I have to admit that, now, after more than 3 years of usage, I have
become quite accustomed to Canon's "same tired interface" and use the
camera's controls smoothly and without hesitation... with one exception.
Like the Mynolta A1 there are two main control dials operated by index
finger and thumb. I normally use either camera in manual mode about 90%
of the time, AV mode maybe 8% and all other modes the 2% difference.
In manual mode on either camera the front dial is shutter speed and the
rear dial is aperture. However, in AV or TV mode the Canyon declares
the front dial to be either aperture of shutter depending on the mode.
The rear dial then controls exposure compensation and is always active
depending on the position of the power switch. On the A1 both front and
rear dials control either aperture or shutter as appropriate for the
mode. Both also control exposure compensation which is only active
after having pressed the exposure compensation switch.
Since the role of the front dial on the Canyon changes after switching
from manual to AV mode I invariably end up changing the exposure
compensation (shutter speed) when I meant to change aperture. Perhaps
if I used AV mode more frequently I'd get used to it. But after 3 years
I still haven't adapted.
And I should also comment that AG has put an entirely different twist on
the meaning of my comment about "techno-whizbang" on the Canyon 7D. I
was quite enamored of the techno-whizbang as being mostly very useful
stuff, especially the viewfinder overlays and some others (although I
have no pretensions of it turning me into Ansel Adams)
:-)
Chuck Norcutt
Moose wrote:
> Ken Norton wrote:
>> No twist-n-tilt LCD, no built-in image-stabilization,
>
> Yup, yup
>
>> same tired interface...
>>
>
> Nope. What looks old and tired to pundits and non-users feels familiar
> comfortable and efficient to long time users. It's worth a great deal to
> be able to upgrade to a new model and have only a slight handling and
> menu learning experience. Especially if the old model is kept as
> back-up. Awkward though they may feel to others, or may have felt to me,
> years ago, my fingers know all by themselves where everything is and I
> know where to find the couple of things I actually use in the menus.
>
> Didn't I hear some corn-fed guy grumping when the E-3 came out about the
> changes in the interface from the E-1? ;-)
>
>> Oh, but look at ALL those pixels!!!!
>>
>
> :-)
>
>> Just another new model with some techno-whizbang (to quote Chuck) to
>> convince the weak among us that it is the magic bullet needed to transform
>> us from hohum photographers into Ansel Adams reincarnate.
>>
>
> Certainly a big factor. I'm a little leery, though, of the "A great
> photographer will make great images with any camera. A poor one won't
> make a good image with the best equipment." True enough, within limits.
>
> But a great photographer will find it easier to make great images with
> decent equipment and be able to capture more of them.
--
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