Chimping or something else??

I noticed that I look down at my camera quite often while shooting. But it's not to see the LCD, it's to see the LED. The red LED that lets you know something is going on, like photos being uploaded to the CF card. I shoot in burst mode, and sometimes I fill the buffer pretty fast. Rather than sit and wait for the numbers to build up, I look at the LED to see when it stops flashing so I can take more shots. I would imagine there's a lot of other people who do the same thing. This action can easily look like you're viewing the pics on the LCD when you are not.

So, now we have to come up with a word to describe the action of looking at the LED to see when the buffer is free.

http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Chimping

- Chris

Here is the complete chimping thread.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=76476

Yes, I know what Chimping is. And while I do it from time to time, I'm not doing it all the time. I am, however, looking at the red LED to see when it stops flashing so I can take another burst of shots. I don't think the term Chimping applies to that action. So, a new term has to be made to explain that process. At least that way I won't feel too bad when I'm staring at the back of my camera thinking to myself "I wonder if anybody is looking at me thinking I'm chimping?".


I don't check the LCD to see how shots are coming out. I pretty much know from experience how the shots are going to be. Plus I don't think a small screen like that can give you a true representation of how a shot is going to come out. If I was going to check shots, I'd use a monitor. The only time I use the screen to view shots is when I'm done shooting and I want to show somebody some of the shots I took before I get them onto the computer.

The only time I ever watch the LED, is when I am about to change cards and I want to be sure that everything has been transferred before I open the card door.

I never watch it to judge when I can take pictures again, as you can take pictures at all times apart from just after the buffer is filled. Even then, you only need wait a second or so before you can take another shot or two. It can take some time to stop flashing and you could easily be missing the best shot of the day if you are looking down at the camera waiting for the LED to stop flashing.

If there is action going on (and I presume if you have just filled your buffer, that is quite likely) my camera is to my eye and ready to shoot, or held slightly away, but ready to shoot, if I am looking for where the next good action is likely to be.

I have a fair estimate in my head of remaining buffer space, depending on how much I have been 'bursting', I know that if I have just done several bursts in quick succession that I need to just ease up on the rate of fire slightly for a couple of bursts. I also have the counter in the viewfinder that lets me know when I am down to my last 9 shots or less and just how many I have got.

I think I have only ever actually hit the full buffer three or four times, in about 130,000 shots, in each case I still continued shooting with individual frames as the buffer cleared sufficiently. I have on a number of occasions had to watch my rate of fire as the 'shots remaining' indicator is going up and down like crazy, but NEVER felt the need to stop shooting for 30 seconds or so, to let everything clear the buffer.

I can't see any reason to be staring at a flashing LED, waiting for it to stop, when I could be following the action and getting more shots, any one of which could end up being the best shot of the day. Watching the LED, rather than the action could mean not just missing getting the shot, but also not even realising that it had been there to be got.

That's true, but when I'm at certain places, I don't leave the camera on full-time. Like at the zoo. Let's say I'm at the tiger exhibit, and the tiger is very active. I stand there and shoot until the buffer is full. I can keep shooting while the buffer frees up, but not at full speed. I'd like to wait a few seconds to get back to full speed, and looking at the LED helps me decide when to start firing off again. When I just get done shooting a full buffer, I want to turn the camera off to walk to the next exhibit. So I look at the LED to see when it's safe. I know I don't have to, since the camera won't shut down until the buffer is empty, but I'm one of those paranoid types who thinks the best shots of the day will disappear if I shut down too soon. So it's not just to see when the buffer is free for more shots, but also to turn the camera off. I'd say I do it about 80% of the time. Otherwise I just shut it off and don't worry about it.


I just thought it was funny that I look at the camera all the time, and people would think I was looking at the LCD to check my shots.

OK...silly question time...why do you turn your camera off? I can't remember the last time I actually turned the camera off.

Red Light District.

:p

Turning the camera off saves battery power. I can keep the same two batteries in my grips for days, and shoot hours on end for days without having to worry about running out of power. I'm a lazy-ass and don't want to take the extra 35 seconds out of my day to change batteries.

If it's weird or un-necessary, too bad. That's what I do. I'm an idiot, and I do tons of stupid stuff.

I'm a noob, so I must chimp..

lol

I turn mine off and on to clean the censor...........and I would call looking at the led to much free time.