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 Maryland
wally@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 uucp: {decvax,harpo,ihnss,pur-ee,ucbvax,unc,zehntel}!teklabs!tekcad!paulp ARPA: tekcad!paulp.tek@Rand-Relay CSnet: tekcad!paulp@tek US Mail: Paul Pomes, Tektronix, Inc. Box 500 MS 59-323, Beaverton OR 97077 Phone: 503-627-2341