This is a two-parter. First is revisitation. Second is back to what the list is all about.
Revisitation. Following my post about "What is SPORRS", I received quite a bit of feedback; some openly on the list and quite a bit more privately. Whether the feedback was positive or negative to what I wrote, I do believe that it might have been a big help on refocusing the list. Please allow me to elaborate a bit. I received more positive responses than I expected. A number of list members agree with what I said, but are, what should we call them, the "silent ones"? Perhaps if others feel the same way I did, why not at least tell Dave Cohen? If every time we had a gripe and piped up, we would be a list of bitchers. On the other hand, if when somebody thinks things are getting a bit out of hand, just say so. If we did that, the list would be self-policing. I would like to reemphasize what the list is not: CUNY!!! Case in point...a post by JAPhillips,III to both lists regarding the Stampede Pass article. My original complaint to the list was that SPORRS should not become CUNY Jr. All of you who like JAPhillips, III's article could have already read it on CUNY. Enuf said.......... Back to basics: Two caveats are in order for private respondents, this is technical (for at least one of you) and, I am NOT bragging about equipment (and you know who you are). Sometimes, it is necessary to mention what you are using to get the answer to the question. The business of sharpness, focus, and depth-of-field are recent topics. Being somewhat longer-of-tooth (that means "older" for those of you who are not familiar with the term) than some of the current subscribers, I suffer from lack of perfect vision. Therefore, focusing is a major concern. I am looking for techniques from those out there who are genuine auto-focus shooters.....Dave Busse, are you listening (reading)? Allow me to set up a shot and try to visualize. Full light, early morning (or late afternoon), tight super-elevated curve with a very nice background. Track speed is 60. There are a pair of mileposts in the foreground. I want to use a 300mm tele, bracket the frame with the mileposts, still have the background (it does not have to be crisp focus because of dust and exhaust), and get the train blasting around the curve (it is up grade). It is almost one of those in-your-face shots, but not quite. OK, we have the shot in mind. Using a tripod, I use a Canon EOS 1N with a Canon autofocus 300 mm lens. I am not an auto-anything shooter, but I am willing to test new technology (listen up, private responder). I would normally pre-focus on the curve where I want the locomotive nose to be, and try to be sure that the mileposts are in focus (using the depth of field preview). Theoretically, that can not be, but I want them as close to sharp as possible. I am not using auto exposure; I have selected the appropriate shutter speed/aperture combination for manual exposure. However, I will use the auto-focus mode. The EOS 1N has 5 auto-focus rectangles across the center of the viewfinder. You can use any one of them, or all simultaneously, when auto-focusing. Herein lies my problem. The focusing spots run horizontally across the viewfinder. The manual sayeth that the moving subject should be in the field of one (or all) of the rectangles. Ok, that's great if you are following a football player and using a mono-pod. The composition of my shot has all the rectangles above the subject (when I want to shoot). So, what do I do if I want to shoot auto-focus and maintain the composition? Next auto-focus question: Instead of a curve, we are track level on tangent track; a pair of searchlight signals will bracket the locomotive. Dynamite light and a super background. This will be a vertical shot so the autofocus rectangles run right through the nose of the locomotive. Man, this is a piece of cake! Manual exposure like before and auto-focus....here we go. Center rectangle only...on the nose. Late afternoon light and Santa Fe's 199 comes screaming through those signals at 70 (and, maybe bending it a tad). Release the shutter for a six-frame sequence or so......and damn, the autofocus goes apeshit with ditch lights and the scene at hand! The results from the EOS 1N.....NADA (and that ain't the blue book). One last bit of data, I use the autofocus mode that refocuses each frame (follows the subject), not the mode where you autofocus on an initial spot and the motor drive just whacks off a bunch of shots. On the other hand, because the Canon has been experimental only, the Nikon F4 sitting next to it on both occasions has saved the day....same focal length, same exposure, only manual focus. It has to be me. Nothing that sophisticated should screw up, but I can't get an auto-focus shot out of it to save my soul....I mean the kind we are talking about here. Anybody can take an autofocus shot of a mother-in-law who is static! I don't do that often. Anybody out there have any ideas? I can take the shots mentioned every day with the Nikon gear, and the Canon if I do everything in manual; but the autofocus is a maybe. That means that I have had it work a few times, but I would never rely on it for THE shot. I didn't mean to take up this much bandwidth to ask a couple of questions. It just is not that simple a question to pose without some explanation. John C. Lucas --> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects
