shutterspeed test on fotokina

[altphoto]

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May I be so bold as to ask if you can confirm the following;

Years ago, Leica would have had a stand during the Fotokina to see which was the lowest shutter speed at which you could make a sharp shot by hand, 

but to the despair of many it turned out that the 1/30th of a second, which was considered sacred, was usually not giving a sharp image;

that many only fell into this 1/125th of a second.

I previously read this somewhere and also heard it told in Leica circles;

did this actually happen or is it a myth?

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[Sandokan]

I don't know about that. 

What I do know is that with the high resolution sensors, what looked sharp at 24MP no longer looks sharp at 60MP, so I use 1/4.f instead of 1/f as my lowest shutter speed

[250swb]

34 minutes ago, altphoto said:

May I be so bold as to ask if you can confirm the following;

 

Years ago, Leica would have had a stand during the Fotokina to see which was the lowest shutter speed at which you could make a sharp shot by hand, 

 

but to the despair of many it turned out that the 1/30th of a second, which was considered sacred, was usually not giving a sharp image;

 

that many only fell into this 1/125th of a second.

 

I previously read this somewhere and also heard it told in Leica circles;

 

did this actually happen or is it a myth?

There is a myth where people tell you they can reliably hand hold to make a sharp image at 1/8th, but this is of course bullshit based on they did it once, but then task them to do it again and all bets are of.  This is the full bollocks of how Leica and the minions caught in the headlights make claims that are never true, or at least never repeatably true. The question is why brag about a doing something once, surely they know it's a random event, but then that is what internet 'its never happened to me' arguments are fuelled by.

Edited April 29, 2024 by 250swb

[Anbaric]

The usual rule of thumb is 1/(focal length of the lens) or preferably higher, so you'd want 1/60 or 1/125 for a 50mm lens. So that number isn't surprising, especially when (how shall I put this?) some Leica users might no longer have quite the steadiness of hand that comes with the first flush of youth.

[TomB_tx]

Sharpness impression also comes down to image size and viewing distance. for many of us in past decades we printed mostly 8x10 inch B&W photos, and for publication as "reportage" they would end up as 5x7 or so. People also weren't as "focused" on absolute sharpness - rather on the image impact, etc. Looking at 1050s photo books (like Morgan's Leica Manual) many examples of available light photos aren't what we would call "sharp" today. Our criteria has changed.

In college in the 1960s I never used flash, and shot mainly "available light" on TriX, using 1/30 commonly and and some selected for publish at 1/15 with 50 mm lenses. You wouldn't consider them sharp today, but the image content made is acceptable then.

And I agree - I was much steadier then before the tremors of age came upon me.

[williamj]

Leica’s manual for the Leica IIIa recommends learning to take photos at 1/30 and 1/40 th of a second and hand positions to help to do so. 
What I doubt is that Leica had a booth at Photokina to test if people could take sharp photos at those shutter speeds. Previous commenters on this thread have shown how that would be a waste of time on their part given all the factors involved.
But perhaps they had a booth where you could get your camera’s shutter tested?

[Danner]

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There's also a strong influence by the shooter's technique in positioning their body, holding the camera, and pressing the shutter release.  Things such as leaning against a solid structure (when available) to steady yourself, keeping your elbows pressed against you body, breath control, and smooth shutter release actions, not anticipating the moment of release.  IME, 1/f regularly yields acceptable results, and half that shutter speed often times being effective.  Note that I am referring to producing acceptably sharp prints, and not 1:1 pixel peeping.

Edited April 30, 2024 by Danner

[altphoto]

I'm looking for an article about the shutter speed test;

I have now received more information, 

the article would have appeared in the Leica magazine at the end of the 1960s and early 1970s, 

the test would not have been done at the fotokina but in clubs and associations, 

would it be possible to get a PDF of this article,

 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation

Regards

eddy willems

[Patrick1955]

12 hours ago, altphoto said:

I'm looking for an article about the shutter speed test;

I have now received more information, 

the article would have appeared in the Leica magazine at the end of the 1960s and early 1970s, 

the test would not have been done at the fotokina but in clubs and associations, 

would it be possible to get a PDF of this article,

 

Thank you in advance for your cooperation

Regards

eddy willems

While not a PDF, this video article from Petapixels some time ago got my attention, and hopefully is of some interest. https://petapixel.com/2023/02/27/how-leica-measured-shutter-speeds-to-the-millisecond-with-the-naked-eye/