RE: Next body after P30?
I own a Super A as well as a P30 and P50. It's true that the (earlier) Super A is superior to the other two (TTL flash and shutter priority). One thing I like ablut both P30 and P50 is the very soft release. The P50 has a beautiful design as well. Jens Bladt mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://hjem.get2net.dk/bladt -Oprindelig meddelelse- Fra: Brian Walters [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sendt: 9. juni 2004 02:11 Til: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Emne: Re: Next body after P30? Hi Peter I'd agree with Joe. The Super A / Super Program is a great manual camera. Apart from the LX, it was the most sophisticated manual camera that Pentax produced and it picked up a swag of well deserved awards. I've seen good examples offered on ebay so you could probably pick one up at a reasonable cost. It features program, aperture priority, shutter priority and metered manual exposure modes as well as TTL flash (program and shutter priority only available with 'A' series manual lenses). Also has depth of field preview, exposure compensation and a PC flash connector socket. I've been using one for many years and I still use it regularly even though I have more recent models. The P50/P5 is also good as a step up from the P30. Although not as full featured as the Super A, it is (in my opinion anyway), one of the best handling models that Pentax produced - it really feels good to use. It has 'landscape' and 'speed' program modes as well as aperture priority and metered manual. No TTL flash. It doesn't provide for manual setting of film speed - DX only (like the P30) but if you feel the need to change the rated film speed, you can get around this by using the exposure compensation facility (unlike the P30). I've never used the MZ-M so I can't comment on that one. Regards Brian + Brian Walters Australian Plants Societies http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/ On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 18:24 , [EMAIL PROTECTED] sent: I prefer Pentax manual lenses for travel due to their size, weight and great optics. They are also relatively cheap secondhand. However, the bodies have always left me a bit flat. I can't afford an LX so I started with ME Supers. More recently, the P30T has worked well ... inexpensive and looks very unassuming to the locals. But I am perplexed about what is the next step up. I understand the P30 was the last manual body made. Could I expect better results using my manual lenses with an autofocus body instead of the P30T. I guess what I am looking for is a brief rundown of the merits of each body when used with manual lenses. What meter modes will or will not work, and what advantages are gained from those of the newer features that can be so utlilized. Thanks for any advice. Peter Nielsen Msg sent via Spymac Mail - http://www.spymac.com
Re: Next body after P30?
Hi, Peter, The next step up is probably a brief step back chronologically, to the Super Program/Super A, which is a better and more advanced body than the P30t, with the sole exception of a lack of an exposure lock/hold button. It has TTL flash and program/aperture priority/shutter priority/manual modes along with program flash and TTL flash modes. It doesn't set the film speed for you, but this means you can expose film at other than its rated speed, and it has a really nice viewfinder with full information (at least in program shutter priority mode) that's a pleasure to use for manual focusing. Other directions to go may be the slightly harder to find P5/P50, which I believe at least has a choice of program modes, or the Program A/Program Plus, which is the budget model of the Super Program. In autofocus, the SF1n/SFXn is actually very nice for manual focusing, with the best Pentax viewfinder (all glass) of the autofocus bodies until the MZ-S came along. Most of the autofocus bodies are fine for manual focusing, though there are no split-prism or microprism focusing aids. The cameras can give you a beep or a viewfinder indicator for proper focus with manual focus lenses. Most of the PZ/Z series and the ZX/MZ series of autofocus bodies will give you multi-segment metering if you have manual focus A lenses and several have spot metering and other nice features that work just fine with manual focus lenses. The sole current manual-focus body, the ZX-M/MZ-M, is quite nice, although very small and light, and while the viewfinder is much smaller than the ME Super/Super Program's, it does have the split image/microprism focusing aid. Joe I prefer Pentax manual lenses for travel due to their size, weight and great optics. They are also relatively cheap secondhand. However, the bodies have always left me a bit flat. I can't afford an LX so I started with ME Supers. More recently, the P30T has worked well ... inexpensive and looks very unassuming to the locals. But I am perplexed about what is the next step up. I understand the P30 was the last manual body made. Could I expect better results using my manual lenses with an autofocus body instead of the P30T. I guess what I am looking for is a brief rundown of the merits of each body when used with manual lenses. What meter modes will or will not work, and what advantages are gained from those of the newer features that can be so utlilized. Thanks for any advice. Peter Nielsen -- Joe Wilensky Staff Writer Communication and Marketing Services 1150 Comstock Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-2601 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] tel: 607-255-1575 fax: 607-255-9873
