[LRflex] Re: Speed Skating Photos...

David offered:

>> Sad to say, Ted, but these were all hand-held, AF shots....   nearly all
with the Olympus 50~200 f2.8-3.5 zoom.  A very nice lens, for the purpose.
I was particularly impressed with the speed and accuracy of the Oly's AF
system and of it's IS system. <<<<

 

Hi David,

I'd not be saddened to say they were shot with auto-focus and certainly who
cares they were hand held. If you were at the Olympics you'd only be hand
holding or working off a monopod as tripods are not allowed at any
international sport events. My goodness as we age and still want to enjoy
"action photography" auto - focus is the only way to go ! Oh I know there's
lots of the "I'd never use auto focus for anything crowd, let alone buy a
camera that functions focusing by an automatic system." But they're fools!
Pay them no heed for they know not what they're saying.

 

OK maybe they're shooting rocks, ferns and non-breathing things and "manual
only is fine." Having done my fair share of action, Professional football,
hockey, baseball and a major number if international sports events I've
become a great believer of auto focus simply because it's much faster than I
could ever do manually. How did I learn this? By more years than I like to
remember.

 

Well having been a dyed in the wool "LEICA ONLY PHOTOGRAPHER FOR 58 years!"
When the Canon EOS came out a friend of mine loaned me a couple of bodies
and lenses to shoot some sports. All I have to say is. "Where I had great
pride in my ability to follow focus extremely fast at any sport, manually
with Leica 400mm and 560mm lens and the 800mm. Or any other, one wishes to
offer.

 

The Canon auto focus blew me away. Now that was right at the beginning of
auto-focus when it wasn't as fast as some camera systems today. So my friend
put any concerns you have about using auto focus cameras behind the out
house shed. Quite simply because auto-focus makes life a far better shoot.
This doesn't mean you will get far better photographs. It means you'll have
a far greater number... "IN FOCUS!" 

 

>> Last year, I used the 80~200/f4 Vario-Elmar on a Canon 30D, and although
I did OK, I got a far higher percentage of "keepers" with the AF system.<<<

I don't doubt it for a second! The 80-200 is one of my favourite R Leica
lenses as it cuts wide open like a new razor blade. But it's still not as
fast in focusing because it's manual, regardless of the photog using it.
Surely not as fast as a Canon EOS, whatever camera, digital or film.

 

I'm now slowly switching Leica R8's and lenses to Canon SLR's and using auto
focus, loving it like a kid in a candy shop! Does this mean I'm losing
interest in Leica gear? Not really, I just wish they'd get their act
together, once again they're 10 years behind every other manufacture in the
world. And get a, without any crappy glitches auto everything camera out
before I reach 100 years!" Now I'm at least being fair with them as I'm
giving them a 20 year time frame lead at the moment. :-) If they don't have
one by the 100th year I fear I'll have to go all Canon other than my M8! ;-)


 

Dr. ted :-)

 







---

David Young,       
Logan Lake, CANADA 

Limited Edition Prints at:  <http://www.furnfeather.net/>
www.furnfeather.net
Personal Web-site at:  <http://www.main.furnfeather.net/>
www.main.furnfeather.net



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