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fotografz replied to the topic S2 shooting technique advice pleas in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
RE: AF on a subject walking toward you at a normal pace:
Here is a technique you may want to try. I use it at every wedding where the Bride is being escorted down the aisle toward me. Oddly, this slow “processional” is one of the harder shots to get right every time, but it is a critical shot at every wedding. I often would get marginal…[Read more]
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melantye replied to the topic handle S2 in low light situations in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
fotografz;2167 wrote: There is a third option depending on the subject matter … use some flash.
I just finished a blog article on this subject, specifically referencing the S2.
It seems Leica users are inordinately against flash, and fear that “flashy” look. However, it really isn't that hard to employ the S2 for low light…
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aboudd wrote a new post 14 years, 3 months ago
I have been lusting after a Leica S2 since they were introduced. Two months ago I got it, just in time to learn how to handle it for a two week trip to two islands in Hawaii, the Big Island and Kauai. I'll be posting the images in chapters on my blog: http://www.everything-foto.blogspot.com for the next few weeks. As everything was done with the S2 it is only right to post some of the images here first. This is a bit of a tease of course, but if you happened to come across my blog before, you'll understand it is my nature. To get a taste of it, check out the April 1st posting revealing the Leica M10. ;-0
I'm starting with four b&w images – 3 weathered wood natural scenes and one entrepreneurial image.
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fotografz wrote a new post 14 years, 3 months ago
It seems Leica users are inordinately against flash, and fear that “flashy” look. However, it really isn't that hard to employ the S2 for low light photography without an obvious flash effect, once you get the hang of it.
The technique calls for use of a lower light technique known as “dragging the shutter”.
For example, if shooting ambient at ISO 640, f/2.5, and the shutter is to slow @ 1/25th … set the camera to manual exposure mode with a shutter speed of 1/40th and use the same aperture of f/2.5 … and a SF58 set to ETTL with a modifier mounted on it to somewhat soften the light.
This way you are almost correctly exposed for the ambient, so the background gets exposed fairly well. The foreground then gets the benefit of the additional light from the flash, and the flash duration “freezes” the subject … effectively eliminating hand shake, and in many cases will also freeze subject motion. (At f/2.5 the background won't be sharp anyway due to DOF, so any slight motion there is irrelevant).
Flash duration is how speed-lights and strobes control the level of light hitting the subject. In general, they ALWAYS fire at full power … it is how long they stay on that determines proper TTL exposure. The less additional light you need, the faster the duration is … so by letting in more ambient with a slower shutter speed, the duration of the flash becomes shorter. For example, a typical speed-light that only requires about 1/2 its full duration is 1/1000 of a second. At 1/8th its full duration, it is 1/3,700 of a second!
Try it, it's less disruptive than you may think … the amount of flash is pretty low compared to shooting at 1/125th and making the flash work harder to light the subject.
Again, depends on the subject matter, but this is a viable way to extend the S2 beyond its ISO limitations, and get very nicely exposed images.
Here are some extreme examples using different cameras, but the concept is the same regardless of camera. I chose shots done using low ISOs and very slow shutter speeds … dragging the shutter to simulate using the S2 at low ISOs to keep the noise low.
Color Lips shot: ISO 500 @ 1/25 shutter; Bride being dipped: ISO 200 @ 1/25th; Hands: ISO 200 @ 1/20th, outdoor couple dancing: ISO 100 @ 1/15th. All used flash combined with “dragging the shutter” to shoot where it would have been impossible to do using just ambient.
Marc
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fotografz replied to the topic handle S2 in low light situations in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
There is a third option depending on the subject matter … use some flash.
I just finished a blog article on this subject, specifically referencing the S2.
It seems Leica users are inordinately against flash, and fear that “flashy” look. However, it really isn't that hard to employ the S2 for low light photography without an obvious…[Read more]
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Roger replied to the topic handle S2 in low light situations in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
It hard to generalize without some assumptions . If the scene has a fairly smooth distribution of tones ..without “hot” highlights or deep shadows ….then I favor getting it properly exposed in the camera . At higher ISO s you lose DR and may not be able to pull back even -1EV without creating too much noise in the shadows . The normal rec…[Read more]
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Roger replied to the topic S2 shooting technique advice pleas in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
Last summer I took the S2 to the US Open Tennis. It is a wonderful event and place to fully understand your equipments strengths and weaknesses . I shot about 50% action and 50% the event/crowd(like street).
I found it frustrating to use AF in a tradition manner and went to a combination of manual and AF . I would pick the probably…[Read more]
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Mark Gowin replied to the topic S2 shooting technique advice pleas in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
I have had similar experiences with the S2 autofocus. I gave up and try to manual focus adjust which works ok, but not great, if the subject speed is slow and steady. Hopefully, someone else will post a better experience and/or solution.
