Stupid things Camera Companies leave out...

I fear I am not in agreement with your conclusions. I have an Exacta and there are three ways to keep the camera from going off by accident. Too much of a good thing. And, I believe depth-of-field buttons are worthless. It gets so dark in the viewfinder to render such alleged feature a joke.My Exacta also has a knife in the camera body to cut the film, something happily lacking in modern cameras. Any large corporation, in my opinion, takes a lot of care in trying to give the consumer what s/he wants. If they leave stuff off it's probably not what people clamour for. If you want a custom-built camera you will pay through the nose.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by desertratt

And, I believe depth-of-field buttons are worthless. It gets so dark in the viewfinder to render such alleged feature a joke.

---

I use mine all the time. Maybe your eyes aren't too good with dim light?

I consider depth of field preview essential. I will not buy an SLR that doesn't have it. The only reason I have one that doesn't is that it was given to me.

I don't use it all the time of course, but I use it a LOT. You get used to it. Especially in a camera with a nice bright viewfinder like my LX and MX, I consider it extremely useful.

Of course I'm used to sticking my head under a darkcloth and making the same evaluation on a view camera ground glass at often smaller apertures. Maybe it takes practice. I've been doing it so long I'm not sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Roger Cole

I consider depth of field preview essential. I will not buy an SLR that doesn't have it. The only reason I have one that doesn't is that it was given to me.

---

Yep.

Though I do use an ME Super these days. The tiny camera is perfect for street shooting where I don't really need DoF preview.

Quote:

---

I don't use it all the time of course, but I use it a LOT. You get used to it. Especially in a camera with a nice bright viewfinder like my LX and MX, I consider it extremely useful.

---

Same here, absolutely.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lxdude

Yep.

Though I do use an ME Super these days. The tiny camera is perfect for street shooting where I don't really need DoF preview.



Same here, absolutely.

---

I don't see the point in using an SLR that doesn't have DoF preview, that's the point of having an SLR for me, other wise just use a Rangefinder... lol, and street shooting is good with an RF because of the dark areas where you need to hand hold at 1/30 or 1/15 which you can't do with an SLR :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StoneNYC

I don't see the point in using an SLR that doesn't have DoF preview, that's the point of having an SLR for me, other wise just use a Rangefinder... lol, and street shooting is good with an RF because of the dark areas where you need to hand hold at 1/30 or 1/15 which you can't do with an SLR :)

---

I'm fine with an SLR. The little camera has a large, bright, contrasty finder, and I like accurate framing, as I shoot transparency mostly. Plus it's very inexpensive, and I can use one of several short zooms if I want to. I'm partial to the SMC-M 24-35 f/3.5 on the ME Super. I'm less likely to get mugged for the camera, and if it happens I can replace it easily.

For most work I want a camera with DoF preview, but for broad landscapes and street I don't really need it. The Super just grew on me, though I would never keep it instead of the MX, LX, or other camera with DoF preview, plus other things like interchangeable focusing screens. On rare occasion, I do want to check DoF with the Super, so I press in the lens release button and rotate the lens like I'm taking it off until the diaphragm closes. After I check I just turn the lens back until it locks. It's funky but it works. The lens has a ways more to go until it could fall off, so being reasonably careful there's no problem.

I miss the film compartment in most new cameras. I'd love a Nikon D800 if I just knew how to load the film in it :D
Pitty the F100 don't have the ocular shutter like on the F90X.
Best regards

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lxdude

Just cut a hole in the camera back, and you can look right at the film.;)

---

Of course!
Why didn't I think of that myself?

I tried opening the back after each shot but the film kept falling out

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by StoneNYC

I don't see the point in using an SLR that doesn't have DoF preview, that's the point of having an SLR for me, other wise just use a Rangefinder... lol, and street shooting is good with an RF because of the dark areas where you need to hand hold at 1/30 or 1/15 which you can't do with an SLR :)

---

Depends on the lens. I can hand hold an SLR pretty easily at 1/30th with a 50mm lens if I'm careful. Not as critically sharp as if it were on a tripod of course, but fine for most purposes. 1/15th is a different prospect. I've been able to pull it off, but far from consistently.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lxdude

I'm fine with an SLR. The little camera has a large, bright, contrasty finder, and I like accurate framing, as I shoot transparency mostly. Plus it's very inexpensive, and I can use one of several short zooms if I want to. I'm partial to the SMC-M 24-35 f/3.5 on the ME Super. I'm less likely to get mugged for the camera, and if it happens I can replace it easily.

For most work I want a camera with DoF preview, but for broad landscapes and street I don't really need it. The Super just grew on me, though I would never keep it instead of the MX, LX, or other camera with DoF preview, plus other things like interchangeable focusing screens. On rare occasion, I do want to check DoF with the Super, so I press in the lens release button and rotate the lens like I'm taking it off until the diaphragm closes. After I check I just turn the lens back until it locks. It's funky but it works. The lens has a ways more to go until it could fall off, so being reasonably careful there's no problem.

---

Humm, interesting trick. If it works on the ME Super it should work on my K1000. I'll try it.