My last experience shooting sports was an NCAA regional basketball
tournament in about 1970, so take this for what it's worth.
There were plenty of good sports shots taken before AF. Lots of them. What
we grizened old timers did was what Mr. Veglia probably does today: follow
focus. It's pretty much impossible to pre focus to a spot and await the
appearance of the basketball, or car. In our days, immediately following the
demise of dinosauers, we all prided ourselves on knowing instictively which
direction we needed to turn the focus ring to focus closer or farther. With
but a little practice, it is easy, and accurate. With a ground glass screen,
the focus point is anywhere you want it to be.
AF? It will allow the occasional impossible shot by the unprepared
photographer, but it otherwise only allows the operator to "focus" his
attention to other things, like composition and lighting. Oh, that they
would.
an unusual fact. I just read a magazine interview with a SI basketball
photographer. For the dramatic shots looking down on the basket? They use a
Hasselblad ELM, radio controlled. I'm sure they use 70mm, but it would be
possible to get by with a 220 back per half. Boy, would I like to see those
chromes!
Bill Pearce
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