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Leica Store wrote a new post 14 years, 3 months ago
As we reported previously, Leica is progressing on their new 55 million Euro, 290,000 sq. ft. factory at Leitz-Park in Wetzlar, Germany. They received plan approval back in November and had estimated a […]
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justingiritlian replied to the topic Who Rents? in the forum M9 14 years, 3 months ago
David Farkas;2141 wrote: Justin,
We (Dale Photo & Digital) rent M9 bodies and lenses and routinely ship all over the USA.
100% of the rental fee can be applied to a purchase.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi David, awesome Test Drive Program!
A friend and I were talking about how the…[Read more]
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melantye replied to the topic Weird power problem with my S2? in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
Josh Lehrer;2146 wrote: It sounds like you have a bad battery to me. That is a problem I have seen before, where the battery shows that it has some charge remaining but the camera refuses to stay on. At first I thought it was a camera issue but after trying a new battery, I realized it was a defective battery. Send it my way and I will replace…
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Ornello replied to the topic Where are the film shooters? in the forum Film M Cameras 14 years, 3 months ago
Doug A;2143 wrote: Most of the time I use HP5+. I occasionally use Tri-X, FP4+ or Delta 3200. Most of the time I develop with Ilfotec DD-X. I occasionally use HC-110 or Rodinal.
My scanner is an Epson V700. I do low resolution batch scans with the standard Epson negative holders. I then do high resolution scans of the “keepers” with Better…
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Josh Lehrer replied to the topic Weird power problem with my S2? in the forum S2 14 years, 3 months ago
It sounds like you have a bad battery to me. That is a problem I have seen before, where the battery shows that it has some charge remaining but the camera refuses to stay on. At first I thought it was a camera issue but after trying a new battery, I realized it was a defective battery. Send it my way and I will replace it!
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Doug A replied to the topic Where are the film shooters? in the forum Film M Cameras 14 years, 3 months ago
Ornello;2138 wrote: Which films and scanning equipment do you use?
Most of the time I use HP5+. I occasionally use Tri-X, FP4+ or Delta 3200. Most of the time I develop with Ilfotec DD-X. I occasionally use HC-110 or Rodinal.
My scanner is an Epson V700. I do low resolution batch scans with the standard Epson negative holders. I then do…[Read more]
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Ornello replied to the topic Leica M9P viewfinder frame lines in the forum M9 14 years, 3 months ago
hmarkweidman;2132 wrote: I have a question for Leica M users. Many years ago I shot Leica M film cameras but eventually sold them off, including four beautiful lenses. I recently came back into the Leica fold, with a new M9P and four lenses. The angle of coverage of three of the lenses does not line up accurately with the frame lines in the…
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David Farkas replied to the topic Who Rents? in the forum M9 14 years, 3 months ago
justingiritlian;2135 wrote: Hi Everyone,
I was wondering how often anyone rents either Leica M9s and/or lenses.
I come from the film industry where obviously we pretty much only rent bodies and lenses and I am excited to soon hopefully be apart of the Leica family, but I am curious how popular it is to rent for Leica, whether it is for…
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David Farkas replied to the topic Leica M9P viewfinder frame lines in the forum M9 14 years, 3 months ago
hmarkweidman;2139 wrote: Thanks for the link Jack, I just read through all the old posts about this topic. I assumed it was too obscure of a problem for previous discussion, which clearly was a mistake. At best I now at least feel a little better learning my M9P is not malfunctioning.
Mark
Mark,
Just to add to what Jack already…[Read more]
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hmarkweidman replied to the topic Leica M9P viewfinder frame lines in the forum M9 14 years, 3 months ago
Thanks for the link Jack, I just read through all the old posts about this topic. I assumed it was too obscure of a problem for previous discussion, which clearly was a mistake. At best I now at least feel a little better learning my M9P is not malfunctioning.
Mark
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Ornello replied to the topic Where are the film shooters? in the forum Film M Cameras 14 years, 3 months ago
Doug A;2119 wrote: I've been shooting film since 1955. I only shoot B&W and develop my own film. I switched from wet printing to scanning and inkjet printing when I found I preferred the results. My main outfit is an M6 with a 35/2 Biogon. I also have a Nikon F6, a Hasselblad and an X-100 but they don't see a lot of use.
–Doug
Which…[Read more]
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Jack MacD replied to the topic Leica M9P viewfinder frame lines in the forum M9 14 years, 3 months ago
As I understand it, the M9 finder lines are accurate if shooting within 3 feet. the M8.2 had accuracy set to six feet. I wish the 9 had kept the frame lines to the 6ft. distance. All an issue with rangefinders.
This is discussed in depth on this l-cmaera…[Read more]
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