heliotis (11/23/82)
My Minolt SRT201 was stolen last year, and, after looking at several of the newer automatic cameras, we decided to get another manual SRT. Am I wierd? I just figured that I would never trust the exposure the camera chooses (my wife and I tinker with the shutter speed and aperture alot), so why buy it? We are not at all professional photographers, but we kind of like messing with the exposure. I'd like to hear if there are other people who are into purely recreational photography who feel the same way! (seismo/allegra)!rochester! Jim.Heliotis
smith@umn-cs.UUCP (06/06/83)
#R:rocheste:-26100:umn-cs:9000002:000:791 umn-cs!smith Dec 1 14:24:00 1982 I've been using a "manual" camera for years now and I feel rather uncertain about changing to an automatic, too. My Nikkormat FTN is starting to show the ravages of age (not even Nikon in Flushing could quite fix the meter after its most recent crash landing on concrete). But Nikon's latest manual camera (the FM2) costs more than either the FG or the cheapo EM, both of which are automatic. I'm starting to weaken, since the FG is rumored to support manual use as well as automatic.... I like to aim the camera from one angle and take a meter reading, aim it somewhere else and focus, then aim and shoot. If you're taking several shots under similiar conditions you only have to do your camera settings once. This works poorly on automatics without a genuine manual mode. Rick.
barbaral@tekid.UUCP (06/07/83)
I used to have an old Olympus manual camera. Then my parents gave me a Minolta AUTOFOCUS camera for Xmas, with a built in flash. You cannot set the settings manually on the Minolta. The one thing I don't like is it doesn't like to focus closer than about 3 feet. It makes a beeping noise which means the camera is too close to the subject. I like having the built in flash a lot. I don't like having to remember that the batteries might go dead. Overall, I like the autofocus Minolta. I am not a serious photographer. I like to take pictures of my friends and of places I visit, so the simpler the camera is to use, the better for me.
tim@minn-ua.UUCP (06/08/83)
You can always do better with a manual. I have a camera that has both only because I couldn't afford the Nikon. I use the automatic alot if the lighting is REAL straight forward. Better control isn't all you get with the Nikon manual. You can change the focusing techique and the thing is built real solid. I think of dropping my camera on the cement and I think parts and pieces all over the ground. I know someone that has the FM and someone who has the manual (I can't remember what its called) and the manual is much more solid. Does anyone know if the shutter is more trustworthy on the manual? ihnp4!stolaf!umn-cs!minn-ua!tim
rs55611@ihuxk.UUCP (06/15/83)
The Nikon FM IS the manual version. It's the FE that's the "equivalent"
semi-auto (aperture-preferred), but with full manual match-needle metering.
Both of these use metal bodies, and the same metal shutter. Perhaps you
were thinking of Nikon's substantially cheaper EM, which is auto-only
(I think) Then there's the newer FG model, which has most of the FE
features, but adds a full-auto (program) mode. As it typically sells
for slightly less than the FE, it either has a slight reduction in quality,
or the technology advances allow lower cost with no sacrifices in quality.
>From what little I've seen of the FG, it looks like the latter.
(I'm ignoring completely the top of the line F3)
Bob Schleicher ihuxk!rs55611zhahai@nbires.UUCP (06/27/83)
The Nikon FG has manual, automatic, and programmed modes (this last is unique among Nikon SLRs). It is about the size and construction of the bottom of the line EM, and some people don't expect it to have the durability of the mid-line cameras (FM, FE), but I wouln't know. (re: size, it is smaller than the mid-line cameras, and lighter, which might or might not be an advantage for you). Some things to note, though: The shutter release does not have a lock, ie: after you wind it, it will shoot if you ever bump the release. This inter- acts with another foible: no double exposure. So if you do bump the release, even with the cap on, the shot is used - you can't try again. Also, depressing the shutter release will light the leds and use battery power (something to consider if you stach your camera in a pack or the like). The longest exposure seems to be 1 second. No depth-of-field stopdown. No pc flash terminal. It can also do off-the-film flash metering with the right dedicated flash. The discount prices (see back of photography magazines) seem to be $150 to $165 which is AFTER the current $35 rebate from Nikon (be sure to get US warranty for rebate). The Nikon FE is advertised at about the same price, but may be for a gray-market version (legal but no US warranty). I have had one of these for 2+ years and like it. It has autoexposure, which I have decided is a great boon - but I can easily switch to manual and often do. Quite often, I would just follow the reccommended exposure anyway, and when I wouldn't I can use exposure compensation (+-2 f stops), or manual, or yet another system ( a hold). Oh, and you can see the f stop through a little window above the viewfinder, which is great (also missing on FG). It has all the things mentioned above as not on the FG (release lock, double exposure, depth of field, 8 second exposure, pc). I think these may be a good value, since they are being replaced with the FE-2, and are much cheaper than when I bought mine. No program mode, of course. Now what I think I want is the FE-2, which has essentially everything from the FE, FM-2, and FG, except Program Mode. After trying out an FG recently (last week) I decided against it, for the above reasons. Also, I was not thrilled by the program mode, since automatic is virtually as convenient and more controlled (for my taste). If only an FG was bu $95 or so, I'd get it anyway. PS: prices mentioned were for just a body, as that was what I was shopping for. Add $35 (?) to $50 for a 50mm lens (E series) if you want one. In short, tenative rccomendation to go for FM/FE series rather than FG. Zhahai Stewart (allegra, ucbvax)!nbires!zhahai (NBI inc)