Manual stealth

[tommm]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Am experimenting with setting the X1 to fully manual - manual focus (between 6ft & ∞), mid range F stop (around 5.6 - 8), a fast enough shutter speed to overcome wobble and LCD off to use it as a stealth camera (1/125 - 1/500). Only adjustment needed is ISO, and after a few shots in one location it's possible to get that right. I was using my Voigtlander 28-35mm viewfinder.

 

Lessons learnt - the X1 is incredibly discreet, silent and with the settings above, the shutter exposes the instant you click. It's definitely possible to float around a space, really looking out for interesting characters and then very quickly snapping them - sometimes they notice, sometimes not.

 

Things to watch out for: Auto-off - I keep half pressing the shutter button to keep it alert. Getting the focus wrong - I was slightly out with quite a few of my photos! Practice should sort this tho.

 

I've never really photographed like this before - I've always wanted to, but just limited by my equipment. I'd love an M9 to do this, obv, but priced out of that! Have been hoping the X1 can achieve this for me, and my first impressions are - yes, it can.

 

Here's a few of shots I really like. Very little PP - Lightroom only. Flickr Set here.

 

(great in BIG on Flickr - I love the way there are arrows coming out of the old guy's head suggesting his mind is going that way, while his son hopes to steer him away)

 

You can get in people's face a bit without them feeling offense... I'd been hoping that I could do this... one of the main reasons for getting this camera is to be discreet.

 

[brill64]

people looking at the camera seem to make your more successful images

[damnsharp]

I absolute agree with you, Tom. This is also my experience. When you want look at my blip from last Sunday 25th: http://www.blipfoto.com/view.php?id=546598&month=4&year=2010

With that kind of situations I also use aprox. 1/125 till 1/500 shutter and around f8.0. It works great.

 

I also wonder every time about the great detail in the photo's the X1 has! A lot more than with my Nikon D200. Also the B/W setting works very good for people I think.

And I nearly have to do any post-processing with Lightroom anymore What a reassurance!

[damnsharp]

Oh, how do people react when you take photo's like this one: http://farm5.static.flickr.com /4064/4548424225_77c8daab03.jpg

I am a little bit anxious to make photo's on that way.

[tommm]

It took me only a split second to raise the camera to my eye, catch them in my viewfinder, snap and lower my camera - to be honest I think a lot of people thought that there was no way I could take a pic that quick... or that I wasn't really taking a pic of them. even if they did, no one seemed to mind - the camera is very discreet (doesn't look like a pro camera to the undiscerning eye). Those two guys just walked straight past me.

 

I've noticed that one of my pics above isn't showing... here's a b/w version - it's my favourite from the shoot.

 

[NZDavid]

Quickly fished out the X1 at Frankfurt airport. ISO1600, 1/30 @ f/6.3, shutter priority and AF. Missed their faces though.

 

Fast surreptitious pics can be good, but one has to ask, sometimes: Why? And in public places like airports these days, even shopping malls, you had best be careful or someone is going to tell you off!

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[tommm]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Quickly fished out the X1 at Frankfurt airport. ISO1600, 1/30 @ f/6.3, shutter priority and AF. Missed their faces though.

 

Fast surreptitious pics can be good, but one has to ask, sometimes: Why? And in public places like airports these days, even shopping malls, you had best be careful or someone is going to tell you off!

 

Part of the thrill, I guess. In the UK, new terrorism laws have resulted in photographers who are working in public being stopped by the police. I guess I'm kinda looking forward to asking the cops whether a terrorist would be likely to use a fixed prime wide angle lens for recon! Anyhoo... I found Paddington station was great for photography - there are so many interesting people around and they're all focussed on their mission... which makes it easier for you to do yours

 

Just a note though - I don't think this kind of photography is possible using auto focus - it's just too slow and you'll only be able to catch static subjects. I reckon 1/30 is too slow a shutter speed too - you're gonna get blur... I can see it on your pic above.

 

Ideal settings:

1/125 - 1/500 sec shutter speed

8 - 11 aperture

Manual focus to just over 6ft

External optical viewfinder - on (kills the LCD)

 

With that setup, you only need to adjust the ISO when you're moving between differently lighted areas... and the shutter will fire the moment you press down on the button.

[NZDavid]

You're right, needed to be 1/125 at least. I should have set it to f/2.8 and left shutter on A for fastest shutter speed. I find the slowest is waiting for the camera to switch on.

