Leica Theater Rig

[kelly_flanigan1]

Re <i>135? You try framing a 135 M lens on an actor while he is moving around under stage light. Good luck.</i><BR><BR>I have shot hockey with my 135mm F3.5 and my M3 with success. The players tend to move around; maybe like actors too. The banding in the full frame are the result of the interaction of the lighting and the m3's slow shutter; few rinks give this effect. The 60 cycle AC on the vapor lamps and the shutter interact. Photo taken at an away game down south; exposure 1/250 sec with Fuji 800 print film.Sometimes I use 1/125 too. <BR><BR><A HREF="http://www.ezshots.com/members/tripods/images/tripods-181.jpg" target = "_blank">

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[kelly_flanigan1]

I sure would try to go to a rehearsal to do some test shots; to check out the lighting; shadows; exposure; from where one will be sitting.

[dougfromtumwater]

Brian

 

In terms of minimum shutter speeds and an excellent color print film, Kelly has nailed it for theater also. Actors move around in exaggeration for audience clues to the plot. They flail their arms, jerk their heads, jump for joy, all the while mouths hugely a gap in astonishment, happiness or grief. Because of this, you are asking for blurred photos below 1/125, 1/250 is preferred even with a 75 Lux.

 

Upon reflection, I would amend my earlier Leica M body recommendation to include your M2&4 with the 75, to save you some $. If you shoot beyond 15 feet and use the 50 frame line and mentally decrease the frame size by the width of 3 frame lines on all sides you will be very close to the 75 coverage. Alternatively, just use the 90 frame for a tight crop and expect a bit more on the perimeter.

 

Finally, Brian you have an outstanding 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor that is a match to the 75 Lux in performance, don't forget the blimp option. Unlike the primitive AE metering on the M7, I would trust the F5 matrix meter in AE mode under these difficult lighting circumstances.

[steve_barnett2]

Ignore the matrix metering if you use your F5 Brian. Its the spot lights on the actors you want to meter for, not the shadows in the background, especially as you are going to be so far away from the action. The M7 metering, or M6 for that matter, may be crude by posh Nikon F5 standards, but 'less is more' in the theatre.

[robert_byrd1]

I've had good luck with an M3 and a 90mm Tele-Elmarit. I sat center, about seven rows back, during a dress rehearsal. Even with 1600 speed film I was glad to have a tripod. Theatre lights are not as bright as they seem to be.

 

BTW, I shot during dress rehearsal, not a performance. Shooting during a performance would be annoying to other audience members. People near you will not only be distracted by the shutter sound, but also by your raising and lowering the camera.

 

Amusing note: If the actors know they are being photographed, they make lots of gestures--they know that a gesture "draws the fire."

 

Robert

[olivier_reichenbach]

Robert, Doug, what kind of theatre performances have you had the bad luck to attend, for crying

out loud? In my entire life spent in the theatre business I have never seen one actor even come

remotely close to doing any of the things you say. At least, professional actors.

[eliot]

Doug. Steve is right. Every kind of matrix/evaluative meter system in existence will give undue weight to the dark area surrounding a spotlit performer and thus over-expose the scene. You can try to dial in some negative compensation, but with a matrix type exposure system, you will never know how much, and this may differ depending upon the particular algorithm.

 

This is a situation for a spotmeter, or with the Leica M7, for a close up reading of the performer without much surrounding darkness. An intelligent knowledgeable photographer will do better than anyone's matrix system - including that of the Nikon F5 - even using an exposure meter as "primitive" as that of the M7.

[john_amiet2]

Sorry guys (& gals) but I have never read so much uninformed crap in all my life! How many of you commenting in this thread have really seriously photographed theatre? I don't mean stealing pics from your seat. I mean serious photographing a show. Most (not all) of these comments just bear no practical reality to getting pictures! I know I am pontificating here, but I have spent many years earning a living doing what you are talking about and most of what I have read is just miles off the mark. I am not going to address individual comments because of the volume. What I will do in the next few days is open a new thread giving my views/experience in the theatre with a reasonable amount of technical detail and philosophy for those interested. You can then shoot me down in flames if you wish, but you better get your facts straight, because mine will be!!

 

And now a peaceful night to all, Cheers,

John