Can someone please explain...

[Xmas]

I agree on the anticipation -thats why I say camera's response time matters less.
I'm not sure the shooting style will change much whether on MF or 35mm or even LF - on the anticipation part only!

I have to anticipate a lot when on bike (motorbike) trips -so thats not a new skill to me.

But whether with sports shooting or rangefinder IMO the speed of the camera response is very unimportant than the anticipation of the moment, and the human reaction time - because more time is used up by the latter.

Pre-focus good for speedy operation but did make things a tad boring! :-D



Depends on how close subject is to you - I prefer medium teles, so there's a certain distance to subject and unless it's the RB's mirror slap, not much is heard -even that gets muted at times around traffic.

I don't get what you mean on the OM and F2 above.


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Sorry

When you lock up the mirror on an OM1it does not stop down the lens.

The OMs aperture stop down is louder than the cloth shutter!

When you lock up the mirror on a F2 it also stops down the lens. Don't know if Sover's optional modifications change this.

So you only hear the Ti roller blind shutter.

One of the Nikon late bodies (post F3) makes a lot of aperture noise.

With a RB and grip it is easy to prefire the mirror and shoot with a short release, gaffer taped to grip...

 

[analoguey]

Ah okay!
Havent used the hand grip on the RB, might try it sometime - does it still feel as balanced with a grip as without? (eg the strap makes for very unbalanced holding)

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[Xmas]

Well the grip allows more choice, you can still use the neck strap for security.

You also need the right hand or arm to support the camera and optionally

monopod
tree
lamp post
etc., ...

If you want sharp similar to a solid tripod.

 

[Curt]

6x9

 

[John Koehrer]

Ah okay!
Havent used the hand grip on the RB, might try it sometime - does it still feel as balanced with a grip as without? (eg the strap makes for very unbalanced holding)

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With the pistol grip, the grip is centered under the camera. With the side grip, the camera actually wants to twist clockwise. Of course, this depends on how strong your wrist is.

 

[Gunfleet]

were?

yeah, how about the “current” still in production flagman cameras from 2 of the usual suspects; Leica and Nikon.
have you ever held Nikon F6 and then Leica M7 in your hands?

photo credit: http://www.nikon-fotografie.de/

You could add 'Mamiya 7II 1.28 kilos' to your group. I think the ultimate argument against the slr is to carry one around Paris or Rome for a week, especially with any decent size of zoom on it.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

...what is so great about rangefinders? They seem to be the go-to cameras for street shooting and I cannot understand why.

Appreciate any info. on the matter.

Thanks!

Street, reportage, documentary, travel.

RF is more compact comparing to SLR camera, with biggest difference in lenses sizes. RF lenses are more compact and gives less distortions.
RF is more quiet, due to shutter construction and absence of flopping mirror.

RF is superior to SLR in terms of picture taking in fast changing environment.
With typical MF SLR you have to prefocus first, because if not, everything is blurred in VF. It slows down a lot.
With RF you see everything in focus always and you could learn how to focus the lens by same time you are framing it. With MF SLR you can't have as clear picture in VF as in RF even if it is focused.
RF is also have VF area and framing lines inside of VF area. Very convenient.
And RF doesn't have annoying VF blackout due to the flopping mirror. Also huge difference.

 

[Chris Lange]

If the sound of your camera determines whether or not you get the picture, you're probably photographing the back of someone's head.

 

[analoguey]

Hahaha
Good one!

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[frank]

If the sound of your camera determines whether or not you get the picture, you're probably photographing the back of someone's head.

Or from the side profile, or photographing someone from the front engrossed in what they are doing. There are lots of situations where a loud shutter is disruptive and undesirable, besides photographing the back of someone's head.

 

[Xmas]

If you want to shoot a sequence of candids a loud shutter just wont help.

 

[analoguey]

I am curious, do people get that close to shoot street photos?
I generally find that people have a sense of "invasion" that is more prevalent to cameras than to other pedestrians or regular public.

I generally keep a distance (and shoot with a 135 tele or 50mm)

 

[frank]

Yes, some/many people shoot street that close with wide angle lenses. Do whatever works best for you.

 

[analoguey]

Ah okay. Good to know. I havent tried that approach. Could try that.

