donald (11/13/82)
Being a Canon user, I must defend the A-1 against uiucdcs!whaley's charges. While I'll agree that depth of field preview on most Canons when in auto exposure mode is a hassle, I question the utility of the DoFP feature in the first place. Most people can glean only the very vaguest indication of DoF by inspecting a stopped down image on a groundglass; the DoF scale on the lens is a more sensible thing to use. If you don't have time to use the scale then you certainly won't have time to scrutinize a dim groundglass. The only time I use the DoF on any camera is when I'm doing careful work on a tripod. (Yeah I know, many zooms don't have DoF scales...) I suspect that the reason DoF is not allowed in program mode is not due to battery drain, but merely due to mechanical constraints in the lens mount. Canons stop down purely by mechancal action, although odd mounts like the Mamiya ZE I think do need some current. Concerning the complaint that the A-1 goes below 1/60th before the lens opens all the way: well what do you want, program, aperture-priority, or shutter- priority? Using the first two you can always dip below 1/60th. If keeping it hand-holdable is that important why don't you use shutter-priority instead of program mode? I like the idea of setting the aperture (for aperture-priority mode) using my index finger on the shutter-release cluster rather than grappling around the lens. It's a lot faster once you get used to it. As for whether there's a "better automatic camera" in existence, that depends on what you want. The A-1 is probably the most technologically sophisticated, but it's also a battery hog because of the all-electronic shutter and the LED display. Besides, I personally prefer analogue displays. Nikon and Olympus automatics don't let you have multi-mode automation (they only have aperture- priority), but then is multi-mode that important to you? Basically it boils down to: what were your motives in changing from the Pentax Spotmatic to the Canon A-1? Not afraid to say I own an AE-1 Don Chan
wm (11/15/82)
Just one correction: the New Nikon FG has multi-mode automation, and works with any Nikon or Nikkor lens. I'm thinking of getting one as a backup as soon as I find some money. It's pretty cute. Wm Leler - UNC Chapel Hill