Bolo, I have the 67II so hopefully can answer some of your questions. See answers interspersed below:
Brother Bruce Thursday, March 21, 2002, 12:06:44 AM, you wrote: >snip< B> 1) The 67II does TTL flash. From the photos I've seen the hotshoe B> appears to be a Pentax 4p hot shoe. That means that the 67II will B> do TTL flash with my existing Pentax TTL Flashes, such as the AF280T? B> Also, the 67 flash system is a straight 4p system and won't TTL with B> the auto-focus 5p flashes? The 67II does 5p digital TTL. It works the same as the ZX series 35mm bodies. That means that it can work with the latest AF360FGZ, the AF500FTZ and the AF280T. I have used both my AF280T and my AF360FGZ on it TTL mode very successfully. You can also use the Auto modes on the flash or straight manual if you like. B> 2) Only the AE prism for the 67 does metering, all the other finders B> lack metering so you need either a hand-held or "sunny-16" meter? B> I would like to have a waist-level finder that would meter, so I B> don't have to "peer" through the small peephole viewfinder so much. I don't think that the waist level finder on either the 67II or the earlier models has a meter in them. You would need to use a handheld meter or estimate yourself. B> 3) The 6x7 metering prism is a full-average meter, while the 67II AE B> prism is closer to 35mm gear with center-weighted, spot, and "matrix" B> metering modes? That is correct. B> 4) Can you adjust TTL flash fill via exposure compensation like you B> can on the SuperProgram? In other words use manual metering, and adjust B> the exposure compensation to control the flash fill? That is also correct. However, remember that your flash synch is only 1/30th of a second. You can improve that by using the leaf shutter lenses, but the leaf shuttter lenses are not compatible with the TTL system. B> 5) What is the highest shutter speed on the leaf shutter lens(s)? 1/500? B> When using the leaf shutter lens does the body sync the flash correctly? I believe that the lens is what triggers the flash via a PC cord. That is also why you lose the TTL. B> 6) I have read that mirror and shutter vibration are a big problem B> with the Pentax 67 bodies. An article on The Luminous Landscape B> http://www.luminous-landscape.com/pentax67ii.htm B> shows multiple images on photographs with Pentax 67 gear because the B> shutter and the mirror shake the camera so badly. On the other B> hand, the PDML photographers have been getting excellent results. B> What's up? The focal length of the lenses. Much like 35mm. At shorter focal lengths, vibration is not much of a problem. At long focal lengths greater than 300mm you start to run into the usual vibration issues. It is my understanding that the new 67II has improved on the vibration problem. Be sure to perform this simple test - Set shutter to bulb - lock up mirror - fire shutter but don't immediately release the shutter - now release the shutter. You will note that the shutter vibration is very minor. The worst vibration is when the mirror returns - safe because image is already captured. B> 7) Some things that I've read say that the camera and lenses have two B> bayonets, an "inner" bayonet and a "outer" bayonet. Digging around B> it seems that some accessories (extension tubes for example) work only B> on one of the bayonets. Does this mean there are essentially two incompatible B> lens systems for the 67, and you need to have, for example, extension tubes B> and teleconverters for *each* of the bayonets? The outer bayonet is for long focal lengths. I have not encountered anything personally that uses the outer bayonet, but I have only looked up to 300mm. All my lenses and extension tubes are for the inner bayonet. B> 8) Any lenses to stay away from? Any particularly outsanding ones B> (yes, I already know about Aaron's 75mm f/2.8 :)? Any recommendations for B> any particularly good pairs or triplets of prime lenses? The 55/4 77mm filter is supposed to be outstanding. My experience so far would agree with that. I currently use the 55/4, 90/2.8 and 165/2.8. I am quite happy with that setup. B> 9) Is the film loading particularily onerous, or is it comparable to B> 6x6 TLR bodies? I personally am not having any real problems with it. You do have to be deliberate, but at least on the 67II, loading is fine. I have not loaded any TLR's so can't compare. I believe one of the nice improvements of the 67II is that the LCD will tell you what you should be doing. After loading the film and winding to the right mark, close the back and the lcd will tell you to keep winding until it gets to frame one. Then the shutter cocks and you are ready to roll. I don't know if the older 67 requires you to fire the shutter for each wind or not. When the roll is finished the LCD will tell you to keep winding until the roll is spooled off. Again, no shutter firing, just winding. I'm going to have to try the older 67 to see what it is like. B> 9) Any other good questions to ask which I haven't? :) B> Thanks for any info! B> Bolo -- Josef T. Burger B> ps: Just wait till I ask for info about 6x7 capable enlargers! - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
