AG Schnozz wrote:
>Anybody notice just how "perfect" the controls on the OM bodies
>are? Today's cameras are just glorified point-and-shoots that
>don't require anything more of the photographer than the ability
>to lamely point the lens in the appropriate direction and push
>the button. Anytime you want to do anything special you have to
>defeat the features of the camera. With cameras like the
>OM-4(T/Ti) you have full and complete control over the focus and
>exposure and absolutely no defeating is required. Proper
>exposure determination on the digitized analog scale and the
>ability to control everything by tactile feel are beyond today's
>camera designs.
>
Well, I love the OM-4, but.... At some speeds and with some lenses, the
manual shutter speed ring is not the easiest thing in the world to
operate. Of course, practice makes perfect, comfortable and natural
seeming. And one thing Oly never did is put the aperture setting in the
viewfinder. Yes, I know that's hard and was uncommon in MF cameras, but
you are only talking convenience of use, not how that ease of use can be
created. For aperture preferred use, rolling the little wheel on the
300D while watching both aperture and shutter speed in the viewfinder
strikes me as more user friendly than spinning the aperture ring,
sometimes on the front and sometimes on the back of the lens (although
not on your particular lenses, perhaps, no zooms, right?). And having no
idea what the aperture is set to without counting clicks or removing my
eye from the viewfinder is certainly not as great a control design as
seeing what I need in the finder.
And I'm not sure what you mean about needing to defeat everything to
take control of the camera. Of course, your serious experience is with a
prosumer, not a DSLR, but the proper comparison to the OM-4 is a DSLR.
You go from auto to manual on either a '4' or a 300D with a rotary
switch. Sure the digital has more switch settings, but manual is right
there, along with both aperture preferred auto like the '4' and the
shutter preferred it would be nice to have on the '4' sometimes. On my
300D, manual isn't all that convenient, you have to hold a little button
to switch the little wheel from speed to aperture, but most DSLRs
provide 2 wheels. And the same little wheel(s) can instantly change the
'film' speed, just a little bonus. :-)
As to focus, manual focus is one switch away, but at least on the Can*ns
with a USM lens, you don't have to switch anything. Just push the
release halfway for AF, then twist the ring for fine adjustment, no
resistance, no hassle. Of course, the viewfinder can't hold a candle to
the '4' let alone the '1', but you don't have to defeat anything to try
to focus on the screen.
>Just maybe, the OM-4(T/Ti) really is the best SLR ever designed from an
>exposure control perspective.
>
Here, I agree with you. Nothing else built into a camera gives so much
conrol and flexibility.
Don't get me wrong, I think the OMs are wonderful, the best of the MF
era, ann the '4' is my overall favorite. But they aren't perfect and
some DSLR features improve on the speed and convenience of use. You
didn't really know some of the convenience features of the '4' that some
of us use regularly 'til this weekend. Maybe you should spend some
quality time with a DSLR before dismissing them so completely.
Moose
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