2013/

The explanation and comments on framing are below this extract.

"Doug Herr" <wildlightphoto at earthlink.net> wrote
>>>>
> I agree... and even if it were possible to make the M frame lines 100%
> accurate at the focussed distance parallax would make the foreground and
> background and the spatial relationships between foreground, subject and
> background inaccurate.  For 100% accuracy a minimum of TTL viewing is
> required.
>>>>

I found that out on Saturday at a Sporting Trial (a mudplug) at Gallows Hill 
in Newcastle, Co. Wicklow. I hadn't been at one for forty years. I brought 
the Fuji X100S rangefinder, and, on the positive side, was able stand right 
beside the cars as they attempted the sections. The idea of the trial is 
that the car (a very specialised machine with either a motorcycle or a VW 
beetle engine) has to try to get through each section which is marked on 
each side by descending numbered pairs of poles without touching any of the 
poles or rolling backwards.

The numbers start at 10 and work downwards. If you touch the start poles you 
score 10, and touch the last set of pole and it's 1. Clear the lot and you 
don't score anything. The winner has the lowest score over all the varying 
sets of sections. Time is not a factor, speed is relative, never exceeds 10 
to 15 miles an hour, and no wears a helmet.

The cars are unusual in that they often have three separate braking 
systems - one for the front wheels, one for the left rear, and one for the 
right rear. Driver fitness is not an issue and sometimes driver fatness can 
be a positive for traction. Finesse, precision, anticipation, and neatness 
are everything.

The problem for me was that I was so close, bits of the picture I'd framed 
in the rangefinder were missed. I'll use my Nikon the next time despite its 
weight.

Douglas