Winsor wrote:
> Olympus continues to limp along without a true matrix
> metering system.
Well, although true, I don't think it's really the end-all.
It's not necessarily the number of sense-points that makes the
difference, it's the fuzzy logic behind the scenes that
interprets the data. Nikon really has done the best job with
matrix metering and I still think the F5 is the best of the
best. However, when it screws up, it screws up big time.
> This camera has a single LCD like a consumer digicam and the
> three point focus system they continue to use...
I've got mixed feelings here. I'd like a full-screen AF system.
The diamond-shape pattern is almost as bad as just the
three-point pattern as my subject being focused on is almost
always in the outer area where there isn't any sensors. Cameras
like the D2X address this pretty well.
Olympus' algorithm to find focus is really pretty archaic.
Nikon's, again, is best as it is a true 3D sense matrix and has
distance computation going on so it knows not only that one
point is closer than the others but also knows how far away the
distant ones are. Combine this knoweledge data with the matrix
metering and it has a very good understanding of subject
distance/brightness and background distance/brightness. Using
auto-flash, it will correctly expose the subject while adjusting
the exposure for the background.
Olympus' approach essentially does the same thing, but does so
through a center-spot vs outer-area sense pattern. The primary
difference between the two systems is quantity of sense points
and that some of the Nikon cameras also sense color which is
used in the logic to determine other factors about the
scene--like whether or not it's a sunset sillouette.
Canon's approach is somewhere in-between, but probably leans a
little heavier on the averaging meter.
> other DSLR no matter how cheap and digicams like the new G7
> which has 9 point autofocus.
Even my Minolta A1 has a cajillion AF points and is a true 3D
matrix metering. It works great--slow, but great.
My beef with these advanced matrix metering systems is that they
make some assumptions about the scene based on certain values
showing in the data. For instance, it sees a bright outdoor
scene and if the highlight EV value is a certain number, then it
KNOWS that it's a bright sunlit scene and will place certain
constraints into the logic. However, if you have a polorizer on
the lens, the EV value of the highlight may have decreased
enough that it no longer KNOWS that it's a bright sunlit scene
and will apply a different set of rules to the logic. If the
camera is unable to ascertain the type of scene it's looking at
and the focus points aren't giving distance information worth
considering, it will go into an averaging metering mode--which
is what usually works 90% of the time anyway.
AG
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