Some photo highlights and few notes about using a new camera, the SL, with an electronic viewfinder (EVF). Using an electronic view finder means that I see a little digital movie of what's happening in front of the camera in the viewfinder. It's a lot like using your cell phone to take photos, except that I have the option of holding the camera to my eye, instead of watching the little movie on the TV screen on the back of the camera (or cell phone).
I didn't read the friendly manual before this bout... I just barely skimmed the friendly manual before this bout.
Until last Saturday, almost all my derby photography has been with a digital rangefinder. The finder on a rangefinder is made out of glass. Just looking through a little glass window. And the way I've evolved is that in addition to manual focus, I use manual exposure and manual flash power (when using flash). So while I did buy and bring a lens that has something called "auto focus," I wasn't brave enough to use it for my first bout with the SL. I used the same manual focus lenses that I use on the M.
Baby steps!
I guess I didn't realize how super-fiddly I am with the ISO button when shooting with the M-240 or M-246. Since last week, I have figured out how to make a "favorites" menu on the SL. ISO settings are on the top of the favorites menu now. No more scrolling through three screen-fulls of menu options to find the ISO settings.
About half way through first half, I realized the three second review feature was driving me crazy! For three seconds I see the photo that I just took instead of the action in front of me. I figured out how to turn that off during half time. Since then I was hoping to find a way to have the review image sent to the little TV screen on the back of the camera (ONLY) instead of the electronic view finder (you know, kinda the way M cameras work). But that doesn't seem possible with the current features/firmware of the SL.
Seeing the Subject
With a rangefinder, you see more than what you get. You see the scene developing outside the frame-lines. You see the apex jump before the skater is mid-jump in the frame-lines. You can anticipate the action and press the shutter in response to it. With an EVF, what you see in the viewfinder is what you get when the shutter button is pressed. It's a little harder to anticipate the action and get maximum impact when the shutter is pressed.
What's worse is getting used the EVF and then switching back to a rangefinder.
What's worse is getting used the EVF and then switching back to a rangefinder.
If you're using your right eye on the viewfinder, you can open your left to try to see a little more of what's happening around your view in the viewfinder of the camera.
Finding the Focus
With manual focus the EVF camera has a red-sparkly feature (which is called focus-assist in the friendly manual). Boundaries with high contrast will appear red and sparkly when in focus.
So the chance of getting something in focus with the red-sparkles in the EVF camera is greater than using the rangefinder's focus patch. This may allow me to open up the lens a little bit more. I typically shoot at f3.3 with the rangefinder than at f2.8 say.
A few more highlights
All the color photographs above were taken with an EVF camera. All the black and white photographs above were taken with a digital rangefinder.
the full flickr set is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nocklebeast/sets/72157680039619888
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