[LRflex] Re: Leaving through the side door...
- From: Steve Barbour <kididdoc@xxxxxxx>
- To: leicareflex@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2008 13:41:03 -0700
On Sep 5, 2008, at 11:32 AM, David Young wrote:
Ted wrote:
http://www.furnfeather.net/Temps/SideDoor.htm
Hi David,
I don?t think this is the pit fall fault of auto focus not being
quick enough, it?s a super fast action that would more than test
the ability of any photographer focusing manually! No matter who it
is or who thinks he could focus fast enough to catch it pin sharp!
I always prided myself at being able to manually focus very fast
with long glass, certainly covering sports of any kind. That was
until I was given a Canon to try at the Olympics some years ago
with a 300 2.8. Then I learned ?just how slow I was? compared to
the auto focus. Yes auto focus will pick the wrong spot if you if
you don?t make the camera do what you want it to do. Just the same
as allowing the camera to pick and set the exposure without ones
knowledge of what?s right and wrong when looking through the view
finder.
Quite frankly I?m being weaned from my manual focus Leica SLR glass
on my Canon digi cameras, simply because it allows me easier faster
handling of the camera with auto focus. Not to forget more failing
eye sight in my 80th year. It also affords, in some cases, a better
hit ratio of in focus images on moving subjects.
I turn off all the extra focusing points, working only with the
centre spot as this increases the speed of the auto focus action.
By the same token you have to be right on the mark what you?re
shooting at, but that only means you make the camera do and go
where you want it to.
And in the case of the rider being dumped at such an unsuspecting
speed and angle is an added factor at missing the shot. Not you nor
camera?s failure as it?s just one of those things in this kind of
situation.
Cheers,
ted
Good Mornin' Ted!
Several things are in play, here, besides the obvious pitfalls of AF.
Since I got the Oly, I've found the "center diamond" of 5 focusing
points to be extremely convenient and very accurate. Recently,
Steve Barbour extolled the virtues of using only the center spot, as
you do.
my oh my, so he did David....
so in this case you did it the good old fashioned way, that works
less well...
and...
hmmm...
I wonder what he would say about this? (maybe it's better if we
don't ask him)
Steve
So I started to do this and for most situations, this is better, I
agree... but at the Rodeo, I found that it resulted in a sharply
increased failure rate.
There are several reasons for this.
1) Rodeo often moves too fast to keep the focus spot on the subject
you want.
2) In events like Team Roping, your subjects are often at both sides
of the frame. The center spot then focuses on the grandstands!
3) in my particular case, the "ding" in the center of the front
element (from an earlier rodeo) causes problems with the AF when on
center spot only. Of course this affects only one lens; and will be
fixed, later this month, when the lens goes in for repair. (Quoted
$320 to replace the front element and an 8 to 10 day wait. I'm
still waiting for my 80~200 Vario Elmar which has been in Leica's
hands since February!)
So, for all these reasons, I had put the focus back on the "center
diamond" (center weighted, if you will), and over all, it worked
very, very well.
Here is another cowboy, about to exit via the same door...
http://www.furnfeather.net/Temps/SideDoor2.htm
Here, the action was slower and things worked better.
Thanks, Ted, for looking and for taking time to comment.
Cheers!
---
David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA
Limited Edition Prints at: www.furnfeather.net
Personal Web-site at: www.main.furnfeather.net
Stock Photography at: http://tinyurl.com/2amll4
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