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[gzinsel]

how about this: its been a tradition, its what most people are afraid being afraid of . . . "rejection". IOW if i do not use rangefinder, then I am not real, if i am not real, then I am a loser!!. I mean everybody wants to be "real". . . right? who want to be fake? the other reason is . . .Its hardcore. . . i.e leica. its fascinating, all kind of knobs ( barnacks), its less then, or the ideal of "extension of being" ! the aura of mystique = cool. who doesn't want to be cool??????? I mean C"MON, get with it people. GET with the program, for pete's sake!!!!!!

 

[Xmas]

Ah okay. Good to know. I havent tried that approach. Could try that.

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Try 3 foot prefocus with 28mm...

 

[cliveh]

how about this: its been a tradition, its what most people are afraid being afraid of . . . "rejection". IOW if i do not use rangefinder, then I am not real, if i am not real, then I am a loser!!. I mean everybody wants to be "real". . . right? who want to be fake? the other reason is . . .Its hardcore. . . i.e leica. its fascinating, all kind of knobs ( barnacks), its less then, or the ideal of "extension of being" ! the aura of mystique = cool. who doesn't want to be cool??????? I mean C"MON, get with it people. GET with the program, for pete's sake!!!!!!

May I ask what the program is?

 

[pdeeh]

It seems to be something to do with the Isle of Wight?

 

[frank]

how about this: its been a tradition, its what most people are afraid being afraid of . . . "rejection". IOW if i do not use rangefinder, then I am not real, if i am not real, then I am a loser!!. I mean everybody wants to be "real". . . right? who want to be fake? the other reason is . . .Its hardcore. . . i.e leica. its fascinating, all kind of knobs ( barnacks), its less then, or the ideal of "extension of being" ! the aura of mystique = cool. who doesn't want to be cool??????? I mean C"MON, get with it people. GET with the program, for pete's sake!!!!!!

A lot of projection here, I think. Just a really negative outlook. People making choices foe the most superficial reasons. No doubt there are some people like that, but certainly in the minority, so it wouldn't be fair to paint all rangefinder or Leica users thusly.

 

[rbultman]

Perhaps its what one is used to. I am struggling to use rangefinders having used SLRs for a long time. The fact that an SLR is out of focus in the view finder means the picture will be too. Its WYSIWYG. with a rangefinder, I can shoot a while roll with the lens cap on and/or out of focus and not know it until the film is developed.

Rangefinders, particularly those with leaf shutters are very quiet, with the exception of the GW6x0 Fuji's, which are dang loud. My Minolta CLE is quiet despite having a focal plane shutter. My Bessa R4M, not so much. My Canon A-1 is fairly quiet. My Canon FTbn, not so much.

I only buy the quietness argument, but it depends on the camera. I don't buy the argument regarding the loss of the viewfinder of SLRs somehow being an issue. Then again, I really don't do street photography.

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[Chris Lange]

The blackout argument probably meant a whole lot when the argument was against non-instant return mirrors and ground-glasses being blocked by film holders...instant return mirrors...not so much.

 

[frank]

I've already said this: Don't get hung up on rational argument pro and con. Try out any camera yourself to see if it works for you. We have lots of choices. What works for one may not work for another.

 

[Nuff]

I just bought a Leica M3. Over 3 days I shot 12 rolls of film. Mix of C41, E6 and BW.

Shooting street in Tokyo was never this fun with SLR. I like 50mm focal length and in crowded city like this, I had lots of arms legs and unwanted body parts in frame before. Now I can see when someone will walk into the frame.

It takes a while to get used to, but after 10 rolls I'm getting hang of it. Now I have more clean photos with no surprise things popping in after the viewfinder blackout, wondering when they walked into he frame.

Not to mention how smooth it is, it just wants to be wound and fired none stop.

 

[analoguey]

Hmm. I have so far, not faced any vf blackout problem with the SLR or DSLR. I usually do pay attention to see if someone else might get into the frame before releasing the shutter. Even with candid and street shots - I use my left eye to focus (if that matters). And I know if someone's photo-bombed the image before I see the negative or on screen.
I suppose, it might be that your MO of photographing differs and hence the blackout matters?


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[Nuff]

I think it's the location. As in most densely populated city in the world. You have to experience the crowds in tokyo to understand it.