Hi David, Some years ago by the time the 5N was just released, a well known and appreciated pdml member - Roberto Burgos (who unfortunately has left the group for some time now) conducted a formal test of the MZ-5N flash compensation under controlled conditions ( flashmeter, studio, camera loaded with film). He found out that the flash compensation was handled quite precisely, except for the -0.5 EV and +0.5 EV compensations where the flash output only changed with -30% and +30%. Also according to his observations, the compensation changes the ambient light exposure as well, except for the manual mode. His findings were later confirmed by others including myself (in a less scientific manner - guessing from slides ;o) ). Back to your tests, you seem to have scooped a significant change in compensation implementation between the MZ-5N and the MZ-S. While the MZ-5N compensation affects both flash output and ambient light exposure in auto modes (and this is a well established fact), the MZ-S applies compensation only to the flash. Well, this must be a great news for the MZ-S owners having long complained about the lack of dedicated flash compensation control, just as it was for the 5N owners finding out they can still do flash compensation with their old-style, minimal controls camera. As for Pentax not publishing the complete capabilities of their products, not to mention advertising them... well, this is a story just as old as this list. From the cultural fracture between the development and marketing departments to the plain idiocy of the Pentax marketing, it all have been beaten to death. With no change from Pentax part. :o( Servus, Alin
David wrote: DW> Max, I just today got an e-mail from the Pentax corporation confirming my DW> observations--they said that the camera assumed the flash is the primary DW> light source and the one the photographer would want to be able to DW> adjust--and I think they are right, I just don't understand why they would DW> leave this out of there manuals. I tested this by putting my cameras (both DW> the MZ-S and ZX5-N) on a tripod and attatching and unattatching the flash DW> unit while moving the exposure compensation dial. The data imprinting from DW> the MZ-S on a roll of flash lit portraits also confirms that the apperature DW> and shutter were not altered despite changing the exposure compensation dial DW> in program mode. I tried all 3 automatic modes, as well, with the same DW> result. This is great--I have control of my fill flash ratios with any DW> flash on the camera, even the pop-up! Why does nobody seem to know this? DW> It seems important if you use a flash and have a pentax?