 

I did think it was extraordinary taking a tiny dog to a crowded airport. Poor wee thing! I agree travel is a lucrative field for interesting images.

[Guest stnami]

people looking at the camera shows that the X1 is incredibly discreet

[tommm]

@stnami - yep - it is very discreet and quiet, and with the right settings, also incredibly quick.

 

@David - I think with 2.8 you're going to get such a small depth of field that with manual focus as well, you're likely to miss the focus on your subject - try it on 5.6 - 8 or 11 - the chances are that you'll get your subject in focus. You can adjust exposure levels by changing ISO.

 

My ideal settings would be: Manual focus, 1/11 Aperture, 1/250 speed. Then adjust ISO.

Minimum would be: Manual focus, 5.6 Aperture, 1/125 speed. Go any wider in aperture or any slower in speed and I think you'll have problems.

[Guest stnami]

@stnami - yep - it is very discreet and quiet, and with the right settings, also incredibly quick.

That is why they are looking at the camera because they cannot see it........ they are looking at something invisable:rolleyes:

[peterb]

If the X1 had an articulating LCD like on my G1 (which alas admittedly would make the camera a little too thick for most users who like its sveltness) you could be even more discreet since you could hold the camera at more discreet positions for shooting and angle the screen out as needed rather than calling any attention as you brought the camera to your eye. At an airport I doubt the low shluck of the G1's shutter is any more noticeable than the X1's utterly silent one, which certainly comes in handy as I'd found with my D2 in far more quieter venues. (One of the interesting things about the D2 was that its sizeable lens shade made a great aiming device when holding the camera discreetly.)

[jsrockit]

Discreet is just creepy to me.

[earleygallery]

I love the photo of the guy with the walking stick, there's a lot of signals and hand gestures being echoed in the background.

 

Sorry to say but the others have little merit IMHO, they are just random shots of people doing uninteresting stuff. Fine for practice maybe.

[peterb]

Discreet is just creepy to me.

 

Yeah it is. I guess that's why Leica always uses the term "unobtrusive" when talking about stealth operations.

[brill64]

Discreet is just creepy to me.

 

most of the time, i guess. i'd feel annoyed if someone randomly, obviously pointed a camera at me. but that's slightly unnecessary considering that wherever you go in a major city, you're being watched by cctv anyway..

[tommm]

Bit of movement in here... taken into the sun too... tricky... bit of fiddling in Lightroom for this:

ISO 100 1/500 F16

[Michael-IIIf]

I love the photo of the guy with the walking stick, there's a lot of signals and hand gestures being echoed in the background.

 

Sorry to say but the others have little merit IMHO, they are just random shots of people doing uninteresting stuff. Fine for practice maybe.

 

Agreed. That is a nice shot.

 

Be careful taking pics in Paddington, it is private property and given the recent state of paranoia in the UK you are likely to become another anecdote in the "my fellow criminals" thread.

 

I'm not suggesting not to do it, just be prepared.

[PayPerView]

Yeah it is. I guess that's why Leica always uses the term "unobtrusive" when talking about stealth operations.

 

haha...making creepy into classy...

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[lars_bergquist]

So we're talking zone focusing. All right, you can work that way. But then you must have absolute and certain control of two parameters: aperture, and focusing distance, and this is where the X1 falls flat.

 

First, you have no marked settings between 2m/6ft and infinity. Yes, you can set an approximate 4m/12ft because that is (maybe) exactly halfway between 2 and infinity. But that's all. That is not enough. Second, the moment the camera goes to standby, it has focus amnesia, and you have to start working that thumb wheel again from square one. So you have to work constantly to outwit the electronic imps that are always trying to sabotage you. I would never pay one unit of any currency, except possibly a Zimbabwe dollar, for that kind of photographic convenience.

 

Any camera for street shooting has to have either SLR-fast autofocus, or a finely marked focus control that stays where you put it. The X1 is a toy camera, and a very expensive one. It would be moderately useful if it had a decent focus ring or a focus dial somewhere. But it would still be a ridiculously expensive compact.

 

I'm sorry, but there is no substitute for using the right tool for the job. So for me, there's nothing between my mobile phone (5 MP) and my M9. Or for that matter my M4-P, if I was still using film. And if I may say so, the pictures shown here do demonstrate it.

 

The old man from the Age of the M2

 

(Below, 18mm Zeiss Distagon on M8)

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!