Babu@cvl.UUCP (Babu) (10/15/83)
n what is the use of spot metering ?
When do you use it and with what lenses ?
Incidentally , I am surprised to find that the
Canon A-1 doesn't allow user interchangeable
focussing screens but the earlier model
AE-1 Program does ? Can anyone guess why this
is so ? Isn't this a drawback ?(The only answer
that I can think of is that changing focussing
screens is a delicate operation which could
potentially damage your camera if you are not
careful and therefore better left alone.But
Pros will not think like that.)
I also want to know if there are
any real uses for shutter speeds in excess of
1 msec.Some cameras like the Pentax have
shutter speeds as high as 1/4000 sec.
I am looking forward to receiving
your replies.
This is the first time I am sending
mail via Usenet.If this Group is not meant
for this sort of questions please forgive me.
Babu Srinivasan
U of Marylandwally@cornell.UUCP (Wally Dietrich) (10/18/83)
Theodore's answer on the uses of spot metering was right on the money.
It would probably have cost more to have user-interchangeable focusing
screens on the Canon A-1. (After all, the alignment has to be just right
for the focusing to be correct.) Since most 35mm SLR users are happy
with one screen all of the time, Canon probably didn't think it was
worth it. When you consider the number of people willing to put up with
smaller maximum apertures, more pincushion distortion, and bigger
prices so that they don't have to change lenses as often (by using
zooms), it's not so surprising that most people don't want to change
focusing screens. (Just a little editorializing there.) Actually, I
don't use zoom lenses, but am happy practically all of the time with the
split-image center, microprisim ring, ground-glass field that came
with my A-1. (Then again, when I get a 400 mm, f/4 lens I may not be
so happy, due to black-out in the split-image.) Like Theodore said,
pro's can buy F-1's with interchangeable everythings.
Shutter speeds in excess of 1/1000 sec. are useful for three reasons:
1) You can freeze action better. (This is more useful for freezing
backgrounds when panning than stopping bullets, as in Nikon's ad. You
can almost certainly do the latter kind of thing just as easily with
a strobe, considering all of the other equipment you need for timing
and such.)
2) You can use bigger apertures without using neutral density filters.
3) The faster shutters generally have faster strobe synchronization
speeds, so there will be less blur if a lot of the exposure is
from ambient light.ricks@tekcad.UUCP (10/18/83)
#R:cvl:-68000:tekcad:14300007:000:820
tekcad!paulp Oct 17 10:58:00 1983
After using both the A-1 and AE-1, plus several other cameras in the past,
I wouldn't use anything other than a spot meter. Averaging meters of any
stripe are too easily fooled by contrasty scenes or lighting differences
between foreground and background. I have an Canon F-1 with the 3% spot
and a full manual FtB with a center rectangle. These meters measure what
I want them to, not the whole scene. To get an average reading I move the
spot around, note the various values, and interpolate. Spot meters are
also useful with fill in flash.
Paul Pomes
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