Sports / Wildlife - shooting - 1/8000th sec, SD1M (Merrill)...

larryj wrote:

Paulo Ferreira wrote:

I disagree Larry... you are using the Trabant Argument for sure they took millions of passengers for decades... and I could do my commute on one. I chose not to if you don't mind.

Hi Paulo: Thank you for your thoughtful response.

You misunderstood my response to this thread. I was not arguing that the Sigma cameras are good action/wildlife cameras, but only that they can be used for such with care and deliberation to which I gave a few examples. I was also looked at with scorn by Nikon film shooters at sporting events when they saw I was shooting a Leicaflex without the benefit of a motor drive. However good technique and knowledge of the sport allowed one to be in position for the good shots

I shared on this forum several years ago about an experience I had at the Bas del
Apache national wildlife refuge attempting to shoot Sand hill cranes in the early morning in December. With no sun and shooting at ISO 800 I had to shoot at 1/25 sec and had no shoots. The Nikon and Canon shooters were poping away at ISO 3200 to 6400 while I stood there with my hand in my pockets and freezing my rear off until the sun came up and I could start to shoot, missing all the shots of the cranes dancing. At that point I decided if I wanted to be a serious birder I would have to get a Nikon or Canon system.

Hi Larry

I agree with what you are stating above but I felt I had to add my 2 cents (you know me) believing that the OP wanted to have as much info as possible available... and when the title of the post was relating 1/8000 as a parameter to capture wildlife I thought he ewas not on the right path.
I do understand your "envy" watching other people taking pictures with low light at high ISOs but I see it another way. Of course they are zapping away but they are not taking pictures. They are doing out of camera "electronic drawings". And they don't have a Foveon!!! I do not get the appeal of taking photos WITHOUT light. For me this is nothing else than someone with a powerful car (going back to the Trabant...) that spend their time doing burning rubber circles with the back train for the sake of it. I have the feeling that of the hundreds of shutter clicks you heard that morning none was of any use. You could smell the burning rubber but they were not going anywhere.
When there's no light... don't take photos. Go and have a beer...

To say that the SD1(M) is a good camera for action shots is not the best advice compared with so much good technology around. They will not have a Foveon image in the end and that is an enourmous trade in. My 9xi focused better and faster 30 years ago.

-- hide signature --

'Politicians and baby nappies should be changed regularly for exactly the same reason.'
Eça de Queirós (1845-1900)
-------------------------------------------
Paulo Ferreira
(equipment in profile)
http://www.pauloferreira.co.uk
http://www.pbase.com/pauloferreira
http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/paulo_ferreira

-- hide signature --

Cheers,
larryj
If you can see the light, you can photograph it
Quote from Myron Woods