kenw@lcuxc.UUCP (K Wolman) (02/25/85)
If you find yourself using your old Olympus OM-1 more than you
expected despite a new OM-4 ("How Can You Tell When You Become
A SERIOUS Photographer"????), you are not alone. I used my
first 35 mm camera, a Minolta SRT-201, under any and all circumstances,
and got results which corresponded exactly to my abilities as a
photographer. I later purchased an X-700, Minolta's (previously)
top-of-the-line camera, which has both aperture priority and
a program. As it turns out, I find myself using the fully manual
SRT for its convenience, especially in high-contrast lighting
situations where the programmed camera can be easily fooled.
Granted, the program is a great device if you grab-shoot; I
regularly do my Gary Winogrand imitation by setting the camera on
"P", the lens on minimum aperture, setting an approximate prefocus,
and strolling through indoor shopping malls hip-shooting (FANTASY:
one day I'll catch a robbery in progress and win a Pulitzer). But
indoor mall lighting is average light; it's generally consistent.
the X-700's centerweight meter cannot handle high-contrast. Using
the AE lock on the camera is cumbersome; you have to extend your
fingers every which way to hold the lock down while going for the
shutter release. The SRT enables me to bracket effortlessly (just
ignore the match-needles) or do a reading of my hand to establish
the correct exposure. With the X-700, if you read the shadows,
you either have to use that damned AE lock or put the camera on
manual. As for batteries, it seems to be a reasonably considerate
power-gobbler.
--
Ken Wolman
Bell Communications Research @ Livingston
lcuxc!kenw
"Maybe, and that's final!"dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) (02/26/85)
Interesting. I also have an old (SRT-101) and new (X-570) Minolta, and I use the newer body most of the time, even though I use it on manual a substantial portion of that time. Reasons are probably: It displays the aperture in the finder, unlike the SRT-101. On manual, it displays both set and metered shutter speeds, making "match-needle" metering possible if a bit less convenient than the SRT-101. And the metering is done with a silicon photocell, with none of the blindness and slow response problems of the CdS cell in the older camera. And I can switch it to auto if I want that, including the use of TTL flash. The X-700, on the other hand, does not display the set shutter speed in manual, making it inferior to the X-570 in that respect - that, plus believing that I'd never use program mode, caused me to buy the X-570.
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (02/27/85)
RULE #1: A slicker camera will not make you a better photographer, it just makes some things easeier.
paul@wjvax.UUCP (Paul Summers) (02/28/85)
Being a fairly satisfied owner of a Minolta X-700, I'd like to offer a rebuttal to Ken Wolman's article comparing the X-700 to the venerable SRT-201. >...in high-contrast lighting situations where the programmed camera >can be easily fooled. ...the X-700's centerweight meter cannot handle >high-contrast. - True. I lost several shots this way before I learned how to compensate for this. >Using the AE lock on the camera is cumbersome; you have to extend your >fingers every which way to hold the lock down while going for the >shutter release. - Actually, I find the AE lock easy to use, and one of the most valuable features of the camera. It is located on the front of the body just under where your right middle finger touches the body. I have found that with a little practise, I can lock the exposure and get the shot off one handed. Granted, I have relatively large hands (although I can't palm a basketball). >The SRT enables me to bracket effortlessly (just ignore the match-needles) or >do a reading of my hand to establish the correct exposure. With the X-700, >if you read the shadows, you either have to use that damned AE lock or put >the camera on manual. - Using the AE lock in aperture mode, you can do the same thing: Focus, lock, open/close the aperture as desired. The AE lock only locks the shutter speed in aperture mode. >As for batteries, it seems to be a reasonably considerate >power-gobbler. - Yes and no. The X-700 is turned on only as long as you touch the shutter release, and then times out after 10 or 15 seconds of non-use. The real power gobbler is the shutter itself. I believe that one set of batteries will hold the shutter open for about 4 hours (not good for you astronomers out there). I've found that the more experienced I've become with the camera, the more I can anticipate how I should shoot the scene, either avoiding 'hot spots', use the AE lock, switch modes (Aperture priority, program or manual) or let the camera do the work. The moral is that you have to get experience with an advanced piece of equipment to best learn how to exploit its strengths and avoid its weaknesses. -- <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> Paul Summers Watkins Johnson, Co. 2525 N. First St. San Jose, Ca. 95131-1097 (408) 262-1411 x3203 ( {pesnta,twg,ios,qubix,turtlevax,tymix}!wjvax!paul ) Working is fine, but I wouldn't want to make a career out of it.
jans@mako.UUCP (Jan Steinman) (03/01/85)
In article <274@lcuxc.UUCP> kenw@lcuxc.UUCP (K Wolman) writes: >If you find yourself using your old Olympus OM-1 more than you >expected despite a new OM-4 ("How Can You Tell When You Become >A SERIOUS Photographer"????), you are not alone... Look carefully at that OM-4 before saying that! The OM-4 is source code compatible with the OM-1. Switch to "manual" and you've got an OM-1 with a built-in, eight-spot, averaging spot meter! I still think the OM-4 is the only camera to buck the trend of "do-it-for-you" automation. Ever hear of the "Zone System"? That's OK, most owners of automatics haven't. The OM-4's metering system was designed for zoned metering and is exceptionally easy to use that way, no tables, no charts. -- :::::: Jan Steinman Box 1000, MS 61-161 (w)503/685-2843 :::::: :::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans Wilsonville, OR 97070 (h)503/657-7703 ::::::