Erwin Puts on the X100

[willie_901]

Here's a link to Erwin's blog.

Scroll down to read his initial comments.

Puts' Initial Thoughts On The X100

I must say I agree with most of his comments.

[umcelinho]

very good text and I sympathise with a lot of what he says too.

[BillBingham2]

+1 on that agreement thing...........

B2

[kshapero]

Oh I thought it would be a review. He states the obvious in my mind. Can a digital camera get out of its own way to still allow the artist his/her own expression?

[E.M]

I don't agree with his comments about the decisive moment and shutterlag . There are many situations that you can not foresee something to happen , sometimes you can anticipate the moment , but only in certain cases . It is very important for a camera to be responsive , so that you can react when the moment is there .

[Livesteamer]

+1 on shutter lag. I do a lot of little kid photos with an M6 and sometimes the moment is fleeting and even with the M6 I will miss it. Add some shutter lag and I would get far fewer of those really special kid pictures. Joe

[Juan Valdenebro]

Saying that photographers not liking shutter lag should know about anticipating the moment is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard lately... Hey Erwin, why don't we ask for a bit more shutter lag on all Leicas? There are thousands of situations where we anticipate the moment and we have already composed and all we're waiting for is something (a face, an order: geometry between elements...) that happens for less than a second and just goes away forever... I have never used an X100 and don't know if it has any degree of shutter lag, but I agree with thousands of photographers: shutter lag is something I hate as photographer, because the photograph is taken in a different moment than the one I chose: the taken photograph is another one.

Cheers,

Juan

[tom.w.bn]

Originally Posted by Juan Valdenebro

Saying that photographers not liking shutter lag should know about anticipating the moment is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard lately... Hey Erwin, why don't we ask for a bit more shutter lag on all Leicas? There are thousands of situations where we anticipate the moment and we have already composed and all we're waiting for is something (a face, an order: geometry between elements...) that happens for less than a second and just goes away forever... I have never used an X100 and don't know if it has any degree of shutter lag, but I agree with thousands of photographers: shutter lag is something I hate as photographer, because the photograph is taken in a different moment than the one I chose: the taken photograph is another one.

Cheers,

Juan

If you have time to anticipate something than you have time to focus and wait for the situation and then press the shutter.

[Juan Valdenebro]

Originally Posted by tom.w.bn

If you have time to anticipate something than you have time to focus and wait for the situation and then press the shutter.

No way... If you photograph things that don't change or move, I agree... But for those of us photographing vanishing scenes, shutter lag is the worst problem. Fractions of a second are a problem...

Cheers,

Juan

[tom.w.bn]

Originally Posted by Juan Valdenebro

No way... If you photograph things that don't change or move, I agree... But for those of us photographing vanishing scenes, shutter lag is the worst problem. Fractions of a second are a problem...

Cheers,

Juan

But you were talking about anticipation. Let's take this example: you see a man in front of a puddle and you instantly know he will jump over it. You take the camera and prefocus and wait. He jumps, you press the shutter and because the most time consuming action (=focussing) is already done you get your decisive moment. This is anticipation to me. This works with the x100 but not with a Canon G10 because the G10 has a significant shutter lag, even when prefocussed.

[Paddy C]

Originally Posted by tom.w.bn

But you were talking about anticipation. Let's take this example: you see a man in front of a puddle and you instantly know he will jump over it. You take the camera and prefocus and wait. He jumps, you press the shutter and because the most time consuming action (=focussing) is already done you get your decisive moment. This is anticipation to me. This works with the x100 but not with a Canon G10 because the G10 has a significant shutter lag, even when prefocussed.

But if you want to capture a photo of the man at the apex of his jump (a very specific moment) and you have noticeable shutter lag you will have sort of guess when to press the shutter. I think that's what Juan is getting at.

[gho]

Originally Posted by tom.w.bn

But you were talking about anticipation. Let's take this example: you see a man in front of a puddle and you instantly know he will jump over it. You take the camera and prefocus and wait. He jumps, you press the shutter and because the most time consuming action (=focussing) is already done you get your decisive moment. This is anticipation to me.

For me it is like this. If I want to take a photograph of something like this, the camera has to be set up for it before the event occurs. Usual technique: scale focussing. In the process of the event unfolding there is something like a subjective experienced apex. The art is to press the shutter at exactly that time point and shutter lag will ad, well, some lag. And fractions of a second do matter indeed.

For example this photo:


Here the position of the feet was important to me. With a distinctive shutter lag, I would have missed it.

[mrware]

Originally Posted by tom.w.bn

But you were talking about anticipation. Let's take this example: you see a man in front of a puddle and you instantly know he will jump over it. You take the camera and prefocus and wait. He jumps, you press the shutter and because the most time consuming action (=focussing) is already done you get your decisive moment. This is anticipation to me. This works with the x100 but not with a Canon G10 because the G10 has a significant shutter lag, even when prefocussed.

Henri Cartier-Bresson had the luxury of many takes on his man over puddle shot as I remember reading somewhere, but I do see your point. But in the end it's a question mastering your equipment, with some equipment being more suited to a certain quality than others.

[btgc]

Originally Posted by thomasw_

well stated. Putts suggests that one should learn to work with the limitations of the tool.

That's obvious, in my understanding. Like if we can't fight gravity we have to take it into account. With cameras we have choice between some with longer and shorter lag. 35mm focal length isn't esotheric so if anyone feels X100 is too slow there are tons of other cameras. No biggie.

Basically, photographers perception and mental calmness are limiting factors.

[willie_901]

Depending on how the camera is operated, the X100 can have typical shutter lag for an automated compact camera (too long), or essentially instantaneous (10 millisec.) response.

This is the problem, it's takes a bit of thinking and experimentation to understand how to minimize the shutter lag. Obviously using the EVF means there will be some lag. I wonder how many people who never used a mechanical analog camera realize the OVF mode has less lag than EVF mode?

[michaelbialecki]

I am not a fan of shutter lag at all......

cheers, michael

[tom.w.bn]

Originally Posted by michaelbialecki

I am not a fan of shutter lag at all......

cheers, michael

Me too. Tried to take photos of my daughter on a trampoline with the Canon G10 and failed. But on the street the shutter lag of this camera is not a big problem most of the time.

[Mattikk]

I've had zero shutter lag problems on X100.

I agree with Erwin.

Example:

[Michael Markey]

Originally Posted by michaelbialecki

I am not a fan of shutter lag at all......

cheers, michael

Its a show stopper for me too esp when I`m taking shots of horses jumping.
I know the line and can see the stride so know when the horse is going to jump .
Using a camera with shutter lag means that I`ve somehow got to forget all that and listen to the camera instead.
I`ve tried but it doesn`t work for me.
You`re shooting in the dark.

[SimonSawSunlight]

shutter lag? not if you're prepared.

[morgan]

Originally Posted by SimonSawSunlight

shutter lag? not if you're prepared.

This image could also be the result of shutter lag. People who don't like getting their picture taken (like my wife) will reflexively go into a position like this if she sees me focusing on her. Shutter lag can be all the difference sometimes, although I agree that you can also anticipate and be ready.

[SimonSawSunlight]

Originally Posted by morgan

This image could also be the result of shutter lag.

yes, true. but it isn't!

[Griffin]

How can anyone expect a camera to focus, determine exposure, then take a shot without any lag at all? If you want zero shutter lag, do everything manual. Am I too simple?

[aad]

If you have shutter lag problems, you likely haven't taken the time to learn how to eliminate it from the equation.

[jsrockit]

I notice that the ones complaining about lag don't use the X100...