Motordrive madness . . . a modest proposal

Jock Elliott

Hall of Famer
Location
Troy, NY
Watching a government press statement on TV, I notice a sound in the background that sound like someone running a riveting gun. It’s the press photogs running their DSLRs in motordrive mode. The chattering sound comes from the mirrors flapping up and down as the photojournalists strive to get good images.

Having covered events myself, I have experienced first-hand how difficult it can be to capture facial expressions during a live event, so I understand the urge to use continuous shooting mode. But it’s an unnecessary distraction, and if one of the DSLRs gets too close to a microphone, it can actually obscure the audio.

So, a modest proposal; require the press to use mirrorless cameras in “silent” mode in venues where motordrive noise could be a problem.

Your thoughts?

Cheers, Jock
 
You often wonder how big the pipes are to deliver a minimum 20MP RAW + JPG Large Fine files at 12-15 fps in time to make the next fifteen minute news cycle. And these guys are shooting three and five second bursts minimum. All on deadline in real-time. I remember the days of when the only people who could do this had BGAN satellite terminal station suitcases and were shooting 6MP.
 
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