Origins of the MFL slang

RokkorDoctor · Expire: 2025-05-01

Silky smooth focusing

Not sure if this counts as MFL "slang", but I have seen it used a lot...

I interpret it to mean the ability to control the focus grip without any hint of stiction or hysteresis, and where the viscosity of the lubricant is constant with stress, i.e. perfectly lubricated with a Newtonian lubricant.

Butter smooth focusing

Similar to the above, but now the viscosity of the lubricant decreases with stress, i.e. perfectly lubricated with a pseudoplastic non-Newtonian lubricant.

GAS attack (Gear Acquisition Syndrome attack)

A sudden irresistible craving for more photography-related gear which manifests itself in the actual purchase of cameras or lenses which are completely surplus-to-requirement. Whilst we may intuitively relate this to photography equipment, a quick internet search suggests this also applies very much to musicians and guitars/effect pedals...

kiddo · Joined: 29 Jun 2018 Posts: 1236

Maybe we could add the value of a lens like a price for a dinner lol, or a beer, coffee ....
Doesn't mention what would be the place for the dinner or coffee/beer
An interesting point of view how we evaluate our GAS

paulhofseth · Expire: 2018-06-28

An evaluative expression like "clinical " lcan be literally understood as someting clean, well lit and clearly visible on the oprating table, rather than a piece of undesirable garbage, or perhaps it refers to the ill patient waiting to be cured.

Usually it applies to higly corrected , contrasty optics, and may vary considerably between users but is not easiily measured.

p.

Doc Sharptail · Joined: 23 Nov 2020 Posts: 1179 Location: Winnipeg Canada

Then there are terms like "fringing" which in my case adds purple edges to some parts of a subject.

CA's- Chromatic Abberation(s)

MFD- Minimum Focus Distance.

Focus Throw- how far a lens turns from MFD to infinity, sometimes measured in degrees.

Gray (Grey) Card- Kodak exposure tool consisting of a hardened card that reflects 18%, usually used for meter readings.

There's probably a lot more like this...

-D.S.

alex_d · Joined: 19 Jan 2019 Posts: 385

leica user: " .. one body one lens .." ..

..

"..yeah.."

then talks bout the leica gear but makes no pics

alex ph · Joined: 16 Mar 2013 Posts: 1674

Whohoo, felows, so interesting examples and observations!

As we make a slightly larger range of expressions than pure slang words, let me say I was pretty much surprised when I first discovered that both lenses and cameras are usually designated with the pronoun "she". May that be because the majority of MFL owners are male? That sounds a bit like in car subculture which is a pretty dominantly male one.

paulhofseth · Expire: 2018-06-28

femal names frequently also used for boats, not only cars, but neither our boats or cars have female names. Our successive CitroÃªn deuxchavaux were called "snile " meaning snail and "somle" meaning dawdle. while the green Renault that followed was "grÃ¸nne gorilla" (=green gorilla) the boats have similarly peculiar names-

p

Ã«deuxcjevaux

alex_d · Joined: 19 Jan 2019 Posts: 385

i was screwing old Zeissie for a while on, but she was too generic and boring ..
so i exchanged her for an unpredictable crazy Sunny with her 44 size ..

"she.."

alex_d · Joined: 19 Jan 2019 Posts: 385

.. built like a tank ..

titrisol70 · Joined: 14 Dec 2021 Posts: 180 Location: State of Denial

jamaeolus · Expire: 2015-08-20

The Traveling Wiburys song "Cool Dry Place" reflects the issues musicians with GAS may encounter.